Law firm McDermott Will & Emery has tapped Fredric Firestone, associate director of the Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement, and Michael Ungar, SEC Division of Enforcement branch chief, as partners in the firm’s Controversies Business Unit in Washington, D.C.

Firestone, who will head the firm’s SEC defense practice, brings a wealth of experience in overseeing all aspects of enforcement matters at the SEC. During his more than 12 years at the SEC, Firestone was involved in some of the most complex and widely publicized matters. At McDermott, he will provide counsel to financial services firms, corporations, hedge funds, industry professionals, accountants, and individuals who need professional in-depth advice in SEC, criminal, or self-regulatory organization investigations.

Ungar joins McDermott after more than 11 years at the SEC, where he was responsible for prosecuting or leading and coordinating investigations and enforcement proceedings in a wide variety of matters, including financial fraud, insider trading, broker-dealer violations, audit failures, and market manipulation, as well as registration, SRO, Sarbanes-Oxley, and reporting violations. His leadership role in numerous actions led to significant sanctions and settlements. Prior to joining the SEC, Ungar was a litigation associate in private practice in New York.