Elizabeth P. Gray

Elizabeth worked for twelve years at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, both in the Division of Enforcement and the Office of Tender Offers in the Division of Corporation Finance, as well as counselor to Chairman Arthur Levitt. She was Chair of the SEC's Microcap Working Group, and ultimately served as Assistant Director in the Division of Enforcement, where she supervised the investigation, prosecution and settlement of a broad array of securities law cases.

Following her tenure at the SEC, Elizabeth was General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer of Comprehensive Neuroscience, Inc., a clinical trials management company, and founder and Chief Operating Officer of Gabriel Pharma LLC, an early stage biotechnology company.

• Securities Docket lists Elizabeth as one of the “Enforcement 40” (2020)
• Law360 recognizes Elizabeth among the 25 Most Influential Women in Securities Law (2016)
• Women of Influence Award in Securities/Capital Markets Law by Best Lawyers and the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law (Spring 2017)
• Member of Law360's Securities Editorial Advisory Board (2017 - 2019, 2021 - 2022)
• Chambers USA Securities Regulation: Enforcement (2010 - 2023)
• Chambers USA Financial Services Regulation: Broker/Dealer (Enforcement) (2014 - 2023)
• Best Lawyers in America: Securities Litigation and Securities Regulation (2010 - 2023)
• Super Lawyers Top Rated Securities Litigation Attorney (2018 - 2021)
• BioBuzz Media recognizes Elizabeth among the Twelve Women Who Have Shaped the History of the BioHealth Capital Region (2020)

Elizabeth is a frequent lecturer at conferences on securities regulation, enforcement, and cybersecurity, and a prolific author. She is Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Federal Regulation of Securities, Subcommittee on Civil Litigation and Enforcement.

Elizabeth became a member of the Board of Directors of the Digital Dollar Project (DDP), a multi-stakeholder initiative to advance exploration of a United States Central Bank Digital Currency, in April 2023. She has been an active DDP Advisory Group member since 2020, and was a founding member of its Privacy Working Group. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the Jane Goodall Institute where she was Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Board's Executive Committee. In 2016, Elizabeth was invited to join Harvard Kennedy School’s Women’s Leadership Board. 

Elizabeth’s publications include:

Articles

• “SEC Enforcement Mid-Year Review,” the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (June 2023) (with Kristina Littman and Adam Aderton)
• “SEC Actions Show Tough Crypto Stance So Far This Year,” Law360 (June 2023) (with Adam Aderton and Kristina Littman)
• "The SEC and Messaging Apps," the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (June 2022) (with William J. Stellmach and Sean Sandoloski)
• "Regulatory Monitor: SEC Update," The Investment Lawyer (August 2021) (with Benjamin J. Haskin and Benjamin B. Allensworth)
  
• “DOJ Issues Cryptocurrency Enforcement Framework,” NYU School of Law Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement (November 2020) (with Justin Browder, Christopher Giancarlo and Conrad Bahlke)
  
• "The SEC's Cybersecurity Enforcement Approach: What Financial Firms Need to Know" Pratt's Privacy and Cybersecurity Law Report (September 2020) (with Nicholas Chanin)
  
• "SEC Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations Issues Observations on Cybersecurity and Resiliency Practices" The Investment Lawyer (May 2020) (with Daniel K. Alvarez, Elizabeth Bower and Marc J. Lederer)
  
• "SEC Cyber Observations Include Governance and Vendors" Board IQ (February 11, 2020) (quote)
  
• "The SEC's Use of Big Data in the Next Decade: Where Are We Now?" Dimensions (January 2020) (with Catherine Fata)
• "More Joint SEC-FCTC Actions Raise Concerns Over 'Piling On'" Law 360 Securities (December 16, 2019) (with Abigail Edwards)
  
• “SEC Enforcement Against Private Equity Firms in 2018: Year in Review” The Investment Lawyer (May 2019) (with James E. Anderson, Justin L. Browder and Jonathan Tincher)
• "Cybersecurity Docket panel features discussion on how to deal with cyber breaches,” SEC Today (April 24, 2019) (quote)
• “Companies Have Duty to Disclose Material Cyber Breaches: Experts,” Business Insurance (April 11, 2019) (quote)
• “Increased Use of Big Data in SEC Enforcement,” The Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation (June 2017) (with Catherine Fata)
• "Presidential Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity Has Issued Recommendations and Action Items for Securing the Digital Economy," Pratt’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Law Report (February 2017) (with Daniel Alvarez, Elizabeth Bower, James Dugan, Katherine Hanniford and Naomi Parnes)
• "Context Makes a Difference: SEC Loses Controversial Case," The Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation (June 2016) (with Mary Eaton, Amelia Cottrell, Benjamin Haskin, James Anderson and Juliet Mun)
• "Will the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Proposed Changes to Administrative Proceedings Quiet Critics?" The Investment Lawyer (December 2015) (with Amelia Cottrell, William Stellmach and Katherine Hanniford)
• "SEC Attempts To Address Due Process Concerns," Law360 (September 2015) (with Amelia Cottrell)
• "SEC’s Short Selling Crackdown Highlights Role of Inspections in Enforcement Actions and Continuing Need for Compliance Vigilance," Journal of Investment Compliance (December 2013) (with Daniel Schloendorn and Howard Kramer)
• "PCAOB Foreign Inspections – A Chinese Conundrum," The Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation (June 2011) (with Jessica Matelis)
• "SEC Announces Measures To Encourage Cooperation And Names Specialized Unit Chiefs," The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (March 2010) (with Gregory Bruch)
• "Heightened Government Prosecution and Anticipated Regulation of Private Hedge Funds," Inside the Minds -- New Developments in Securities Litigation (2010)
• "The SEC's Pay-To-Play Rule Proposal for Investment Advisers - What's Behind It & What Are the Next Steps?" Wall Street Lawyer (October 2009) (with David Blass)
• "Government Investigations into Pension Pay-to-Play Generate Heightened Enforcement and Regulatory Response," The Investment Lawyer (August 2009)
• "SEC Enforcement: A Year in (P)review," Securities Litigation Report (December/January 2009)
• "FDA, SEC Disclosure: Standard Procedures Can Help," Securities Law360 (June 27, 2007)
• "Managing Information For SEC Disclosures," Pharmaceutical Commerce (April 30, 2007)
• "Executive Compensation - Options Backdating: A Practical Guide to the Controversy," Insights (September 2006) (with Pamela Johnston and Kenneth Winer)
• "The Securities and Exchange Commission Takes Aim at Regulatory Disclosures," D&O Advisor (July 19, 2004)

Books

• "The SEC, the DOJ and Investment Advisers: The Examination and Enforcement Regime," Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., Securities Practice Portfolio No. 283 (2014)
• "Heightened Government Prosecution and Anticipated Regulation of Private Hedge Funds," Inside the Minds -- New Developments in Securities Litigation (2010)

Speaking engagements

• "Emerging SEC Issues in Regulatory Oversight of Private Funds," PLI (September 2021)
• Incident Response Forum (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018)
• "Complying with Cybersecurity Regulations in an Increasing Threat Environment," Futures Industry Association Webinar (March 2021)
• "A Dialogue with an SEC Commissioner: Liability for Corporate Misconduct," Directors Roundtable Webinar (March 2021)
• Securities Enforcement Forum (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018)
• Cybersecurity Roundtable with senior government and industry representatives (February 2020)
  
• Southeastern Chapter Annual Meeting & Conference (2019)
• "Securities Enforcement," Private Fund Conference sponsored by the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law (2017)
• "The Emerging Challenges to Businesses in Managing Risk in the New Era of Regulatory Enforcement," ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting (2017)
• "The Supreme Court's Decision in Salman v. U.S.: What Does it Mean for Private Practitioners?" ABA Breaking News Webinar (2017)
• "Insider Trading Revisited: Where Are We After Newman?" ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting (2015)
• "Expectations for Internal Investigations – the Government’s, the Client’s and Reality," ABA’s Tenth Annual National Institute on Securities Fraud (2015)
• "How to Respond to an SEC Enforcement Inquiry," Women Corporate Directors - Washington Chapter (2015)
• "Enforcement: Government Agencies, Perspectives," The Knowledge Group Webinar (2014)
• "Creating a Corruption Free Environment for Business – The Indian, US and UK Perspectives," ABA (2012)
• "Remedies in SEC Enforcement Actions: Survey and Current Issues," DC Bar (2011)

Investigations and Enforcement

• Leader in CFTC and DOJ compliance monitorship of international bank
• Represents accounting firms and audit partners in SEC and PCAOB investigations
• Represents SROs and clearing firms in SEC investigations relating to regulatory compliance and remediation
• Represents private equity funds and their executives in connection with SEC investigations into cost allocation and disclosure issues
• Represents investment advisers as well as their employees and senior executives in SEC investigations regarding performance results, cost allocation and compliance program issues
• Represents international broker-dealers as well as their employees and senior executives in SEC and DOJ investigations relating to hidden mark-ups, high frequency trading and market-related issues
• Represents mutual fund and public company boards in conducting independent investigations regarding securities lending and other matters
  
• Conducted internal investigation for foreign accounting firm into tax and accounting matters
• Obtained first ever deferred prosecution agreement for an individuals in an SEC FCPA investigation
• Represented firms in SEC Rule 105 investigations and settlements
• Represented the Reserve Funds and their adviser in SEC investigation and litigation

Board and Regulatory Counseling

• Advises companies on cybersecurity compliance and cyber breach response
• Represents investment advisers on preparation of SEC compliance examinations and related interviews
• Prepares submissions to SEC relating to investment adviser and investment company deficiencies and potential enforcement referrals
• Advises international accounting firms on U.S. state licensing regulations