Celiza (“Lisa”) Patricia Bragança

Bragança Law is based in 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:

• Responding to SEC Subpoenas
• Responding to FINRA 8210 Requests
• Responding to State Financial Agency Investigation Demands
• Filing SEC Whistleblower Tips
• Recovering Investment Losses
• Representing Individuals and Entities in Business Disputes

Practice Areas

• Securities
• Commercial Litigation

Representative Clients

• We represent individuals and small businesses in SEC and other regulatory investigations.
• We represent individual brokers in FINRA investigations an din disputes with their firms.
• We represent individuals in filing tips with the SEC Office of the Whistleblower.
• We represent investors seeking to recover investment losses as a result of fraud or broker misconduct.

Featured Cases and Matters

SEC Defense

Insider Trading – SEC Investigation:
Represented professional investor investigated for potential insider trading by providing significant documentation to SEC at outset of investigation. SEC promptly closed investigation without interview or testimony from client.

Insider Trading – Self-Reporting:
Represented senior employee of public company in self-reporting to SEC inadvertent trading of securities of company during a blackout period. SEC decided not to bring any charges against client.

Finders – SEC Investigation:
Represented group of finders for real estate investments investigated by SEC for acting as unregistered broker-dealers. SEC closed investigation without bringing any charges against clients.

Crypto Exchange – SEC Investigation:
Represented cryptocurrency trading platform and its owners in SEC investigation. Obtained early settlement with SEC for nonfraud charges of operating as an unregistered broker-dealer and offering unregistered securities.

Federal Court Jury Trial Against SEC:
Represented investment fund and managers in federal jury trial and post-trial hearings on remedies.

Federal Court Litigation with SEC:
In SEC v Beasley case, representing individual charged with nonfraud involvement in offering of notes purporting to be made to lend money to individuals awaiting receipt of settlements of legal cases.

FINRA Investigations

Representing current and former financial advisors in investigations of how they handled customer accounts and compliance with other FINRA rules.

Investigations have involved outside business activities, PPP loans, communications with customers via text, and unusual financial transactions.

Investment Loss Recovery

Recovered via settlement investment losses of attorney whose life savings were invested in high fee unsuitable non-traded real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and equity indexed annuities (a/k/a fixed indexed annuities). Case settled 10 days before the beginning of arbitration hearings.

Other Matters

Expert Consultations:
Provided expert deposition testimony on insider trading law on behalf of broker in retaliation lawsuit against brokerage firm.

Expert Consultations:
Consulted on Illinois Securities Law to law firm representing investors in private placement seeking rescission. Case settled.

Insurance Coverage:
Case Corporation v. Aetna Insurance Company (Wisconsin federal court). Obtained federal court jury verdict awarding covered losses of $4.2 million, plus $10 million in punitive damages for bad faith denial of insurance claims.

Regulatory Hearing and Appeal:
Illinois Department of Professional Regulation v. Gandhi (Circuit Court of DuPage County). Obtained reversal of agency ruling against client as abuse of administrative discretion.

Featured Pro Bono Activities

PIABA Foundation:
Not-for profit investor advocacy organization

New Trier Township Committee on Funding Agencies:
Evaluated performance of various agencies receiving funding for providing services to people with mental illness and/or developmental disabilities.