05 Mar 2026
Elizabeth Hanft Rejoins Cleary Gottlieb as Partner in Securities and Shareholder Litigation
"Cleary Gottlieb has hired Elizabeth Hanft as a partner in its securities and shareholder litigation practice; she will work from the firm’s New York office on securities enforcement, AML and related litigation matters."
Hanft is a former Assistant United States Attorney and served as Co‑Chief of the General Crimes Unit for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). In that capacity she conducted and supervised dozens of jury trials, argued multiple appeals before the Second Circuit, oversaw hundreds of investigations and trained all new criminal AUSAs. As a senior member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force, she investigated and prosecuted insider trading, market manipulation, accounting fraud and related offenses, securing convictions in high‑profile matters including former U.S. Congressman Stephen Buyer, former DWAC board member Bruce Garelick and former film distribution CEO William Sadleir.
Hanft also served in the SDNY’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit and has extensive experience handling anti‑money laundering (AML) and sanctions cases. Most recently she advised clients in private practice on AML and financial reporting matters and on securities fraud investigations. She joins Cleary Gottlieb as a partner in the firm’s securities and shareholder litigation practice.