Dietrich King.

Ballard Spahr has again added to its growing securities practice, bringing on a former assistant director from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Dietrich King, now a partner in Ballard Spahr's Philadelphia office, worked at the SEC for more than a decade. He was most recently in the Office of Financial Services within the Division of Corporation Finance, where he led a team of 30 lawyers and accountants who reviewed filings for large securities issuers.

The latest hire follows a year of additions to Ballard Spahr's securities capabilities and related practices, including private equity and mergers and acquisitions. Most recently, Ballard brought on more than 60 transactional lawyers in the Midwest with its acquisition of Lindquist & Vennum.

Also in 2017, the firm added securities litigator Timothy Katsiff from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and opened an office in Boulder, bringing on three lawyers from a boutique who focus on corporate and securities matters, mergers and acquisitions, licensing and strategic transactions for startups and venture capital clients.

King said he had been looking for opportunities to return to private practice when he began talking with Ballard Spahr through partner Justin Klein, who was also previously an assistant director in the SEC's Division of Corporate Finance. Before his time at the SEC, King was an associate at Harter Secrest & Emery in Rochester, New York.

“Dieter's background and his relationships at all levels of the SEC will be invaluable to clients trying to navigate the review process and deal with securities disclosure issues,” Klein said.

King said he hopes to help the firm's lawyers in Minnesota and Colorado get more work. He has his own ties to the Midwest, as his wife is from Minnesota and he was previously licensed to practice law there. He plans to reactivate his law license in Minnesota to be of more use to Ballard Spahr's newest office.

In building a book of business, King said he plans to market his securities abilities to Ballard Spahr clients who are getting their securities work done elsewhere. He said the fact that his experience in the SEC is so recent is an asset.

“We know from experience that high-level SEC experience is a rare and valuable asset for our clients,” said Ballard Spahr chairman Mark Stewart. “With Dieter as a resource, clients engaged in a host of important dealings with the commission will have the benefit of fresh insight and information to guide their decision-making.”