Kit Addleman

Known as a “powerhouse lawyer” in securities enforcement defense, Kit Addleman has built her nationwide practice by advising public companies, officers and directors, investment advisors, private funds and broker-dealers concerning securities investigations.  She has successfully defended clients in civil and criminal investigations and litigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice, advised clients on compliance with securities regulations and conducted internal investigations of suspected securities violations. Kit’s experience serving in four different regional offices over her 20 years in senior management at the SEC allows her to deftly advise clients at Haynes Boone, where she serves as chair of the firm's SEC Enforcement Practice Group and is a prominent member of the Government Enforcement and Investment Management Practice Groups.

Many of Kit’s biggest successes have involved defending allegations of accounting and financial fraud, insider trading, private funds and investment advisor fraud, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. Clients note that Kit is “rare in her securities specialty and one of the top enforcement lawyers in that area,” that her “SEC experience is incredibly valuable," and "bringing her in gives us an edge on very complex regulatory issues and the practical business implications," Chambers USA 2020 (Chambers and Partners). Every year since 2016, Kit has been the only lawyer in Texas ranked for Securities: Regulation: Enforcement (Nationwide) by Chambers USA.

As director of the Atlanta Regional Office of the SEC, Kit led the enforcement, examination, and bankruptcy programs in five Southeastern states, which included directing the enforcement priorities and resolutions of investigations and litigation. She served the SEC in the Atlanta, Fort Worth, Denver, and Philadelphia offices and headed the enforcement program in the SEC's Fort Worth and Atlanta offices before being named the regional director in Atlanta in 2007. A sought-after authority for her knowledge of the SEC's enforcement and examination programs, Kit frequently speaks at national, international, and regional conferences. She has authored and contributed to numerous articles, white papers, and alerts on the subject.

Kit serves her colleagues and community with the same zeal she offers her clients. She started the firm’s Women’s Initiative and served six years as the head of the Women's Leadership Academy, a training program for senior associates. Kit also serves as chair of the board with the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. In 2016, the Dallas Business Journal profiled Kit about her efforts at the Girl Scouts to develop a STEM training program. The National Association of Corporate Directors also named her an “Outstanding Director” for her work on behalf of the Girl Scouts. And in 2021, Kit was recognized as a “Women of Distinction” by the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, which celebrates women leaders who serve the community.

She is co-chair of the ABA subsection on Officer and Director liability defense. Additionally, she co-founded the local chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association to facilitate business growth and networking for women lawyers defending government actions and investigations. Kit also is a past board member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals and the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, both organizations which support financial literacy and money management, investor protection and securities compliance.