Former prosecutor and top SEC enforcer Robert Khuzami joined Guggenheim Partners this week as chief legal officer and a managing partner. He also took a seat on the board of Guggenheim Partners Investment Management Holdings.
Khuzami twice served, for a total of roughly 14 years, in the US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, most recently as deputy US attorney, second-in-command of the office, handling some high-profile criminal cases.
He also led the SEC’s division of enforcement from 2009 to 2013 amid the fallout from the financial crisis and the revelations about the Bernard Madoff investment scandal. During his tenure, the division filed record numbers of cases in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 following the most significant restructuring in the SEC’s history that streamlined procedures and expedited investigations. His team’s case load included matters related to complex securities and derivatives tied to subprime mortgages.
Khuzami in 2013 became a partner with Kirkland & Ellis, working in the law firm’s government and internal investigations group, before returning to the government in 2018 as the deputy US attorney in Manhattan. Earlier in his career he served as general counsel for the Americas at Deutsche Bank.
He has now joined the senior leadership group that manages Guggenheim and guides its future growth. According to the firm, he will devote significant time to strategic and business activities while also supervising the firm’s legal, regulatory and compliance activities. Guggenheim Partners, which states that it has more than $270 billion in assets under management as of June 30, primarily operates in investment management, investment banking and insurance services.
Guggenheim CEO Mark Walter says in a statement: ‘We are delighted to have [Robert] as a managing partner and our chief legal officer. His career in both private and public service makes him ideal for his new role at Guggenheim, and we welcome him to our firm.’
Khuzami says in a statement: ‘I am both personally and professionally excited to join Guggenheim Partners and its fantastic team. As a private sector lawyer, I learned firsthand of the firm’s integrity and commitment to best-in-class business practices and fidelity to its clients. I eagerly look forward to continuing that and helping to manage the firm’s future trajectory.’
Ben Maiden
Ben Maiden is the editor-at-large of Governance Intelligence, an IR Media publication, having joined the company in December 2016. He is based in New York. Ben was previously managing editor of Compliance Reporter, covering regulatory and compliance...
