Sandeep Savla
Co-Head of Regulatory, Investigations, Securities and Compliance, United States
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Sandeep Savla's practice focuses on civil litigation and white collar investigations, particularly matters involving securities, financial markets, tax and financial products. Sandeep has more than 20 years of experience in government, private practice and as head of litigation at an investment bank.
During the course of his career, Sandeep has represented financial institutions, issuers, accounting firms and individuals. For the last 20 years, he has acted in almost every major industry-wide financial investigation before federal, state and foreign authorities and in related civil litigation across the country. Much of his representations have been cross-border in nature. Sandeep has also represented companies in multiple False Claims Act investigations and litigations before federal and state agencies.
Sandeep's recent civil litigation has included a successful trial in federal court for a financial institution concerning the sale of CDO notes, a successful appeal for another financial institution in connection with CMBS and CDO notes and representing public issuers and directors in securities and derivatives class actions. Sandeep's experience with white-collar matters include representing major international banks in investigations before federal and state authorities and foreign regulators and a public issuer in an accounting investigation.
Sandeep's approach is shaped by his time managing a large-scale docket for a global investment bank. He served as a Managing Director and Counsel and Head of Litigation for the Americas at Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank. In this role, Sandeep managed a cross-border litigation and investigations docket, responded to regulatory inquiries and appeared directly in court and before government agencies. His matters included actions relating to industry-wide products and practices (such as cases involving LIBOR and other benchmark rates), multiple securities and CDO lawsuits and cases arising out of the bank's major product lines.
Earlier in his career, Sandeep served as Senior Counsel in the Enforcement Division of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where he handled numerous investigations, regulatory proceedings and litigation involving all aspects of the federal securities laws. He also practiced for many years in London as a barrister and represented clients in criminal jury trials and regulatory enforcement matters in the UK, taking more than 15 criminal trials to verdict. Sandeep remains a barrister in the UK and has defended clients faced with UK investigations. Sandeep's dual admission and experience in New York and London, as well as his time at a global investment bank, contribute to his track record in representing clients in litigation and investigations with a cross-border dimension.
Professional experience
Collapse all- Master of Laws, Stanford Law School, 2001
- LLM, King's College London, 1994
- Bachelor Degree in Law, Oxford University, 1991
- Bar of England and Wales
- New York State Bar
- Won a New York federal court trial on all claims concerning the sale of disputed CDO securities, acting as lead counsel on behalf of a global financial institution.
- Defended a financial institution concerning its alleged role in connection with CMBS, and obtained a full dismissal of claims on appeal, acting as lead counsel.
- Represented client through a series of securities and derivative litigation before district courts and a federal appeals court.
- Large-scale and cross-border investigations for financial institutions involving multiple US agencies and regulators, such as the Department of Justice (DOJ), SEC, Federal Reserve, and New York State Department of Financial Services, as well as foreign regulators.
- A SEC accounting investigation on behalf of a NYSE listed company.
- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and bribery investigations involving the DOJ, SEC, and UK authorities.
- Defended companies in multiple False Claims Act cases before federal and state agencies, including in New York.
- Litigated class actions and opt-out litigation for a global investment bank concerning tax products in federal and state courts across the United States.
- Represented banks in tax investigations before the DOJ.
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon, Inc., 2025
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators, Lawdragon, 2024
- Legal 500 US, Recommended lawyer: Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense, The Legal 500, 2024
- Legal 500 US, Recommended lawyer: Securities litigation: Defense, The Legal 500, 2024