Stefanie Wayco
Partner
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Phone: +1 404 253 6914
- Duane Morris LLP
1075 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1700
Atlanta, GA 30309-3929
USA
Stefanie M. Wayco focuses her practice on representing financial services firms, broker-dealers, investment advisors, clearing firms and securities industry professionals in regulatory and enforcement matters, civil litigation, arbitrations and internal investigations. She has experience handling mass actions, clearing firm cases, products liability cases, alternative investments, anti-money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, outside business activities, selling away, privilege issues, compliance policies, supervisory policies and standard operating procedures for financial services firms. In the enforcement arena, Ms. Wayco works with and litigates against securities industry regulators, including the SEC, FINRA and state regulators, among others.
Ms. Wayco is active in the financial and legal industries, previously serving on the Advisory Board and as Secretary, and currently Co-Chair of Southeastern Women in Financial Services (SWIFS), an organization comprised of women lawyers practicing in the financial services industry. She also serves as the New York Regional Committee Chair for the Georgia Tech President’s Scholarship Program. Ms. Wayco has served the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research since 2011 as a volunteer and team leader. She also founded and currently serves as Chair of the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research Atlanta 5K.
Ms. Wayco is a 2009 cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, where she was articles editor for the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law. She also received an M.A. from New York University in 2006 and a B.A., with highest honors, from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Areas of Practice
Securities Litigation
Consumer and Commercial Finance Litigation
Admissions
- Georgia
- Supreme Court of the United States
- New Jersey
- New York
Education
- University of Georgia School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2009
- Articles Editor, Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law - New York University, M.A., 2006
- Georgia Institute of Technology, B.S., with highest honors, 2004
Experience
- Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2023-present - Maynard Nexsen
- Shareholder, 2021-2023 - DLA Piper
- Partner, 2019-2021 - Greenberg Traurig
- Associate, 2016-2019 - Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C.
- Associate, 2010-2016
Professional Activities
- Southeastern Women in Financial Services (SWIFS)
- Co-Chair, 2024-Present
- Advisory Board Member and Secretary, 2018-2024
- Planning Committee Member, 2017-2018 National Society of Compliance Professionals (NSCP), 2010-2017
Honors and Awards
- SWIFS Member of the Year 2023
Listed in Georgia Trend Legal Elite – Business Law, 2019
Listed in Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Stars
Team Member, The American Lawyer's "Regional Litigation Department of the Year - Georgia," 2018
No aspect of these rankings has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Further information on methodologies is available via these links.
Civic and Charitable Activities
- Georgia Tech President’s Scholarship Program
- New York Regional Committee Chair, 2013-present
- Co-Chair, New York/ New Jersey Scholarship Committee, 2013-2021 - Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research
- Volunteer, 2011-present
- Leadership Summit, New York, NY, July 11-12, 2017
- NYC Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk Team Lead, 2011-2017 Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Atlanta 5K
- Founder and Chair, 2017-present- Mentor, University of Georgia School of Law Students
Selected Publications
- Author, "Interview: Paving the Way with Erin Linehan and Alise Johnson Henry," Southeastern Women in Financial Services, November 2024
Selected Speaking Engagements
- Moderator, “New Developments in Crypto,” with Debra Brookes (former NYS Department of Financial Services, Deputy Virtual Currency Chief & Head of Supervision), Mauro M. Wolfe (Partner, Duane Morris), Brandi Reynolds (Bates Group, Director of AML & Compliance), and Sean Coughlin (Principal, Bressler Amery & Ross), Southeastern Women in Financial Services (SWIFS) Spring Symposium, May 2024
Moderator, “Fireside Chat: Crypto in the News” with Kristin Smith (Blockchain Association, CEO) and Brandi Reynolds (Bates Group, Director of AML & Compliance), Southeastern Women in Financial Services (SWIFS), February 14, 2023
Co-host, “Handling Arbitrations Virtually,” Webinar, June 15, 2020
SIFMA Compliance and Legal Society Charlotte Regional Seminar, Litigation and Arbitration Panel, September 2019
Panelist, “Getting Ready for Regulation Best Interest,” Southeastern Women in Financial Services (SWIFS), August 2019
“Behind the Headlines: Lessons Learned from Recent High Profile Enforcement Actions, Florida International Bankers Association (FIBA) Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Conference, March 2019
SIFMA Compliance and Legal Society Charlotte Regional Seminar, Litigation and Arbitration Panel, September 2017
“Attorney-Client and Work Product Privilege: Is This Thing Privileged?” Southeastern Women in Financial Services (SWIFS) Spring Symposium, May 2017
“Recent Regulatory Developments and Related Ethical Considerations for In-House Counsel,” February 2017
“FINRA Arbitrations Discussion, “NSCP National Meeting, October 2014
“Conflicts of Interest from a Risk Management and Ethics Viewpoint,” SWIFS 2018 Spring Symposium Alert, June 2018
SIFMA C&L Annual Meeting Summary Alert, March 2018
FINRA’s 2018 Annual Regulatory and Examination Priorities, January 2018
- SIFMA C&L Regional Seminar Charlotte Alert, September 21, 2017
Representative Matters
Secured a major victory for Raymond James before a FINRA arbitration panel (Nov 2023) after a hearing that lasted 2.5 years brought by 146 Latin American investors. Out-of-pocket damages alleged were $34 million and seeking an all-in recovery of over $100 million. The Panel awarded a defense verdict and the claimants to pay the majority of the forum fees.
Defense of financial services firm in multiple claimant complex litigation involving penny stocks and unsuitable investments.
Defense of financial services firm in employment litigation involving deferred bonus (directed verdict).
Defense of financial services firm in excessive churning, unauthorized trading, suitability, and misrepresentation litigation (all claims denied).
Defense of financial services firm in options trading litigation (all claims denied, expungement granted).
Defense of financial services firm in multiple outside business activity litigations.
Defense of financial services firms in FINRA investigations related to anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act.
Representation of financial services firms in FINRA investigations and on-the-record testimony related to outside business activities.
Representation of financial services firms in FINRA investigations and on-the-record testimony related to misappropriation of funds from senior clients.
Defense of financial services firm in federal court related to creation of fraudulent accounts and embezzlement of funds.
Represent broker-dealer and registered representative in FINRA arbitration where supervision and supervisory policies were at issue related to suspected undue influence of an elderly customer (panel denied all claims).
Lead counsel defending broker-dealer and registered representative in FINRA arbitration related to suitability of options trading (all claims denied, expungement granted); and suitability of mutual fund investment (all claims denied, expungement granted).
Represented numerous broker-dealers and registered representatives in FINRA arbitrations hearings, involving unauthorized trading, structured products and numerous alternative investment product cases.
Represented numerous individual registered representatives in expungement proceedings in FINRA arbitrations and related state court proceedings.
Lead counsel in dozens internal investigations for financial services firm.