Peter H. Bresnan is a litigation partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and member of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations practice.  Mr. Bresnan's practice includes a broad range of business regulatory and corporate governance matters, including representing corporations, financial institutions and individuals in SEC and other regulatory enforcement proceedings. In addition, Mr. Bresnan conducts internal investigations on behalf of management and boards of directors. He regularly counsels clients on SEC reporting, disclosure, compliance and corporate governance requirements.

Mr. Bresnan joined the Firm following a 12-year tenure at the Securities and Exchange Commission, most recently as Deputy Director, Division of Enforcement, where he was responsible for supervising all enforcement matters in the SEC’s Washington, D.C. office.   Mr. Bresnan led a number of major enforcement actions, including as the SEC’s lead trial counsel in the WorldCom case.    Mr. Bresnan was also responsible for the Commission’s actions against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Mr. Bresnan led significant investigations involving a broad variety of subjects, including alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, issuer accounting fraud and other disclosure violations, stock options backdating, mutual fund market timing and late trading, market manipulation, broker-dealer misconduct and insider trading.  

During his career at the SEC, Mr. Bresnan had numerous roles, including as Acting District Administrator for the SEC's Boston office where his responsibilities included oversight of the office’s enforcement program as well as its examinations of brokerage firms, investment advisers and other registered entities.  Mr. Bresnan also served as the SEC’s Deputy Chief Litigation Counsel, sharing responsibility for managing the Commission’s nationwide litigation program.

Mr. Bresnan is the 2004 recipient of the SEC’s Stanley Sporkin Award, which recognizes those who have made “exceptionally tenacious and insightful contributions” to the enforcement of the federal securities laws. 

He earned his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1982 and his B.A. from Kenyon College in 1977.  

Publications

•	SEC Announces Significant New Initiatives to Encourage Cooperation in Investigations and Enforcement Actions
•	The Supreme Court Considers Whether Class Arbitration is Permitted When the Arbitration Clause is Silent on the Issue
•	The Supreme Court Considers the Constitutionality of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
•	The Supreme Court Considers the ‘Inquiry Notice’ Standard in Federal Securities Fraud Cases
•	Regulators Take Aim at Acts of Foreign Bribery: Heightened Necessity for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Compliance Programs and Procedures
•	The Heightened Pleading Standard of Twombly Applies to All Federal Civil Claims
•	New SEC Chairman Schapiro Announces Changes Aimed at Reinvigorating Enforcement Program
•	Supreme Court Finds in a “Lights” Cigarettes Case That Claims for Violation of a State Statutory Duty Not to Deceive Are Not Preempted by the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act
•	Supreme Court Hears Its Second Significant Preemption Case This Term
•	The Supreme Court Considers the Extent of Federal Subject Matter Jurisdiction Under the FAA
•	The Supreme Court Revisits the Preemption of State Law Consumer Protection Claims
•	The Supreme Court Limits Punitive Damages Award In The Exxon Valdez Case To 1:1 Ratio To Compensatory Damages
•	Supreme Court Upholds Tax Treatment In Which Only In-State Governmental Bonds Are Tax-Exempt
•	The Supreme Court Rules Against TV’s “Judge Alex,” Finding That an Agreement to Arbitrate Trumps State Administrative Process
•	Supreme Court Hears Argument in its Second Significant Arbitration Case this Term
•	The Supreme Court Rejects "Scheme" Liability For Secondary Actors In The Absence Of Actual Reliance On The Deceptive Conduct Or A Separate Duty To Speak

Speaking Engagements

•	Peter H. Bresnan and Robert E. Spatt Speak at the 28th Annual Federal Securities Institute February 18, 2010
•	Jonathan K. Youngwood to Chair and Peter H. Bresnan to Speak at PLI's "Securities Litigation & Enforcement Institute" August 24, 2009
•	Peter H. Bresnan and Leiming Chen Speak at CPE Conference on SEC Reporting & SOX 404 Compliance in Shanghai June 8, 2009
•	Peter Bresnan to Co-Moderate Program with SEC Commissioners Aguilar and Campos Addressing SEC Enforcement Trends and Priorities March 16, 2009
•	Peter H. Bresnan Discusses The Credit Crunch at a Cornerstone Research Program March 12, 2009
•	Peter H. Bresnan and Robert E. Spatt to Speak at the 27th Annual Federal Securities Institute February 10, 2009
•	Peter H. Bresnan Speaks at Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Conference November 17, 2008
•	Peter Bresnan and Mark Stein Speak at Directors Roundtable in New York October 22, 2008
•	Peter H. Bresnan to Speak on Regulatory Investigations at the NYC Bar Association October 8, 2008
•	Peter H. Bresnan to Co-Chair American Conference Institute's 6th National Forum on Corporate Investigations May 13, 2008
•	Simpson Thacher Attorneys to Speak at Los Angeles Directors Roundtable April 21, 2008
•	Simpson Thacher Attorneys Speak at Directors Roundtable April 18, 2008

Admissions

•	New York 1985
•	U.S. District Court Southern District of New York 1989
•	U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York 1989

Education

•	Fordham University School of Law, 1982 J.D.
•	Kenyon College, 1977 B.A.