Carmen Lawrence

• Represented a family office in connection with highly publicized multi-agency criminal and civil government investigations and resulting enforcement actions involving allegations of market manipulation and misrepresentations to market participants conducted by, among others, the SEC. CFTC and SDNY after the office's collapse due to its default on margin calls.
• Represented a national insurance company in connection with an SEC investigation involving short seller allegations of financial disclosure issues and improper sales practices, and in defending the company from a short seller attack.
• Represented a major financial institution in a multiyear investigation by the SEC and foreign regulators involving credit derivatives trading, risk management and valuation practices.
• Represented an investment advisor and its CEO and fund manager in connection with stock manipulation and insider trading investigations by the SEC, the DOJ, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, and the Japan Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission.
• Represented an SEC-registered credit rating agency in connection with industry-wide investigations being conducted by the SEC and the New York Attorney General concerning potential ratings shopping.
• Represented the audit committee of a public global media measurement and analytics company in a sweeping internal investigation involving complex accounting and internal control issues.
• Represented the audit committee of a public multinational technology and consulting company in the conduct of two related independent internal investigations involving whistleblower allegations of accounting impropriety and governance deficiencies.
• Represented the audit committee of a public retail pharmacy company in conducting an independent internal investigation in connection with a whistleblower's allegations of improper accounting practices by the company.
• Represented a state in connection with a SEC investigation involving financial disclosures in the state's municipal bond offerings.
• Represented a state's Department of the Treasury in connection with an SEC investigation involving disclosures in the state's municipal bond offerings.
• Represented numerous senior executives in SEC and/or DOJ investigations involving insider trading, financial fraud, FCPA, and broker-dealer or investment advisor regulatory issues.

Carmen Lawrence focuses on securities-related government investigations and litigation, and internal investigations. As a partner in our Special Matters and Investigations practice and co-lead of our Securities Enforcement and Regulation practice, Carmen represents public and private companies and C-Suite executives in a wide range of securities-related regulatory, enforcement and business matters.

Carmen represents parties in investigations and litigation conducted primarily by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as self-regulatory organizations and state securities regulators. She conducts internal investigations, provides crisis management advice, and counsels companies and regulated entities (broker-dealers and investment advisers) on their obligations under the federal securities law.

Previously, Carmen was Regional Director for the SEC's Northeast Regional Office, the agency's largest region including the Philadelphia and Boston District Offices and covering 14 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. In this role, she oversaw all enforcement and regulatory operations in the region, bringing some of the SEC's most significant cases. Prior to that, she headed up the Office's Enforcement Division after serving more than a decade in senior and staff enforcement roles. In 2025, Securities Docket named Carmen to its Hall of Fame honoring "lawyers who have made the most extraordinary contributions to, and impact upon, the field of securities enforcement over their lifetimes." Carmen is described as "From staff attorney to the first woman to lead the SEC's Northeast Regional Office, Carmen Lawrence not only opened doors-she redesigned the entire floor plan.  Carmen's impact on the SEC still resonates today-her innovations in enforcement and oversight helped define how the agency protects investors and markets".

Carmen has received consistent recognition from Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation and Securities Docket, among others. Clients note her "great knowledge of securities law" and "great judgment, which makes her a great advocate". It is also noted that "Carmen never misses a detail.  She is tenacious and has incredible experience". Carmen is described as  "super practical, very able to cut to the chase and to boil things down to their essence brilliantly."  

Carmen is a frequent speaker and lecturer in continuing legal education programs on federal securities matters.