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Stephen A. Cazares

Of Counsel

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Steve helps guide executives and corporate clients through the complicated world of federal and state civil and criminal regulatory and enforcement matters. Steve represents clients under investigation and prosecution by the U.S Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and other federal and state regulators relating to alleged violations of the securities laws, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, False Claims Act, federal health care regulations including the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 and Stark anti-kickback provisions, anti-money laundering regulations, well as federal antitrust matters. Steve also conducts internal investigations for clients including those resulting from internal whistleblower allegations.

 

Steve Cazares is a former federal prosecutor and a former enforcement attorney at Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), who leverages his governmental experience with both civil and criminal matters for his clients. During his time as Deputy Chief of the Major Frauds Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, Steve led many of the largest and highest profile white collar investigations and prosecutions in Southern California. Many of these matters involved parallel criminal, civil, and/or SEC regulatory investigations and litigation, making Steve uniquely qualified to assist clients in managing the complexities of parallel civil and criminal proceedings.

  • Practice Highlights

    • Veteran Trial Lawyer Significant experience trying cases, including as lead or co-lead counsel in sixteen jury trials to verdict, and as a brief writer and oral advocate in a dozen appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, including two published opinions.
    • Former Federal Prosecutor Led high-profile white-collar investigations and prosecutions involving corporate and securities fraud, FCPA violations, investment adviser fraud, money laundering, and healthcare fraud, as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Member of the Attorney General’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force, Financial Fraud Task Force, and Supervisor for the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force in the Central District of California.
    • Former SEC enforcement attorney Led investigations into violations of federal securities laws including public company disclosure violations, accounting fraud, insider trading, and investment adviser fraud, as a staff attorney for the SEC’s Los Angeles Regional Office.

    Background

    • Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Chief, Major Frauds Section; United States Attorney's Office, Central District of California, Los Angeles, 2004-2019
    • Staff Attorney, Division of Enforcement, Securities and Exchange Commission, Los Angeles, 1998-2004
    • Judicial Extern, Hon. Stephen Reinhardt, United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Los Angeles
    • Law Clerk, Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund, Los Angeles