Susan Cooke

Susan Cooke is an experienced investigator, securities laws advisor, civil litigator, and trial attorney in the following areas: government investigations, internal investigations, public company disclosure obligations, insider trading and market manipulation, cybersecurity response plans, broker-dealer registration requirements, broker-dealer disclosure and due diligence obligations, investment adviser fiduciary duties, marketing rule compliance, investment advisory written policies and procedures, and preparing and responding to SEC examinations.

Before joining PSD, Susan had a prolific 15-year career as a senior trial and enforcement counsel with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In that role, she spearheaded multiyear litigations and investigations involving complex fraud and compliance issues, with a particular emphasis on matters germane to the asset management, health care, and life sciences industries. Her practice achievements include the following:

• Securing a fraud verdict in a first-of-its-kind federal jury trial concerning the fiduciary obligations of registered investment advisers (RIAs) selling insurance products, thereby establishing a minimum standard for RIA conflict-of-interest disclosures.
• Winning a two-week federal insider trading trial for the SEC, after an acquittal in the parallel criminal case.
• Obtaining a jury verdict on all claims in a three-week federal trial against the CFO of a publicly traded biotech company for fraudulently concealing negative developments involving the FDA. This case remains the benchmark for how the SEC investigates and tries issuer disclosure cases in the life sciences space.
• Establishing a nationwide initiative to proactively identify securities matters involving life sciences companies in coordination with the FDA, creating the SEC’s playbook for how to investigate matters involving life sciences companies, and serving as the SEC’s subject matter expert on the FDA.
• Obtaining a complete verdict in the government’s favor in a two-week jury trial against a micro-cap issuer for fraudulent marketing practices.
• Winning a federal bench trial against an RIA for selling away, in breach of his fiduciary duty.
• Negotiating favorable settlements in various federal district court actions and administrative proceedings for insider trading, public company disclosure deficiencies, investment adviser misconduct, cyber intrusions, and supervisory and compliance failures by registrants.