Concentrates on the securities regulatory issues impacting private investment funds.
Extensive experience in analysis of complex securities law compliance issues for hedge fund, private equity fund, sovereign wealth fund and corporate clients.

William K. Wetmore advises hedge fund, private equity fund, sovereign wealth fund and corporate clients on securities law compliance, corporate governance matters, securities offerings, contract drafting and securities issues related to mergers and acquisitions. William frequently creates strategies for compliance with Section 13(d) and Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and prepares filings required by those statutes. In addition, William assists with litigation strategy and the review of draft pleadings in complex Section 16 litigation cases. William also advises on challenging securities resale issues and Investment Advisers Act of 1940 issues.

Prior to rejoining Akin Gump, William served as the Chief Compliance Officer for a San Francisco-based hedge fund investment adviser.

William received his J.D. with honors from the George Washington University Law School, where he served as an articles editor of The George Washington Law Review.

Representative Work

William’s engagements have included:

Providing expert analysis of complex securities law compliance issues for hedge fund, private equity fund, sovereign wealth fund and corporate clients.
Crafting securities law filing methodologies and drafting filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for major clients, including several activist hedge funds.
Assisting with litigation strategy and providing guidance on pleadings for high-stakes Section 16 short-swing trading liability cases.
Reviewing client corporate governance policies and advising on governance best practices.
Drafting requests for no-action relief from the SEC staff for shareholder proposals.