- Defended a public company in SEC and DOJ investigations involving financial reporting and disclosure issues
- Defended a Big Four accounting firm in a PCAOB investigation involving the audit of a global financial services firm that failed at the height of the financial crisis
- Defended an international law firm in Comptroller of the Currency, SEC, Congressional, and foreign governmental investigations involving financial transactions
The Best Lawyers in America, selected for corporate law, securities litigation, and securities regulation
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, ranked as a leading nationwide lawyer for securities regulation and enforcement
Washingtonian magazine, selected as one of the top lawyers in Washington, DC, for securities law
- JD, Boston University School of Law, 1985
- BA, Wesleyan University, 1981
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Massachusetts
Mr. Trager is the author of numerous publications on securities and investigations and speaks frequently at legal education conferences sponsored by ALI-ABA, Practising Law Institute and others. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the Securities and Exchange Commission Historical Society and the Executive Council of the Federal Bar Association Securities Law Section. He served previously on Task Forces established by the American Bar Association and District of Columbia Bar to review the SEC’s selective disclosure and insider trading rules.
In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Trager has been a member of the Board of Directors of The Washington Ballet, chair of the Law Firm Sponsors of The Children’s Law Center, chair of the Refugees International annual event, and a member of the Economics Club of Washington, DC.
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Securities Enforcement and Litigation
Mike Trager, a senior partner, chairs Arnold & Porter's Securities Enforcement Practice, co-chairs the Firm's Securities Enforcement and Litigation Group, and is involved in the Firm's leadership.
With more than 25 years of experience, Mr. Trager defends investigations conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Congress, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), as well as other federal, state, and industry regulators. In addition, he conducts and defends internal investigations and independent reviews, defends securities litigation, and counsels on corporate and regulatory compliance, corporate governance, crisis management, disclosure, and securities and market matters.
Mr. Trager represents global institutions, senior executives, and others in matters that often are high profile, involve complex facts and legal issues, and have substantial potential consequences. His clients include public companies across a wide array of industries, financial services and investment firms of all types, other market participants on both the sell-side and buy-side, and professionals (including accounting firms, auditors, law firms and lawyers). He also represents chairmen and other directors, chief executive officers, chief financial officers, general counsels, chief compliance and risk management officers, other senior executives, and principals.
Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Trager served in the SEC's Division of Enforcement in Washington, DC, where he was responsible for conducting investigations and involved in representing the government in litigation.
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business has consistently ranked Mr. Trager as a leading nationwide lawyer in the area of securities regulation and enforcement. According to Chambers, he is "practical and responsive" with "excellent analytical skills and a big-picture perspective." Chambers describes him as having "great instincts, meticulous attention to detail and client care" and "as an exceptionally talented practitioner" who is "highly collaborative" and "smart and resourceful."
The following are some examples of the many matters handled by Mr. Trager in recent years:
- Defended a public company in SEC and DOJ investigations involving financial reporting and disclosure issues
- Defended a Big Four accounting firm in a PCAOB investigation involving the audit of a global financial services firm that failed at the height of the financial crisis
- Defended an international law firm in Comptroller of the Currency, SEC, Congressional, and foreign governmental investigations involving financial transactions
- Defended a broker-dealer in a FINRA investigation involving management and related regulatory issues
- Defended a private equity firm in an SEC investigation involving insider trading
- Defended the Chief Executive Officer of a securities firm in an SEC investigation involving derivative financial products
- Defended the Chief Financial Officer of a public company in SEC, DOJ, and internal investigations involving financial reporting, accounting, and disclosure issues
- Defended the Chairman of a public company in an SEC investigation involving insider trading
- Represented one of the country's largest health care systems in recovering a substantial investment in a money market fund that failed as a result of the financial crisis – the single largest failure of a money market in history
- Represented a charitable national non-profit fund that benefits the families of law enforcement agents in addressing issues created by the orchestrator of a Ponzi scheme when he took advantage of the fund
- Appointed as the Independent Consultant to perform a review under the terms of a settlement between regulators and a global financial services firm
- Conducted an internal review on behalf of a public company involving potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
The Best Lawyers in America, selected for corporate law, securities litigation, and securities regulation
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, ranked as a leading nationwide lawyer for securities regulation and enforcement
Washingtonian magazine, selected as one of the top lawyers in Washington, DC, for securities law
Martindale-Hubbell, received the highest peer review rating (AV)
Washington DC’s Best Lawyers
Washington, DC Super Lawyers
Corporate Counsel Super Lawyers
Guide to the World’s Leading Corporate Governance Lawyers
The Legal 500 US: Litigation
Professional Activity
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Mr. Trager is the author of numerous publications on securities and investigations and speaks frequently at legal education conferences sponsored by ALI-ABA, Practising Law Institute and others. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the Securities and Exchange Commission Historical Society and the Executive Council of the Federal Bar Association Securities Law Section. He served previously on Task Forces established by the American Bar Association and District of Columbia Bar to review the SEC’s selective disclosure and insider trading rules.
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In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Trager has been a member of the Board of Directors of The Washington Ballet, chair of the Law Firm Sponsors of The Children’s Law Center, chair of the Refugees International annual event, and a member of the Economics Club of Washington, DC.