Stefanie Wayco

Partner

  • Stefanie Wayco
  • Phone: +1 404 253 6914

    Import to Address Book

  • 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, serving on the Advisory Board and as Secretary 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)
    - Advisory Board Member and Secretary, 2018-Present
    - 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

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

Representative Matters

  • Secured a major victory for Raymond James before a FINRA arbitration panel. The case was in hearing for 2.5 years and was brought by 146 Latin American investors; approximately 100 witness testified, including Raymond James’ CEO, and around 14,000 trial exhibits were admitted. More than 1 million documents were produced in the case and most of the testimony and exhibits required Spanish translation. Out-of-pocket damages alleged were $34 million and the other side was seeking an all-in recovery of over $100 million. FINRA has reported that it is the longest running hearing in the organization’s history. Ultimately, the panel adopted Terry and Stefanie’s closing argument and produced a defense verdict, also ordering the claimants to pay the majority of the forum fees.

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • 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