About Us

Meet Lisa Bragança

Bragança Law is based in Chicago, Illinois but represents clients all over the country. We defend individuals and businesses in SEC, FINRA, and state regulatory investigations and litigation, recover investor losses, represent whistleblowers, and handle business disputes. We help clients with:

• Recovering Investment Losses
• Recovering Losses Resulting From Elder Financial Exploitation
• Responding to SEC Subpoenas
• Responding to FINRA 8210 Requests
• Responding to State Financial Agency Investigation Demands
• Filing SEC Whistleblower Tips
• Obtaining Corporate Information for Shareholders
• Representing Individuals and Entities in Business Disputes

These are some of our many practice areas. To learn more about our legal services, call our law firm at (847) 906-3460 or submit your contact information using the form on this website.

Former SEC Branch Chief Representing Businesses, Financial Professionals, and Investors

Bragança Law was founded by Lisa Bragança, a graduate from the University of Chicago where she received a B.A. (with honors) and a  J.D. / M.B.A. (Order of the Coif, honors).  As a former Branch Chief in the Division of Enforcement of the Chicago Office of the Securities & Exchange Commission, she handled investigations of accounting fraud, Ponzi schemes, insider trading, churning, and unsuitable investments.

During her time at the SEC, Lisa collaborated with the DOJ in the investigation of subprime auto lender Mercury Finance Company. Three senior executives, including the Chairman/CEO, were sentenced to prison terms as a result of this investigation.

Lisa also collaborated with the DOJ on an investigation of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations arising out of the bribery of Haitian customers officials. The CEO and another senior executive were convicted and sentenced to substantial prison time due to this investigation.

Prior to launching Bragança Law, Lisa also worked at Jenner & Block, where she represented Case Corporation in a federal court insurance coverage trial. In this case, she successfully won the entire $4.2 million her client sought for breach of contract as well as $10 million in punitive damages for bad faith. At the time, this was the highest amount of punitive damages ever awarded in Wisconsin.

At Bragança Law, Lisa represents individuals and entities involved in SEC and state regulatory investigations. She helps investors recover losses through arbitration and litigation. She represents whistleblowers in reporting illegal activities to the government.

Throughout her career, Lisa has been an advocate for the rights of people with physical, cognitive, and psychiatric disabilities. She previously served as counsel in three statewide class actions seeking to compel the State of Illinois to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. She also regularly speaks about elder financial exploitation, securities regulation, recovering investment losses, and cryptocurrency / ICO regulation including:

• Organizer and participant in Concordia University elder financial abuse program
• Guest lecturer on FINRA arbitration hearings for St. John’s Law School Securities Arbitration Clinic
• Faculty for CBA program, Truth Without Proof – getting blockchain transactions into evidence and co-author of article on same topic
• “Cryptocurrencies and Tokens: What are they and who regulates them” co-author PIABA Bar Journal, Vol. 25, No. 1 (2018), available here: Bragança and Straney, Cryptocurrencies and Tokens, PIABA B.J., Vol 25, No 1 (2018)
• Speaker and moderator at Public Investor Arbitration Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association meetings and programs on cryptocurrency and token regulation, investor protection, FINRA arbitration, and behavioral finance
• Speaker at American Bar Association TechShow 2019 on cryptocurrency and token regulation
• National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) training on elder abuse by financial advisors
• Instructor for Chicago Bar Foundation / NITA trial advocacy and deposition skills programs

Lisa is actively involved in the legal community. She is a former Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Securities Law Committee and is a member of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), the CBA Financial and Emerging Technology Committee, the Trial Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and is the former president of The PIABA Foundation.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Bragança Law Today

At Bragança Law, we are committed to protecting our clients in investigations and litigation, protecting whistleblowers, and recovering investment losses. To learn more about our legal services, schedule a free consultation with Bragança Law by calling (847) 906-3460 or emailing Lisa@SECDefenseAttorney.com.

Attorney David O’Toole Joins Bragança Law

Bragança Law is proud to announce the addition of attorney David O’Toole to our legal team. Before joining Bragança Law, since 1998, David O’Toole was a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Midwest Region Senior Staff Attorney.

He has considerable experience with antitrust and consumer protection litigation. David was the lead attorney on more than thirty investigations mostly involving violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act and other statutes enforced by the FTC.

Securities defense attorney David O’Toole is passionately dedicated to pursuing justice. He has coordinated investigations and litigation jointly with federal and state criminal and civil law enforcement agencies as well as foreign law enforcement agencies.

Background and Experience

David O’Toole has been honored with professional awards that include the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director’s Award (2005). He was the lead writer and editor of the Illinois State Bar Association Antitrust quarterly newsletter from 2002 through 2004. He is a member of the Bar of Illinois and the Trial Bar for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Attorney David O’Toole also teaches. He has been an adjunct law professor teaching Consumer Protection Law at the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law and teaching International Antitrust Law at John Marshall Law School (now the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law). David speaks on consumer protection issues to corporate, trade association, law enforcement, legal, and consumer audiences. He has been practicing law since 1992.

Education

Attorney David O’Toole earned a B.A. in European History from the University of Chicago in 1984. He earned an M.B.A. with concentrations in industrial relations-labor economics and finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1988.

David earned his J.D. with Honors in 1992 from the University of Chicago Law School, where he worked with the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic and the Welfare Rights Project.

How Will Attorney David O’Toole Help You?

Attorney David O’Toole will use his experience on behalf of consumers and individuals to protecting the rights of financial professionals, whistleblowers, and investors. Reporting violations of the law that you’ve seen at work can be risky. Before you blow the whistle, seek advice from a lawyer who protects whistleblowers – attorney David O’Toole.

If you are the target of a securities or other government investigation, you may have to pay a substantial fine or civil penalty, and you could even lose your right to work in the industry. Defense attorney David O’Toole will diligently fight on your behalf.

If you are trying to recover losses that were caused by breach of fiduciary duty, broker fraud, broker negligence, or other financial misconduct, David O’Toole will act as your investment loss recovery attorney and will work aggressively to recover your losses.

At Bragança Law, David O’Toole and Lisa Bragança protect and fight on behalf of investors, whistleblowers, and financial professionals. To learn more about their services or to arrange a free consultation with attorney David O’Toole or attorney Lisa Bragança, call (847) 495-7156.

Examples of Cases Prosecuted While at Securities & Exchange Commission

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act:
SEC v. Douglas Murphy, David Kay, Lawrence Theriot (Southern District of Texas). Former American Rice CEO Murphy and former marketing executive Kay were responsible for a scheme to bribe Haitian customers officials to reduce tariffs on rice imported to Haiti. These are among the top 10 criminal sentences imposed in any FCPA case.

Market Manipulation:
SEC v. Leonard Greer and Judah Wernick (Southern District of New York). Prosecution of market manipulation scheme of small cap over-the-counter stock.

Fraudulent Securities Offering:
SEC v. Terry Dowdell (Virginia federal court). Federal court action halting fraudulent prime bank offering scheme.

Failure to Supervise:
Securities & Exchange Commission v. Canady. Administrative appeal upholding finding of failure to supervise.