C. Evan Stewart ’70 Cited for Top Trial Work

Westminster alumnus and trustee C. Evan Stewart ’70 was named by the New York Law Journal as one of the top attorneys in private practice for his legal work in “The Top Trials of 2005”. As a leading securities defense attorney with the firm of Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner, Stewart was the lead trial counsel for Bank of America broker Theodore C. Siphol, the first person in U.S. history to be criminally charged for “late trading” of mutual funds.
 
The first prong of their defense focused on the belief that Mr. Siphol did not believe he was acting illegally. “The factual record was pretty clear,” said Mr. Stewart. He noted that Mr. Siphol’s superiors had signed off on the transactions that New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer called illegal. In addition, the government witnesses testified that they did not think Mr. Siphol was acting illegally. “They gave very favorable testimony for us.” Mr. Stewart stated. “The issue of intent is wrapped up with Ted’s conduct, which was wholly inconsistent with someone who is trying to hide wrongdoing.” The jury ultimately found Mr. Siphol not guilty of 29 counts of securities fraud in June 2005.
 
Following the successful Siphol trial, Mr. Stewart joined the New York office of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP in January 2006. With the addition of Mr. Stewart, Zuckerman Spaeder -- which was ranked as one of the nation's top litigation boutiques in 2005 -- has established a formidable presence in the areas of securities and white collar litigation in New York, according to a recent news release.
 
“Evan is one of the brightest stars of the financial and securities litigation bar,” said Zuckerman Spader’s Chairman Graeme Bush. “His extensive and diverse trial experience will be a proven asset to our firm’s litigation practice and to our New York office.”
 
Mr. Stewart has nonpareil experience in securities, antitrust (criminal and civil) and complex litigation issues. He has represented domestic and international clients in many front-page issues, including litigation that followed the collapse of Enron and the food-for-oil program at the United Nations. His experience embraces state and federal courts as well as arbitration before the National Association of Securities Dealers, New York Stock Exchange, and American Arbitration Association.
 
Mr. Stewart graduated cum laude from Westminster School in 1970 and went on to Cornell University where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in 1974. He received his Juris Doctorate from Cornell Law School in 1977, where he was published in the Cornell Law Review and served on the Moot Court Board. He served on the board of trustees of Cornell University from 1998 to 2002, was chair of Cornell’s University Council, and currently serves on the Advisory Councils for the Cornell Law School, the College of Arts & Sciences (vice-chair), the University Library, and the Johnson Art Museum. He was a Visiting Fellow in the W.K. Keck Foundation Ethics Program at Cornell Law School in 1996.
 
Prior to returning to private practice, Mr. Stewart was executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary of The Nikko Securities Co. International, Inc., and a director of Nikko Financial Services, Inc.; before that, he was a first vice president and associate general counsel at E.F. Hutton, serving as head of its litigation department.
 
Mr. Stewart is an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law and Brooklyn Law School; he also serves on the Advisory Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He has served in a number of positions for the Securities Industry Association, including as chair of the Federal Regulation Committee, as well as on the Securities Regulation Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. He frequently speaks and publishes on securities industry issues, professional ethics, and other topics.
 
A committed alumnus of Westminster since he graduated in 1970, Mr. Stewart was a member of the Alumni Association’s Executive Committee from 1981 to 1983 and became a Class Agent in 2002. Evan attended Westminster Today as well as numerous other Westminster events. He became a member of the Board of Trustees in 2003. Mr. Stewart, and his wife Trisha, lives in New York City with their daughter, Charlotte.