Overview
Dimitri Nionakis is a financial services attorney in Holland & Knight's Boston and Washington, D.C., office. With more than 30 years of combined legal experience in private practice, the public sector and as in-house counsel, Mr. Nionakis is a proactive problem solver and legal and business strategist. He focuses his practice on financial services and banking regulatory matters, corporate governance and government and internal investigations.
Mr. Nionakis weaves legal, strategic, regulatory, policy, political and reputational considerations into strategic decision-making to achieve successful results in a broad array of complex regulatory, transactional, investigative and related litigation matters. He has represented global companies, startup companies, boards of directors and executives in a variety of industries – including financial services, technology, pharmaceutical, medical device and food/beverage – before the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), state attorneys general, special counsel and U.S. Congress, as well as state and federal courts.
Before joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Nionakis spent more than 13 years in the financial services sector as executive vice president, chief legal and operating officer and corporate secretary for a federally regulated, Massachusetts-based financial institution, where he was responsible for overseeing the company's legal, regulatory, compliance, corporate governance risk management and operations. During his time there, he advised on the creation and launch of new products, services and entities; handled numerous transactions, sales and acquisitions; served as the primary liaison between the institution and its regulators on exams and regulatory matters; and counseled the board and management during a multiyear regulatory investigation and liquidity crisis, through media inquiries and reputational crises, and regarding company stabilization and restructuring during CEO and senior management transition.
From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Nionakis served as Associate White House Counsel to President Bill Clinton. In this capacity, he served as impeachment counsel and advised and represented the president, White House and senior White House staff on investigative and privilege matters, civil litigation, government ethics and official programs. He also developed and executed communications strategies for numerous matters.
Mr. Nionakis also practiced for in AmLaw 100 global law firms, where he gained extensive experience representing national and international corporations and individuals in complex, high-profile regulatory, investigative and litigation matters, as well as advising clients on board governance, crisis management and corporate communications matters.
While in law school, Mr. Nionakis served as notes editor of the Case Western Reserve University Law Review.
Representative Experience
- Addressed regulatory and operational issues related to creation of new business entities
- Advised on new products and services formation and launch
- Advised management on legal and regulatory issues related to bank products and services
- Played an integral role in closing several capital raises
- Successfully negotiated and closed asset acquisitions and sales totaling approximately $1 billion and more than $500 million, respectively
- Created efficient legal and compliance departments and streamlined related policies and procedures, including those for engaging vendors and outside counsel
- Drafted, negotiated and reviewed a broad range of agreements, including purchase and sale, letters of intent, nondisclosure agreements, partnership agreements, capital raise documentation and co-branding agreements
- Played pivotal role in restructuring board composition, committees, charters and reporting
- Prepared content and format for shareholder meetings
- Handled branch acquisitions and closures
- Represented bank executives in connection with market timing investigations
- Initiated state and federal legislative outreach as in-house counsel for a Massachusetts-based financial institution
- Lead counsel representing senior and mid-level executives of a global computer company in connection with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and audit committee investigations
- Co-lead counsel representing former outside directors of Enron Corp. in connection with private litigation and investigations involving the SEC, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Department of Labor and congressional oversight committees
- Lead counsel representing mid-level employees of a national home mortgage company in connection with an internal inquiry involving lobbying activities
- Lead counsel representing a company president in connection with an industry-wide antitrust investigation by the DOJ
- Lead counsel representing a global U.S. public company before the SEC in connection with Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) issues
- Represented the president of the United States in impeachment proceedings before the House and Senate
- Representation and counseling of the president of the United States, the White House and senior officials in connection with the DOJ, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives investigations of alleged campaign finance abuses
- Conducted an internal investigation of a public healthcare company involving securities, tax and accounting fraud issues
- Represented a global telecommunications company in connection with SEC and congressional investigations
- Represented a global computer technology manufacturer in connection with domestic and foreign matters involving competition laws and unfair trade practices
- Successfully settled and disposed of major litigation matters as in-house counsel for a Massachusetts-based financial institution
- Represented a former general counsel of a national home mortgage company in connection with litigation, as well as U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) investigations
- Represented an international healthcare products manufacturer in state attorneys general and nationwide consumer class action antitrust litigation alleging horizontal and vertical conspiracies
- Represented the White House in litigation involving executive privilege
- Represented private investors in connection with real estate development litigation
Credentials
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law, J.D.
- Middlebury College, B.A., Political Science and Spanish, cum laude
- District of Columbia
- Massachusetts
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Dean's Cabinet for Diversity and Inclusion, 2023-Present
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Alumni Association Board, 2008-2016
- St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox Church, Parish Council, 2019-Present
- Society of Benchers, Case Western Reserve University School of Law