Scott H. Kimpel

Scott brings in-depth knowledge of SEC policies, procedures and enforcement philosophy to each representation. Scott regularly advises clients across a broad sector of the economy facing sensitive reporting, compliance and enforcement matters before the Securities and Exchange Commission and other capital markets regulators. His practice encompasses a wide range of matters involving the securities laws, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, regulatory enforcement, administrative law and public policy. Scott heads Hunton’s ESG practice, and also leads the firm’s working group on blockchain and digital assets. 

Before joining the firm, Scott served on the Executive Staff of the SEC as Counsel to Commissioner Troy A. Paredes from 2008 to 2012. At the SEC, Scott acted as Commissioner Paredes’s liaison to the Commission’s senior staff as well as external constituencies including issuers and other SEC registrants, investors, press, members of Congress, professional firms and trade associations. He advised the Commissioner on all aspects of the federal securities laws and SEC policy across all SEC divisions and offices, focusing especially on the Division of Corporation Finance and the Division of Enforcement. Scott was also involved in financial regulatory reform efforts, including the SEC’s response to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act as well as the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. Prior to the SEC, Scott practiced for ten years with another major law firm in Dallas and Washington.

Scott is frequently quoted by major news sources, including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Law360, Compliance Week and The National Law Journal. Scott previously served with the legal staff of a Fortune 10 company on a seconded basis, supporting the SEC reporting, compliance, investor relations and corporate secretary functions.

• Represents issuers, investors and underwriters in all aspects of Securities Act and Exchange Act compliance, including public and private offerings of debt and equity securities, structured financing, disclosure and periodic reporting, ESG and sustainability reporting, business combinations and communication with SEC staff.
• Counsels executives and boards of directors in matters concerning corporate governance and investor relations, including discharge of fiduciary duties, conduct of shareholder meetings, shareholder proposals and preparation of proxy statements, ESG strategy, executive compensation, restricted stock issues, beneficial ownership reporting, stock exchange listing requirements, proxy advisors and shareholder engagement.
• Advises broker-dealers, investment advisers and other financial intermediaries on compliance with state and federal securities laws, FINRA rules and other applicable market regulations.
• Counsels leading trade associations in formulating legislative and administrative policy objectives concerning securities regulation and corporate governance.
• Represents bidders, targets, special committees and significant stockholders in public and private mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, divestitures, Section 363 sales, joint ventures and going-private transactions.
• In the blockchain and digital asset space, represents entrepreneurs, emerging and established businesses in deploying distributed ledger technology to all facets of their operations, including token and stablecoin offerings, financings involving collateral originated on blockchain, and a broad range of contractual and regulatory compliance issues for FinTech companies, financial institutions, trading platforms and other market intermediaries in connection with their digital asset strategies.
• While at the SEC, participated in drafting and reviewing SEC rules, interpretive guidance, appellate briefs, congressional testimony and policy statements on matters concerning capital markets and market structure, securities offerings and investment products, corporate governance and disclosure, accounting and auditing standards, climate change, conflict minerals, whistleblowers, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and private investment funds.
• During his tenure with the SEC, counseled Commissioner Paredes through deliberations over all stages of enforcement actions and Commission adjudications concerning a wide variety of liability theories in cases including those involving scienter- and nonscienter-based fraud, insider trading, offering and registration violations, accounting matters and financial restatements, disclosure issues and periodic reporting, attorney and accountant misconduct, structured products, trading practices, Regulation M, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, asset management, investment advisers, broker-dealers and transfer agents.

• Recommended for FinTech, Legal 500 United States, 2020-2024
• Expert Panel, The Law Reviews, 2020

• Former Member, Grand Council (National Board of Trustees), Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, 2005-2014; National Vice President, 2009-2014
• Former Board Member, Dallas Wind Symphony