“I have never seen a lawyer as good in trial as him. It is a privilege to see him and get to watch him. He is incisive, meticulous and he builds a narrative.” Respondent to Chambers USA (2025).
“He can take a complex case and identify compelling trial themes that drive the entirety of the narrative throughout. He tells a story that is credible, believable and rooted solidly in the facts.” Respondent to Chambers USA (2025).
Steve Farina is a leading first-chair lawyer with diverse experience in complex trial and appellate litigation, securities class actions, investigations and enforcement matters, and accountant liability defense. He is the Co-Chair of Williams & Connolly’s Accountant Liability, Securities Litigation, and Securities Enforcement practice groups.
Steve has represented national and international accounting firms, including all four “Big Four” firms, in an array of civil litigation matters and SEC and PCAOB investigations and enforcement proceedings. He also has successfully defended issuers, underwriters, and individuals in securities litigation in courts throughout the United States.
Steve is ranked in Band 1 for Accountant and Auditor Liability in Chambers USA (2025).
Representative Experience
Though all cases vary and none is predictive, Steve’s experience includes:
- Represented a Big Four accounting firm in an arbitration arising out of one of the largest corporate frauds in history, winning a directed verdict following 100 days of testimony.
- Represented a Big Four accounting firm in a three-week arbitration arising out of the failure of one of the largest title insurance companies in the U.S., prevailing on all claims.
- Represented a national accounting firm in multiple lawsuits in state and federal courts arising out of the Thomas Petters multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme, prevailing on motions to dismiss or summary judgment in four separate suits.
- Represented a Big Four accounting firm in a two-week arbitration arising out of misstated financial statements issued by a professional sports team.
- Represented a Big Four firm on a motion seeking disqualification of a law firm representing the FDIC on the grounds that the law firm had gained access to confidential information from a PCAOB investigation, in violation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. A U.S. Court of Appeals found that SOX had been violated, and the district court ordered disqualification.
- Represented national, Big Four, and international accounting firms in more than three dozen PCAOB and SEC investigations and enforcement actions.
- Represented defendants in a “meme stock” securities action, successfully defeating class certification following an evidentiary hearing, with the court finding that the company’s stock did not trade in an efficient market during the relevant period.
- Represented nCino in a derivative action related to a merger, prevailing on a motion to dismiss in the Chancery Court that was affirmed by the Delaware Supreme Court.
- Represented CVS Health in securities class actions in federal and state courts related to goodwill impairment, winning dismissal of the federal action on a motion to dismiss (affirmed by the First Circuit) and the state action on an interlocutory appeal (in the New York Appellate Division).
- Represented Intel in a securities class action related to security vulnerabilities in its microprocessors, prevailing on a motion to dismiss.
- Represented Pfizer in a securities class action related to its resolution of government investigations into the promotion of certain prescription drugs.
- Represented Medtronic in a securities class action related to the reporting of clinical trial data.