Overview
Joseph M. Pastore III is a Member and Chairman of Pastore.
Mr. Pastore focuses his practice on the financial services and technology industries. He represents major multinational companies in state and federal courts, as well as before self-regulatory organizations such as FINRA, and government agencies such as the SEC. He is presently counsel in commercial cases involving hundreds of millions of dollars concerning corporate severance, securities and investment banking pending in the Southern District of New York, District of Delaware, District of Connecticut and in state courts in Connecticut, New York and California. Prior to forming, Pastore LLC in 2012, Mr. Pastore served as a office managing partner of two 500 plus attorney law firms, and as an executive committee member of a 900 attorney firm.
He has been consistently named as a leading attorney for financial services companies, including the securities, banking and insurance industries. He represents major securities industry companies, including internationally significant brokerage firms, broker-dealers, advisory firms, private equity firms, specialists firms, proprietary trading firms, transfer agents and derivative brokers. Mr. Pastore also represents large and small hedge and venture funds, and RIAs. He has also handled several of the largest FINRA arbitrations ever held before that body. On regulatory matters, was counsel in the national seminal securities investigations including the national SPAC Investigation, the national CDS investigation, an investigation concerning the largest IPO in U.S. History, and an investigation into the largest retail private equity fund.
On banking issues, Mr. Pastore has handled regulatory and litigation disputes for the nation’s largest mortgage lenders and defended and prosecuted major matters concerning bank conversions. On insurance matters, Mr. Pastore has handled major reinsurance arbitrations and litigations including matters filed in foreign jurisdictions hosting captive reinsurance companies.
He is also recognized for his representation of many technology companies. He regularly represents large technology and telecommunications companies, including many internet, satellite, computer software, networking, voice and data companies, and start-up ventures. He has handled large national intellectual property disputes before the Second Circuit and Federal Circuit. He has also served as lead counsel in New York and Connecticut for Fortune 500 corporations in several national class action litigations involving pharmaceutical companies.
Mr. Pastore also has extensive experience negotiating commercial agreements, including venture capital term sheets, private equity term sheets, technology license agreements, partnership agreements, joint venture agreements, merger agreements, executive employment and compensation plans and limited liability company agreements.
He has published several articles concerning securities law, technology and corporate governance in the New York Law Journal, the Los Angeles Daily Journal, the Connecticut Law Tribune and the Practicing Law Institute. He has ranked AV Preeminent for 15 years in a row, the highest ranking available for attorneys. He has been named a Super Lawyer for Metro New York, and New England on several occasions. A corporate magazine has named him Attorney of the Year for 2017 for the state of Connecticut. He has also been named Top-Rated Attorney in Connecticut in 2021.
Mr. Pastore has served on boards for Bucknell University and for The Northern Westchester Hospital. He is a member of the Bars of the State of New York and the State of Connecticut. He has also served on the Corporate Bar Association of Westchester and Fairfield Counties, where he had served as co-chairman of the commercial and business section. He is presently on the Board of Visitors for his law school. He is also an election office holder in Connecticut.
Mr. Pastore received his B.A., cum laude, from Bucknell University in 1988. He received his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Pace University in 1991, where he served as a Managing Editor at a national law review. Mr. Pastore is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, New York, the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Credentials
Education
Pace University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1991
Bucknell University, B.A., cum laude, 1988
Bar Admissions
Connecticut and New York
District of Connecticut
Southern District of New York
Eastern District of New York
Western District of New York
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, First Circuit, Second Circuit, and Eighth Circuit
Memberships
Pace Law School Board of Visitors
American Bar Association
Corporate Bar Association of Westchester and Fairfield Counties – Commercial and Business Section
Bucknell University Fundraising Committee, former co-chairman
The Northern Westchester Hospital, Fundraising Committee
Bucknell University Public Policy Advisory Board
Recognitions
- Connecticut Magazine, Top Attorneys In Connecticut, 2023
- Connecticut Super Lawyers, 2023-2024
- America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators for Connecticut, 2023
- The American Lawyer, Top Rated Litigation, 2023
- The American Lawyer, Litigation, 2022
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent Rating® Judicial Edition, 2022-2023
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent® Lawyer for Highest Possible Rating in Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards, 2021, 2024-2025
- Lawyers of Distinction, Top-Rated Lawyer in Connecticut, 2021, 2023
- Martindale-Hubbell, Top Rated AV Preeminent® Lawyer, 2017-2021, 2024
- Super Lawyers, New York Metro, 2012- 2024
- The New York Times, Top Attorneys In Metro New York, 2015, 2018
- Martindale-Hubbell, Top-Rated AV Preeminent® Lawyer for Litigation, 2008-2017
- New York Magazine, Top-Rated Lawyers for 2017
- Martindale-Hubbell, Top-Rated AV Preeminent® Attorney for The New York Metro Area, 2015-2017, 2023
- Martindale-Hubbell, Top Rated AV Preeminent® Lawyer for Appellate Law, 2013-2017
- Martindale-Hubbell, Top-Rated Lawyer in Connecticut, 2013-2017
- American Registry, America’s Most Honored Professionals, 2015 and 2016 – Top 1%
- The American Lawyer, Top-Rated Attorney for Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Labor and Employment, 2015
- Boston.com, Top-Rated Lawyer for Appellate Law and Litigation, 2015
- Rue Ratings, Best Attorneys of America, 2015
- Martindale-Hubbell, Top-Rated Lawyer for Labor and Employment, 2015
- Martindale-Hubbell, Top-Rated Lawyer in Boston, 2015
- The American Lawyer, Top-Rated Attorney for Litigation, Employment and Appellate Law, 2014
- The New York Times, Top Attorneys in New York, 2014
- Super Lawyers, Business Edition, 2014
- Super Lawyers, New England, 2009-2011
- Westport Magazine and New Canaan-Darien Magazine, Top Lawyers in Fairfield County, Connecticut—Insurance, Securities and Technology and Science, 2010
Publications
“Are RIAs Eligible for PPP?,” Securities Industry Alert, May 2020.
“Will Federal and State Governments Alter Insurance Contracts to Require Coverage for COVID-19 and Should Congress Fund Insurance Companies to Help Provide Coverage?” Insurance Alert, March 2020.
“SEC Issues Report on the Application of Federal Securities Laws to Crowdfunding through Cryptocurrency, ” Securities Industry Alert, July 2017.
“Brokers and Advisers Beware: Taking Customer Information Could Get You Fined and Suspended,” Securities Industry Alert, April 2011.
“New FINRA Rule: Customers May Now Opt for Three Non-Industry Panelists in FINRA Arbitrations,” Securities Industry Alert, February 2011.
“Proposed FINRA Rule Impacts Private Placements,” Securities Industry Alert, February 2011.
“SEC Adopts New Rule Preventing Unfiltered Market Access,” Securities Industry Alert, November 2010.
“Advisors: Beware of the “Switch” From SEC Oversight to State Regulation,” Securities Industry Alert, September 2010.
“Broker Beware: New FINRA Guidance Suggests Renewed Regulatory Focus on Broker-Dealers Involved in Regulation D Offerings,” Securities Industry and Tech & Venture Finance Practice Alert, May 2010.
“FINRA Opens Up Brokers’ Closets Even Further … and for Longer,” Securities Industry Alert, July 2010.
“The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act,” Securities Industry Alert, July 2010.
“FINRA’s Guidance on Social Media Web Sites,” Securities Industry Practice Alert, January 2010.
“FINRA’s Enforcement Process Steps Up in 2010,” Pastore.net, January 2010.
“Some Thoughts for Your Annual Compliance Review: Red Flags and AML Procedures,” Securities Industry Practice Alert, January 2010.
“Series LLCs and Their Use in the Securities Industry,” Securities Industry Practice Alert, January 2010.
“New Disclosure Rules: More Regulation for Registered Representatives,” Securities Industry Practice Alert, September 2009.
“SEC Enforcement Staff Gains Subpoena Power (and Other Evolutions in the Division’s Authority and Responsiveness),” Securities Industry Alert, August 2009.
“Raising International Regulatory Standards and Cooperation in Troubled Times,” Securities Industry Alert, July 2009.
“The FRR Report Proposes a Resolution Regime to Aid Failing Firms,” Securities Industry Alert, July 9, 2009.
“FRR Report Proposes Three New Regulatory Agencies,” Securities Industry Alert, July 2009.
“FRR Would Decrease Reliance on CRAs and Increase Systemic Safeguards,” Securities Industry Practice Group Alert, July 2009.
“The Formation of a New Consumer Financial Protection Agency,” Securities Industry Alert, July 2009.
“SEC Proposes Amendments to Investment Advisers Act,” Securities Industry Alert, June 2009.
“Treasury Faces Major Legal Roadblocks on Recycling TARP Funds,” SNL Financial, April 23, 2009.
“Big Boy” Letters, Side Letters and Other Variations on Alternative Investments,” presentation to Second Annual Hedge Fund General Counsel Summit: Industry Insight in Uncertain Times, Stamford, Connecticut, September 25, 2008.
“A Rapidly Evolving Process,” Practicing Law Institute Corporate Law and Practice Course Handbook, August 2004.
“How To Better Position Your Arbitration Strategy So as To Prevail on Post-Arbitration Challenges in the Courts,” Securities Arbitration, 2004
“Arbitrability of Copyright Disputes in the Securities Industry,” New York Law Journal, July 18, 1997.