Persons exit the headquarters of the U.S. Securities and Trade Fee (SEC) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. Image taken May possibly 12, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

(Reuters) – After nearly a 10 years at the Securities and Trade Commission, attorney Rebecca Fike has rejoined Vinson & Elkins as a spouse in Dallas, the organization said Tuesday.

Fike’s apply will emphasis on securities enforcement, federal government and internal investigations and white collar defense, the agency said.

Vinson & Elkins mentioned Fike, who was a business associate in advance of transferring to the SEC, worked on far more than 60 securities-connected investigations in her time with the commission.

She was a Fort Value, Texas-dependent senior counsel in the SEC’s division of enforcement.

Fike co-led an SEC investigation that resulted in a $125 million settlement in December with electric powered vehicle maker Nikola Corp., which was accused of defrauding traders with misleading info about solution development and funds. The SEC claimed Nikola did not confirm or deny its conclusions.

Nikola had long gone general public by merging with a special objective acquisition organization. SPACs elevate cash by means of original general public offerings to consider non-public providers community.

Fike mentioned she foresees SPAC transactions, which boomed in 2021, and attracted regulatory focus, becoming an energetic place for her follow.

Hilary Preston, a Vinson & Elkins vice chair, mentioned the business in 2021 “had an outstanding share of the SPAC current market on the company side” as consumers.

Fike also aided the SEC investigate Houston-primarily based oil companies corporation KBR Inc, ensuing in what the commission stated was its 1st whistleblower security situation in opposition to a corporation for working with improperly restrictive language in confidentiality agreements. KBR agreed to shell out $130,000 to settle the circumstance in 2015, and neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing.

Fike explained she is the very first SEC alumna to join Vinson & Elkins. She will be a member of the firm’s worldwide authorities investigations and white collar criminal protection group, as well as its shareholder litigation and enforcement team.

“I was energized about the strategy of constructing some thing and rising some thing. To be ready to go someplace the place I could, from the start, consider a guide in that follow region was just immensely thrilling,” stated Fike.

Vinson & Elkins has additional a number of former prosecutors and ex DOJ officers to its government investigations exercise in latest years.

In January 2021, it extra Zach Terwilliger, a former U.S. legal professional in Virginia, to its Washington, D.C. place of work.

Read Far more:

World IPOs breach all-time record on U.S. SPAC growth, flurry of tech listings

Nikola Corp agrees to pay back $125 mln to settle SEC rates of defrauding investors

Our Specifications: The Thomson Reuters Have confidence in Rules.