Overview
Rick brought his extensive regulatory experience to Cohen and Wolf in 1984 and founded its securities practice group. In initiating the securities practice, Rick’s goal was to be handle a broad range of securities matters building on his years as a regulator. He spent eleven years as a regulator in two states and for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Broker-dealers, investment advisers, and issuers of securities regularly hire Rick to deal with their compliance issues, draft offering documents, create their internal compliance documents, and represent them before federal and state securities regulators.
Securities Arbitration, Mediation, and Litigation
Rick is well known for his skill in arbitration and mediation in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) forum and in financial litigation in federal and state courts. Since entering private practice Rick has defended dozens of broker-dealers and investment advisers, achieving Respondents’ and Defendants’ awards and verdicts in the great majority of his defense cases. He has also won millions of dollars of awards or settlements for Claimants in arbitration and plaintiffs in securities litigation. His practice also includes the representation of firms and registered persons in employment disputes, both in arbitration and in federal and state courts.
Representation of Registered persons and firms before regulators; Compliance
Clients have utilized Rick to draft their compliance manuals, their codes of ethics, and to guide them through regulatory examinations, on-the-record testimony before regulators, and the settlement or hearing of administrative proceedings. During his career, he has settled hundreds of cases before FINRA, state securities regulators in numerous states, and the SEC. He has also represented clients in administrative hearings before FINRA and the Connecticut Department of Banking and in the investigations which led to those hearings.
Capital formation
Issuers of securities have come to Rick over the years to prepare their offering documents. He wrote the basic private offering laws and regulations in Connecticut and Ohio and has lectured and appeared on panels countless times discussing all aspects of compliance with federal and state securities laws. Rick has prepared offering documents for hedge funds, real estate syndicators, and many start-up businesses and has handled compliance, litigation, and regulatory issues for those clients. In addition to annual recognition from clients and from his peers, Rick was named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers in America© for Securities/Capital Markets Law in the Stamford area.
Credentials
Education
University of Akron School of Law, J.D., 1977
Case Western Reserve University, M.B.A., 1972
Case Western Reserve University, B.A., 1969
Admissions
- Connecticut
- Ohio
Honors & Awards
Chambers USA®, Commercial Litigation, 2009-2016
Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" for Securities/Capital Markets Law, Stamford, CT metro area, 2017, 2022
Best Lawyers in America®, Securities/Capital Markets Law, 2009-2025
Best Lawyers in America®, Securities Regulation, 2011-2025
Connecticut Super Lawyers®, Securities Litigation, 2011-2024
Benchmark Litigation®, Securities, Competition/Antitrust, Commercial, Professional Liability, 2024
Martindale-Hubbell, AV® Preeminent™ Peer Rating
Moffly Media's "Top Lawyers in Fairfield County", Securities Law, 2022, 2023-2024
United Way Community Builder Award, 2004
Congregation Beth El "Man of the Year", 2008
Newsroom
News
Publications
Professional Affiliations
American Bar Association
• Business Law Section, State Securities Committee, Enforcement Section Chair, 2010-present
• Litigation Section, Securities Litigation Committee
• Litigation Section, Arbitration and Enforcement Subcommittee
Connecticut Bar Association
• Business Law Section, Executive Committee 1985 - Present
• Federal Practice Section, Executive Committee, 2003
• Business Law Section, Chairman, Securities Law Committee, 1995 - 2000
• Business Law Section, Securities Law Committee, Chairman, 1985 - 1990
Greater Bridgeport Bar Association
• Business Law Committee, Chairman, 1996 - 1998
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Arbitration Board, 1985-present
National Futures Association, Arbitration Board
Support Staff
Cheryl Kobak
203-341-5304
ckobak@cohenandwolf.com
Community Involvement
Congregation Beth El, President, 2005-2007
Connecticut Banking Commissioner's Advisory Council, 1998-present
Connecticut Legal Services, Inc., Advisory Board, 2008-2018
Connecticut Legal Services, Board of Directors and Past Chair of Fundraising, 1993-2007
Jewish Center for Community Services, Chair, 1999-2001
Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Bridgeport, Chair, 2004-2005
Legal Center for Connecticut Non-Profit Organizations, Founder
Westport Country Playhouse, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, 2008-present