WilmerHale is pleased to announce the arrival of Mike Sharp in the firm’s New York office, where he will be a partner in the Securities practice.
Sharp joins the firm from Citigroup, where he has been since 1997. Most recently, Sharp served as General Counsel for Global Wealth Management, Consumer Banking and Global Cards. In that role, he oversaw all legal matters for a vast array of Citi’s global businesses, including among others Citi Smith Barney; the Citi Private Bank; Citigroup Investment Research; Citi Retail Banking; CitiMortgages; CitiFinancial; Primerica Financial Services; and Citi-branded and non-branded credit cards. Previously, he was responsible for legal and compliance matters for Citigroup Global Markets Inc.’s institutional businesses. Sharp has also been active in building Citi’s pro bono programs, which include his serving on the boards of Sanctuary for Families and the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights.
“Mike is a tremendous talent and an outstanding lawyer,” said Bill McLucas, Chair of the Securities practice at WilmerHale. “His experience and profile in the securities, banking and broker-dealer communities will help expand our Securities practice and we look forward to having him on board.”
“Mike has been the go-to lawyer within Citigroup on its most sensitive and high profile enforcement and regulatory matters,” said Bill Perlstein, Co-Managing Partner at WilmerHale. “He will be an excellent addition to our Securities group.”
With more than 250 lawyers, WilmerHale’s Securities practice is among the largest and most diverse of its kind. The firm has successfully resolved some of the most significant and complex securities investigations and litigation over the last two decades, and has earned a reputation as a leading defender of companies charged with violations of the securities laws and market misconduct. The firm also offers sophisticated regulatory compliance advice and corporate governance counseling to companies and other financial market participants in the United States and Europe, and is highly regarded for our representation of investment management and broker-dealer businesses.
“I am thrilled to be joining WilmerHale,” said Sharp. “I very much look forward to working with my new colleagues in the Securities practice to meet our clients’ needs and continue to grow the practice.”
Sharp earned his BA in 1978 from Fordham University, and received an MBA from Cornell University in 1981. For the next seven years, he traded US Treasury bonds. He then received his JD from the University of Georgia Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. Sharp clerked for Judge J.L. Edmondson on the Eleventh Circuit from 1991 to 1992, and was a litigation associate for five years at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York.