Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has named Stephen M. Cutler as head of the firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice.

Cutler, who joined the firm as a partner in 2018, advises companies, boards and senior executives on government and internal investigations, corporate governance and regulatory matters. He was formerly general counsel of JPMorgan Chase and also served as vice chairman. Previously, Cutler served as director of enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he led the agency’s investigations of numerous high-profile financial reporting, broker-dealer and investment advisor matters.

“Steve is an excellent choice to lead our Investigations Practice,” said Bill Dougherty, chairman of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee. “He is highly respected for his leadership skills and widely recognized as one of the leading lawyers of his generation. His experience in both the public and private sectors is unmatched.”

Jonathan Youngwood, co-head of the firm’s Litigation Department, said, “Steve’s experience is unique. He helped lead one of the country’s preeminent institutions through the financial crisis and also served as the SEC’s director of enforcement during a period of some of the agency’s most historic cases, including WorldCom and Enron. He is an asset to our firm and will make a great leader to a strong bench of talent.”

Simpson Thacher’s Global Litigation Department represents a wide range of sophisticated clients, including financial institutions, corporations, boards, audit and special committees, and senior executives, in their most significant matters. The firm offers a substantial bench of talent to effectively handle litigations, government and internal investigations, arbitrations and cross-border disputes in North and South America, Asia and Europe.