International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the appointment of Nicolette Kost de Sèvres as a partner based in its Paris and Washington, DC offices. Nicolette joins as co-head of the Firm’s global investigations & compliance group and will co-lead the practice alongside London-based global investigations partner Simon Airey.
She joins from Mayer Brown, where she was the Head of Compliance and Investigations in Paris.
“Nicolette is a top-rated practitioner with an excellent reputation in the industry, and she is an outstanding strategic thinker. As such, she will be able to provide the highest level of support to our clients’ growing compliance needs,” said Steve Scholes, head of McDermott’s Global Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group.
Having practiced in London, Paris, Sydney, Montreal and Washington, DC, Nicolette has more than two decades of experience in compliance, white-collar crime and financial regulation, including at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE Euronext) in Paris and the Royal Bank of Scotland in London. She specializes in anti-corruption and anti-money laundering compliance both in Europe and globally, as well as in corporate investigations and regulatory investigations, risk management, and in due diligence compliance.
Simon Airey, co-head of McDermott’s global investigations & compliance group added: “Nicolette’s extensive experience in both investigations and compliance work will give a further boost to the growth of our global practice. McDermott’s teams deal with some of the most complex, cross-border and multi-disciplinary issues in the market, so her international experience will be a great asset.”
Nicolette represents clients in the context of audits, investigations and regulatory obligations related to regulators across Europe, Canada and the United States, including the French Anti-Corruption Authority (AFA), the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR), the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the World Bank and other multilateral banks.
She advises financial institutions and corporate clients on preventive measures and complex white-collar crime matters. Nicolette’s experience includes advising on compliance programs, ESG obligations, risk assessments, whistleblowing systems, EU financial and FinTech regulation. She also has experience in the military and defense sectors in France and in the United States.
“I am thrilled to be joining McDermott and am truly excited about contributing to the trajectory of its global investigations and compliance practice. McDermott’s internationally oriented, interconnected platform will best support clients with strategic and innovative solutions adapted to the challenging and ever evolving global environment,” said Nicolette.
In 2021 and 2022, Nicolette was recognized by Forbes as one of France’s Top 40 lawyers. She was also named one of the Top100 Women in Investigations by Global Investigations Review and one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women. She has also authored numerous publications on compliance, enforcement, business ethics and international financial markets.
