DAVID S. PETRON is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office. Mr. Petron’s practice is focused primarily on government and internal investigations. He has substantial experience defending corporations and individuals in SEC enforcement actions and PCAOB investigations. In addition, Mr. Petron has assisted with white collar criminal investigations and investigations by congressional committees, as well as complex civil litigation matters.
Mr. Petron also works on general appellate matters, with a focus on First Amendment issues. He has extensive experience with free speech cases involving regulation of broadcast indecency. He has also been involved with litigation on various church-state issues, including land-use matters involving the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA). Mr. Petron has briefed cases in the Supreme Court and a variety of federal circuit courts. He has also argued cases before the D.C. Circuit and the D.C. Court of Appeals.
In addition, Mr. Petron has substantial experience with complex electronic discovery matters. He is a member of the firm’s Electronic Discovery Task Force.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Petron clerked for Judge Susan H. Black of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and Chief Judge D. Brooks Smith of the Western District of Pennsylvania. During the latter clerkship, he assisted Judge Smith with matters related to his nomination and ultimate confirmation to the Third Circuit. He graduated summa cum laude from Notre Dame Law School, where he served on the Law Review; he was also a dual-degree student in the Notre Dame Department of Philosophy, where he earned an M.A. and was admitted to candidacy for his Ph.D. Mr. Petron received his B.A., cum laude, from The George Washington University.
Representative Engagements
- SEC v. Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated — Represented broker-dealer in SEC investigation of e-mail retention and production issues.
- SEC v. Raytheon Company — Represented defense contractor in SEC investigation of accounting and disclosure issues.
- Represented major accounting firm in PCAOB investigation.
- Fox Television Stations, Inc. v. FCC, 489 F.3d 444 (2d Cir. 2007) (cert. granted March 17, 2008) — Represented broadcaster in challenge to FCC’s regulation of broadcast indecency.
Publications
- David S. Petron, Note, "Finding Direction in Indirection: The Direct/Indirect Aid Distinction in Establishment Clause Jurisprudence," 75 Notre Dame L. Rev. 1233 (2000).