Charles J. Hecht, Principal
CHecht@hechtlegal.com

A graduate of Cornell University and Cornell University Law School, Mr. Hecht has over 40 years' experience in securities and commodities transactional work, litigation and arbitration. He has more than 50 published decisions on cases in which he was the sole or lead counsel, in areas ranging from securities and commodities fraud to constitutional and contract disputes. Mr. Hecht has provided expert testimony before the Internal Revenue Service with respect to the impact of proposed tax regulations on preferred stock hedged with commodity futures and options. He has authored articles on mergers and acquisitions, earn outs, commodities, hedging, derivatives, and arbitration jurisdiction and damages and since 2005 he has been the legal columnist for smartpros.com, an online newsletter for financial professionals.

In 1995, Mr. Hecht served as Chairman of the New York State Bar Association's continuing legal education program on securities arbitration and Chairman for LEXIS Counsel Connect's national, on line Seminar on Securities Arbitration. In 1996 and 1997, Mr. Hecht participates as lecturer for the Financial Management Network's continuing education program.

In 1996, Mr. Hecht was a principal coauthor of the New York Federal Practice Section's Report on Securities Class Fees. In 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2007, Mr. Hecht again participated as a speaker on the New York State Bar Association's continuing legal education program on securities arbitration. He also participated as a speaker at the New York Bar Association’s continuing legal education program on class actions in 2000. In 2006 he was the sole speaker at a CLE accredited program sponsored by the Hudson Valley Bank on securities arbitration. In 2007 Mr. Hecht was the sole speaker at two separate CLE accredited programs sponsored by State Bank of Long Island, “What Every Attorney Should Know About Public Companies” and “Basic Primer on Securities Law.” Mr. Hecht is also an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and COMEX.

Prior to entering private practice and founding the Firm, Mr. Hecht was with the Division of Corporate Finance (Washington, D.C. main office) of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mitchell Berns, Counsel
MBerns@hechtlegal.com

Mr. Berns’s practice concentrates on securities and commercial litigation, financial services, and banking matters. He is also a former federal bank regulator.

Mr. Berns’s experience includes:

	Achieving several multi-million dollar recoveries for defrauded investors in complex actions against broker-dealers, professionals and others;
	Defending and representing top corporate executives in fraud litigation and leveraged buyout matters;
	Prosecuting and defending securities arbitration claims, including investor and industry matters;
	Handling securities matters involving misconduct in the sale of derivatives, swaps, options, debt and equity securities, and limited partnership interests;
	Managing the supervisory function of a federal banking regulator;
	Handling complex commercial matters, including claims involving fraud in the sale of commercial property and construction delays.

Mr. Berns graduated from Yale Law School in 1977 and Amherst College in 1974. From 1996 to 2002 he was Director, Office of Supervision, at the Federal Housing Finance Board, the regulator of the Federal Home Loan Bank system, which provides wholesale banking services to support housing finance for 8,000 domestic banks and thrifts. His opinion pieces on bank regulatory policy issues have appeared in the American Banker.

Daniel Tepper, Associate
DTepper@hechtlegal.com 

	Representing CLECs and broadband providers with an aggregate of over $480 million worth of financing;
	Assisting European companies with converting into an American corporate structure and establishing operations in the United States;
	Helping investment funds and small business investment companies document and execute their investment activities;
	Litigating numerous contract and securities claims in state and federal courts; and
	Defending individuals and companies accused of breach of contract, securities violations and negligence.

William Geller, Of Counsel
WGeller@hechtlegal.com

Mr. Geller’s practice focuses on commercial litigation and real estate transactions. His litigation practice includes trial court and appellate work in complex domestic and international litigation in areas of securities, mergers and acquisitions, employment, high technology, banking, and accounting.

In his real estate work Mr. Geller represented buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants in commercial real estate sales, leasing and financing transactions, as well as individuals, coops and condominiums in residential real estate transactions.

Mr. Geller has previously worked at Carter, Ledyard & Milburn, LLP and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, LLP. He is a 1994 graduate of Fordham Law School where he served as an Associate Editor of Fordham Law Review, He is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey state and federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a past Chair of the New York City Bar Association's Young Lawyers Committee.

Prior to his legal career Mr. Geller was an auditor at Deloitte & Touche where he earned his New York CPA. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he obtained dual BA degrees from The Wharton School and School of Engineering and Applied Science.
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