Law360 (February 18, 2026, 3:54 PM EST) -- Antonia M. Apps Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP announced on Wednesday that it has hired a former federal prosecutor who recently stepped down as deputy director of enforcement at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The SEC announced last November that Antonia M. Apps planned to depart the agency. The agency's New York office brought more standalone enforcement actions and completed more examinations than any other office nationwide during her tenure as New York regional director from January 2023 through January 2025, when she was elevated to acting deputy director.

Apps became the deputy director the following April, taking charge of the enforcement program in the New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia offices, according to Paul Weiss.

"I have long admired the exceptional talent of the Paul Weiss litigators, many of whom I have worked with throughout my career," Apps said in a statement. "I am thrilled to be joining this best-in-class litigation department with an unparalleled reputation for handling the most complex and high-stakes matters. The entire Paul Weiss platform has extraordinary depth, and I am looking forward to collaborating across practice areas to deliver excellent client service."

Earlier in her legal career, Apps prosecuted securities fraud and insider trading as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York's Criminal Division. She also spent time at Milbank LLP, Kellogg Hansen Todd Figel & Frederick PLLC, and Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP.

Apps represented the SEC in a wide range of high-profile matters during her time in public service, including a recently settled lawsuit against a Nigerian accountant and his firm, which was accused of helping the operator of the Tingo fintech businesses conceal fake audit reports that inflated the value of the firms. Other matters included the cases filed last year against the former chief financial officer of cannabis company Acreage and the founder of investment firm Never Alone Capital LLC.

"Antonia is an exceptional litigator with a proven track record," Scott A. Barshay, firm chair, said in a statement. "We are thrilled she has joined Paul Weiss."

Apps earned her master of laws from Harvard Law School.

"Antonia is an extremely accomplished litigator and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers who has tried 19 cases and argued numerous appeals in federal courts," litigation department co-head Jessica S. Carey said in a statement. "She combines first-chair trial experience, sophisticated regulatory insight, and the strategic judgment clients rely on in their most consequential matters. She will be a fantastic addition to Paul Weiss."

Paul Weiss did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

–Additional reporting by Sarah Jarvis, Sydney Price, Emilie Ruscoe and Katryna Perera. Editing by Drashti Mehta.

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