Steptoe has added Della Sentilles as a partner in its Investigations, White-Collar Defense & Compliance group in New York, strengthening the law firm’s capabilities across financial crime, government enforcement and corporate compliance.
Sentilles joins Steptoe from Morgan Stanley, where she served as Executive Director in Global Financial Crimes, U.S. Investigations. Earlier in her career, she was a senior attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Fraud Section.
Her practice spans securities and commodities fraud, federal program fraud, anti-corruption enforcement, money laundering, asset forfeiture and financial crimes compliance.
Sentilles has handled high-profile government investigations, significant criminal trials and reviews of corporate compliance programs, giving her experience advising clients on both enforcement risk and internal compliance systems.
Before joining Morgan Stanley, Sentilles served as Senior Litigation Counsel in the DOJ’s Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit, where she worked on major fraud prosecutions and emerging enforcement matters.
Her background also includes work involving anti-money laundering, market abuse, fraud prevention and emerging cryptocurrency-related compliance issues.
While at the DOJ, Sentilles played a leading role in several precedent-setting matters. These included securing what Steptoe described as the first conviction involving insider trading through Rule 10b5-1 trading plans and bringing the first criminal commodities insider trading case under Rule 180.1.
She also served in the DOJ’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, where she worked on international investigations involving multinational companies, foreign officials and complex financial transactions.
Sentilles earned her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law and her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Yale University. She has received the Attorney General’s John Marshall Award, which Steptoe describes as the DOJ’s highest award for attorneys.
Her addition broadens Steptoe’s ability to advise financial institutions, public companies, boards and executives facing criminal investigations, regulatory scrutiny and compliance challenges.
KEY QUOTES:
“Della combines exceptional trial skills with deep experience across the enforcement landscape, from securities and commodities fraud to anti-corruption and anti-money laundering matters. Just as importantly, she understands the challenges clients face from both government and corporate perspectives.”
Ryan Poscablo, Chair of Steptoe’s Investigations, White-Collar Defense & Compliance Group
“Steptoe has built a reputation for handling some of the most sophisticated investigations and enforcement matters in the market. The firm’s collaborative culture, trial strength, and global platform create an outstanding environment for helping clients navigate risk and resolve their most challenging legal issues.”
Della Sentilles, Partner at Steptoe
