Greenberg Traurig LLP is expanding its securities litigation practice with the addition of former Reed Smith LLP partner John Lukanski as a shareholder based in its Florham Park office.

Before joining Greenberg Traurig, Lukanski led Reed Smith’s broker-dealer and investment adviser practice. His 25-year career also includes partnerships at McGuire Woods LLP and Wolff & Samson PC.

On a nationwide basis, Lukanski has worked with broker-dealers, investment advisors and other wealth management clients to support their business needs and handle complex matters, including internal reviews, regulatory investigations, litigation, regulatory counseling and FINRA arbitrations.

His experience covers a range of issues including fraud-related matters, supervision, review and retention of electronic communications, Ponzi schemes, unauthorized trading and manipulative order entry activity.

Lukanski has also handled cases involving sales practices, structured products, gifts and entertainment issues, variable annuities, fee-based accounts and options trading.

Commenting on his new role, Lukanski said, “Greenberg Traurig’s stellar reputation in the broker-dealer and securities litigation spaces, the firm’s impressive client list, and depth and breadth of impressive litigators and regulatory lawyers, made joining an easy decision to make.

“Both my clients and I will benefit from the firm’s collaborative global platform of legal talent rooted in the concept of local strength with global reach,” he added.

Poised for growth

In a joint statement, David Jay and David Oppenheim, co-managing shareholders of the firm’s New Jersey office, said talented lawyers such as Lukanski are “an important part of our plan for strategic growth” in the state.

“We are certain that John’s ability to advocate for clients in complex and challenging securities litigation and internal and regulatory investigations will greatly assist us as we strive continually to serve them at the highest level,” they said.

William Briendel and Tracy Gerber, co-chairs of Greenberg Traurig’s securities litigation practice, said Lukanski’s “extensive experience and ability to work nationwide and on a variety of complex matters” will be “of tremendous value to our clients and deep bench of highly sophisticated securities litigators.” They added, “His commitment to exemplary client service fits perfectly with ours.”

Greenberg Traurig – which is consistently ranked among the top law firms on the AmLaw Global 100 and National Law Journal 500 – has more than 2,750 attorneys in 47 locations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.