Axelson, Jeffrey M.

Stephanie Avakian is a vice chair of WilmerHale's Securities Department, a member of the firm's Securities Litigation and Enforcement Practice Group and Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Working Group. She joined the firm in 2000.

Practice

Ms. Avakian’s practice focuses on securities enforcement and regulatory matters, including internal corporate investigations and securities regulatory investigations, examinations and actions. She represents financial institutions, corporations and individuals before the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, securities self-regulatory organizations and state authorities.

Ms. Avakian has conducted and overseen internal corporate investigations of potential violations of the federal securities laws and has advised on a variety of regulatory compliance issues. She has represented clients in a wide variety of government investigations and examinations, including those related to sales of municipal securities and derivative products, sales of structured products, insider trading, broker-dealer compliance, trading and sales practices, financial fraud, bank fraud, executive compensation disclosure and IPO-allocation practices, among many others.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Avakian worked in various capacities at the SEC from 1995 through 1999. From 1998 to 1999, she served as counsel to former Commissioner Paul R. Carey, and from 1995 to 1998, she was an attorney in the Division of Enforcement, serving as Branch Chief from 1997 to 1998.

Professional Activities

Ms. Avakian serves on the Board of Directors of the Legal Action Center and on the Corporate Advisory Board of Inwood House.

Speaking Engagements

• ACI Advanced Forum on Securities Regulation and Enforcement - Federal Regulatory Enforcement Trends and Developments: What’s Coming and How Can Counsel Prepare" - New York, New York - March 22, 2010
• WestLegalworks 27th Annual Federal Securities Institute – "The SEC Enforcement Program" – Coconut Grove, Florida – February 11, 2009
• IA Week/IA Watch Fall Compliance Conference – "OCIE Examinations" – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – September 22, 2008
• ACA Compliance Group's Spring 2008 Compliance Conference – panel moderator for "What to Do When You Have a Material Compliance Issue" – Scottsdale, Arizona – March 12, 2008
• The Association of the Bar of the City of New York – "Securities Enforcement in the New Era, View from the Inside and Out" – New York, New York – May 3, 2005