NORRIS D. WOLFF

PARTNER

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Norris Wolff, a founding member of the firm, has over 40 years of litigation experience in complex financial, contract, construction, investment and securities and broker dealer cases in federal and state court, and over 130 arbitrations before national and international arbitration tribunals. Norris has lectured on arbitration and taught basic courses to arbitrators and/or chairpersons in training and served as co-counsel to non-U.S. law firms in international arbitrations in New York, London and Paris.

Practices

Education

Georgetown University (J.D., 1969)

Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (B.S., 1966)

Bar Admissions

2013, U.S. Tax Court

2000, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan

1991, U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York

1990, U.S. District Court, District of Arizona

1988, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

1984, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of International Trade and U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

1981, U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit

1980, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin

1971, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit and U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

1970, New York

Publications

The Maestro Of Foley Square

Federal Bar Council News, September/October/November 2005

Foreign Insolvency Proceedings and the American Bank: The Section 304 Problem

100 Banking Law Journal 4, 1983

Counterclaims Against Absent Class Members

98 Banking Law Journal 47, 1981

National Banks and the Vanishing Venue Defense

97 Banking Law Journal 245, 1980

Insights

Kleinberg Kaplan Marks 50th Anniversary as Premier Law Firm for Private Investment Funds

 November 1, 2021

Boutique law firm Kleinberg Kaplan, described as “Wall Street’s best-kept secret,” is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a leading legal adviser to investment funds and entrepreneurs, including many pioneers in the funds industry. Founded by Fred Kleinberg, Myron Kaplan and Norris Wolff in November 1971, with Jim Cohen joining a few months later, Kleinberg Kaplan…

The Value of Domestic Cooperation in Dealing with Foreign Corruption

 June 16, 2016,

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice recently have sought to persuade companies to self-report violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The SEC has announced non-prosecution agreements with two companies, Akamai Technologies and Nortek Inc., respecting bribes paid to Chinese officials by Chinese subsidiaries. Each U.S. company was required to disgorge…

Two Federal Judges in New York Reject Bids To Enjoin SEC Administrative Proceedings Against Securities Fraud Defendants

 July 1, 2015,

On June 30, 2015, U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams handed down an important decision affecting the SEC’s controversial practice of bringing insider trading enforcement actions in the form of in-house administrative proceedings instead of as civil court actions. In a 23-page opinion, Judge Abrams refused to enjoin the SEC from continuing with an ongoing administrative…

Federal Court Chips Away at SEC’s Use of In-House Administrative Proceedings Against Insider Trading Defendants

 June 11, 2015,

On June 8, 2015, U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May handed down an important decision affecting the SEC’s practice of bringing insider trading enforcement actions in the form of in-house administrative proceedings instead of civil court actions. In a 45-page opinion, Judge May enjoined the SEC from continuing with an ongoing administrative proceeding on the…

SEC Issues Guidance Regarding Administrative Proceedings

 May 11, 2015,

On Friday, May 8, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued guidance to its staff to assist in determining whether to bring enforcement actions in federal district court or as administrative proceedings before an Administrative Law Judge. The administrative proceedings have become highly controversial in recent years, as many defendants in the proceedings have complained…

Class Assertion of State Law Fraud Claims relating to Certain Securities Is Now Easier in New York, Connecticut and Vermont

 May 5, 2015,

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in In re Kingate Management Limited Litigation, recently made it significantly easier for plaintiffs in the Second Circuit and New York, Connecticut and Vermont state courts to bring class actions alleging violations of state law in litigation involving certain types of securities. By allowing these claims…

Issuer Liability for Opinions in Registration Statements

 March 27, 2015,

On March 24, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision setting standards for opinions in issuers’ registration statements. In Omnicare, Inc. v. Laborers District Council Construction Industry Pension Fund, the Court held that an issuer of securities must ensure that representations of opinion in registration statements are (1) sincerely held and…

SEC’s Co-Chief of Enforcement (Asset Management Unit) Describes Enforcement Priorities for the Year

 March 3, 2015

The Co-Chief of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Asset Management Unit (the “AMU”) recently provided a revealing and important glimpse into the SEC’s priorities in bringing enforcement actions in the investment fund community. Julie M. Riewe gave an overview of the AMU’s capabilities and accomplishments in the five years since it was formed, and provided…

First Department Extends Common Interest Privilege

 December 9, 2014,

In a decision sure to affect the behavior of parties in transactional and other contexts, the New York Appellate Division for the First Department on December 4, 2014 eliminated the “pending or reasonably contemplated litigation” requirement from the common interest privilege. Thus, the presence of a third party at an otherwise privileged communication will not…

An arbitration by any other name…

 April 30, 2014

When entering into a contract, parties need to know that they could be agreeing to arbitration without knowing it. A New York federal court recently held that the parties’ agreement to utilize a third-party appraisal procedure in the event of a dispute entitles the successful party to exercise important enforcement rights relating to arbitration, even…

Analyst Indicted for Stealing Hedge Fund Trading Data

 April 1, 2014

The New York County District Attorney’s Office recently announced the indictment of a former analyst with a New York City hedge fund alleging that the analyst illegally accessed and duplicated proprietary and highly confidential information relating to the firm’s trading methods. The analyst is charged with multiple counts of Unlawful Use of Secret Scientific Material,…

Disclosure of Wells Notices Not Required by Section 10(b)

 August 31, 2012

A recent decision of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has held that Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 does not require companies to disclose their receipt of a Wells Notice. The SEC provides the target of an investigation with a Wells Notice whenever the Enforcement…

Whistler Beware: Court of Appeals Puts Advisers’ Compliance Officer at Risk

 April 30, 2012

In a controversial but important decision, the highest state court in New York has held that an employer can terminate the employment of its chief compliance officer for voicing objections to allegedly improper trading practices. Issued last week, the decision of the New York State Court of Appeals in Sullivan v. Harnisch, 2012 N.Y. Lexis…

Language Trumps Logic in Indemnification Clauses

 August 10, 2010

A recent decision by New York’s Appellate Division for the First Department, Gotham Partners, L.P. v. High River Limited Partnership, 2010 NY Slip Op. 6149, 2010 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 6223 (1st Dept. 2010), confirms that the wording of an indemnification provision must be very specific in order to afford indemnified parties the full protection…