David Axelrod is a first-chair trial lawyer who specializes in defending corporations and individuals in government-facing litigation involving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice, and in defending parties sued for defamation. David has tried more than 20 federal court cases to judgment and has secured favorable jury and bench verdicts in high-profile trials under intense media and public scrutiny, and has extensive experience arguing cases on appeal. David has successfully designed and executed courtroom strategy in a wide range of cases, both civil and criminal. He serves on the firm's Elected Board.

In cases involving criminal or regulatory enforcement, David has broad experience in cases alleging securities fraud, stock and market manipulation, insider trading, accounting fraud, bank fraud, tax evasion, and public corruption. In private civil litigation, David has secured significant victories in a broad range of cases from securities fraud to contracts to defamation.

David is a former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Supervisory Trial Counsel in Philadelphia and a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. At the SEC, he served as lead trial counsel and directed all aspects of litigation and complex, multi-agency investigations into alleged securities law violations, including cases involving insider trading, market manipulation, accounting fraud, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). As a federal prosecutor, David investigated and prosecuted a range of economic fraud and public corruption cases.

David is the Practice Leader of the firm’s Securities Enforcement and Corporate Governance Litigation Group. He represents companies and individuals in securities-related disputes as well as in investigations and/or against charges by federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the SEC, for alleged violations of securities laws. His clients have included investors, investment advisers, fund managers, broker-dealers, accounting officers, cryptocurrency issuers, banks, and corporate board special litigation committees. He defends organizations and white-collar professionals in cases alleging public corruption and violation of federal and state laws, including antitrust laws and the FCPA, as well as wire fraud and honest services fraud.

David also defends media clients against defamation claims, including experience arguing to favorable jury verdict (see Palin v. The New York Times Company, below, and media coverage here).