Sperling & Slater

Celiza (Lisa) Bragança has expertise in representing officers and directors in complex securities and financial litigation and government investigations. Ms. Bragança was a Branch Chief in the Division of Enforcement of the Securities & Exchange Commission, where she handled a number of investigations of possible financial fraud, offering fraud, insider trading, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. While at the SEC, Ms. Bragança investigated major accounting firms, subprime lenders, telecommunications companies, and broker-dealers. Ms. Bragança participated in the investigation of significant financial fraud at Mercury Finance Company, which led to civil and criminal fraud charges being brought against former Chairman and CEO, John Brincat, and former treasurer, Brad Vallem, who recently was sentenced to 20 months in prison after entering a guilty plea. She also participated in the investigation of FCPA violations arising out of the bribery of Haitian customs officials by officers of American Rice. She coordinated the investigation with the DOJ - Fraud Division. Those investigations resulted in criminal convictions of American Rice's former CEO, Douglas Murphy, and former vice president of operations, David Kay. The SEC's civil case against these officers has been stayed pending the outcome of the criminal trial. Ms. Bragança participated in a variety of complex commercial litigation matters before joining the SEC. While at Jenner & Block she represented Case Corporation in a federal court trial in which the jury awarded Case the entire $4.2 million sought for breach of the contracts against the insurer and an additional $10 million in punitive damages against the insurer for bad faith denial of claims.

Ms. Bragança obtained a J.D./M.B.A. from The University of Chicago in 1992, where she graduated Order of the Coif. Ms. Bragança obtained an A.B. in economics with honors from The University of Chicago. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Bragança was a computer systems consultant with the division of Arthur Andersen & Company that became Accenture. She is a member of the Trial Bar for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Reported cases:
Securities & Exchange Commission v. Terry Dowdell, et al., 175 F. Supp. 2d 850 (W.D. Va. Dec. 7, 2001); 2002 WL 236687 (Feb. 15, 2002); 2002 WL 424595 (Mar. 14, 2002); In the Matter of Laurie Canady, SEC Admin. Proceeding File No. 3-8531-D (Nov. 26, 2001); In the Matter of American Rice, Inc., et al., Exchange Act Release No. 47286, SEC Admin. Proceeding File No. 3-11024 (Jan. 30, 2003); Bank One v. Trammell Crow Services, Inc., 2003 WL 23019173 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 23, 2003); American States Insurance Company v. Koloms, 177 Ill.2d 473, 687 N.E.2d 72 (Ill. 1997) (filed amicus curiae brief); St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company v. Warwick Dyeing Corporation, 26 F.3d 1195 (1st Cir. 1994) (filed amicus curiae brief).

Celiza Bragança
312-641-3200

Sperling & Slater
55 West Monroe Street
Suite 3200
Chicago, Illinois 60603
312-641-3200
fax: 312-641-6492
info@sperling-law.com