Mitchell Sandler Continues Strategic Growth With Launch of Government Investigations and White Collar Criminal Practice and Expansion of Mortgage and Bank Regulatory Groups

Mitchell Sandler PLLC, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm focused on financial services and civil litigation, announced today that it has expanded its roster with four new hires, including two partners, a counsel, and an associate. In connection with its latest expansion, the firm is launching a new Government Investigations and White Collar Criminal practice group.

The firm has named Seth Waxman, a veteran federal prosecutor with 30 years of experience, as its latest lateral hire to lead the newly formed Government Investigations and White Collar Criminal practice. Waxman brings 13 years of experience at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia to his new role, including eight years leading fraud and public corruption prosecutions in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is a nationally recognized criminal defense lawyer known for his representation of Fortune 500 companies and corporate leaders in all manner of government investigations and prosecutions. Waxman also has broad experience conducting corporate internal investigations in response to government inquiries, whistleblower reports, and other corporate events, which has earned him multiple appointments by judges to serve as a receiver overseeing complex fraud cases involving a wide range of financial transactions.

“Seth brings to Mitchell Sandler the ideal combination of prosecutorial and criminal defense experience across a variety of sectors, including banking, mortgage services, and securities,” said Andrea Mitchell, co-founder and managing partner of Mitchell Sandler. “With the new administration’s shift in enforcement priorities and practices, Seth’s vast experience and strategic foresight will be an invaluable resource for our clients as we guide them through their greatest challenges.”

The firm has also expanded its Mortgage Regulatory practice group by adding top mortgage servicing partner, Reid Herlihy.

Herlihy joins the firm from Ballard Spahr, bringing 14 years of experience on mortgage regulatory matters. He advises banks, mortgage companies, investment banks, debt collection firms, secondary market investors, and other financial services companies on state and federal regulatory compliance issues, disclosures, advertising, licensing, examinations, and enforcement matters. Herlihy is a frequent speaker on emerging issues in the mortgage industry and a respected thought leader on the mortgage servicing rules, fair debt collection, loss mitigation, and foreclosure procedures.

Mortgage Regulatory practice group leader and Management Committee member Daniella Casseres stated, “The mortgage industry has reached a critical inflection point, where lenders and servicers are assessing whether to acquire, sell, merge, or maintain status quo. Each of those paths presents opportunities and challenges for our clients who rely on us to provide practical legal advice that aligns with their business strategies. We strive to maintain a bench of industry leading attorneys who can offer our clients different perspectives in this competitive and rapidly changing environment. Reid’s deep mortgage servicing expertise will enhance the strategic advice we provide to clients and complements our litigation practice.”

The Civil Litigation practice group has added Sean Hennessy as counsel. Hennessy most recently served as a trial attorney at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Since October 2021, Hennessy has led investigations involving financial fraud, misappropriation, market manipulation, compliance failures, and other suspected violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and related regulations. Hennessy also served on the CFTC’s Digital Assets Task Force and was a key advisor to leadership on emerging legal and technological developments in crypto enforcement and regulation. Prior to joining the CFTC, Hennessy was a senior associate at Arnold & Porter, where he worked on litigation and government investigations for nine years.

The Bank Regulatory practice group also welcomes associate Chloé Dolsenhe. Dolsenhe joins the firm after serving as an enforcement attorney in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency since October 2021. She worked on multiple enforcement and litigation matters involving third-party risk management practices, anti-money laundering claims, whistleblower complaints, crypto-related activities, the Bank Holding Company Act, and safety and soundness claims. She also led the enforcement unit’s Artificial Intelligence Working Group and Machine Learning Enhancement Working Group as a founding member of both initiatives. Prior to joining the OCC through its Honors Program, Dolsenhe was an associate in the White Collar Defense & Investigations practice group at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.

About Mitchell Sandler

Mitchell Sandler is a majority-women-owned and women-managed financial services and litigation law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. The firm supports financial services companies through its Mortgage Regulatory, Bank Regulatory, Fintech, and Fair Lending practice groups, which are comprised of industry-leading lawyers and compliance professionals with deep experience in the laws and regulations that govern the industry. The firm’s Civil Litigation practice group is comprised of nationally recognized practitioners who represent individuals and companies in a wide range of financial services, employment and labor, and general civil litigation matters. The firm has a seasoned team of labor and employment attorneys who advise corporate clients on regulatory and compliance matters. The Government Investigations and White Collar practice is anchored by former DOJ officials with decades of experience navigating complex government and internal investigations. Mitchell Sandler’s attorneys and compliance professionals have convened from big law, national consulting firms, government service, and in-house positions to coalesce around a shared vision of firm culture, superior client service, and practical legal advice.

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