PUGSLEY WOOD - Key Persons
Bryan A. Wood has been representing plaintiffs in whistleblower, securities fraud, derivative, consumer, and other complex business litigation for more than 20 years. In recent years, Mr. Wood has focused his practice on representing SEC, CFTC, IRS and qui tam whistleblowers, achieving extraordinary success for his clients. To date, Mr. Wood has obtained nearly $55 million in whistleblower awards on behalf of his clients.
Mr. Wood's whistleblower matters include the following:
Representation of multiple former employees at a prominent custodial bank who were credited with uncovering a massive and long-standing scheme to overcharge clients billions in fraudulent foreign currency transaction fees, a case that the SEC, DOJ, and DOL collectively settled for nearly $400 million;
Representation of a group of whistleblowers who uncovered a massive Ponzi scheme that resulted in numerous SEC/DOJ actions totalling more than $450 million in settlements/judgments, with investor recoveries exceeding $130 million;
Counsel to an individual who blew the whistle on a fraudulent scheme at a credit receivables fund that resulted in SEC/DOJ settlements totalling in excess of $130 million;
Representation of a whistleblower who was credited with uncovering an accounting fraud perpetrated by a publicly traded life settlements broker, which resulted in an approximately $48 million civil judgment for the SEC;
Counsel to a group of individuals who blew the whistle on a phony public company audit of several related-party insurance companies that ultimately resulted in a $10.25 million SEC settlement against one of the issuers;
Counsel to whistleblowers who received a share of the maximum Dodd-Frank whistleblower award in connection with a fraudulent hedge fund valuation scheme that resulted in $5.25 million in SEC fines and penalties.
Counsel to whistleblower who received a maximum $1.6 million award under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA) for exposure of a multi-million bank fraud scheme;
Representation of a group of whistleblowers who uncovered and alerted the SEC to a $500 million Ponzi scheme in connection with which the SEC ultimately brought an enforcement action, with investor recoveries to date totaling more than $75 million;
Representation of three former sales executives who filed qui tam claims against Aegerion Pharmaceuticals in connection with an off-label marketing scheme, resulting in whistleblower awards to Mr. Wood's clients in excess of $1.8 million.
Representation of a whistleblower team that uncovered and alerted the SEC to an alleged Ponzi scheme at a $125 million hedge fund, allegations that led to civil charges brought by the SEC against the fund and its principals;
Counsel to whistleblowers who tipped off the SEC and other federal authorities to an allege Ponzi-like fraud occurring at $1 billion hedge fund, ultimately leading to federal civil and criminal charges against the fund and its principals, with investor recoveries to date approaching $100 million;
Representation of an individual who alerted the SEC to a $5 million Ponzi scheme, resulting in Mr. Wood's client being awarded a share of the maximum award available under Dodd-Frank;
Counsel to a whistleblower who alerted the SEC to an alleged Ponzi scheme at a hedge fund with $125 million in AUM, which ultimately led to civil and criminal charges against the fund's principal;
Counsel to a whistleblower who tipped the SEC to a valuation fraud at a hedge fund with north of $150 million in assets under management, leading directly to a successful SEC administrative action and trial.
Further demonstrating his career-long record of representative success, Mr. Wood previously served as a lead litigator on a bevy of securities and other fraud litigation that collectively returned nearly $2 billion to aggrieved investors and consumers, including the following: Calrson v. Xerox Corporation, et al. ($750 million); In re Intel Corp. Derivative Litigation (corporate governance reforms); Mishler v. Nationwide Life Insurance Company ($283 million); Dunst v. Hyundai Motor America, et al. ($255 million); In re BP plc Securities Litigation ($175 million); In re Fannie Mae 2008 Securities Litigation ($170 million); City of Brockton Retirement System v. Avon Products, Inc., et al. ($62 million); Hill v. State Street Corporation ($60 million); In re Enterasys Networks, Inc. ($50 million); In re Smartforce PLC Securities Litigation ($38.5 million); In re ICG Communications, Inc Securities Litigation ($18 million); In re Sonus Inc. Securities Litigation ($9 million) and In re Par Pharmaceutical Securities Litigation ($8 million).
Mr. Wood has been recognized as a leading securities litigator by the following rating publications:
Benchmark Litigation, Local Litigation Star (2013-2015, 2021)
New England Super Lawyers, Super Lawyer (2020-2021)
New England Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Securities Litigation (2007)
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Bars of Massachusetts
John H. Sutter has been representing plaintiffs in whistleblower, securities fraud, derivative, consumer, and other complex business litigation for the last fifteen years. Before that, Mr. Sutter represented companies in complex transactional and SEC matters. He has the experience of being "in the room," drafting securities disclosure, and understanding the dynamics driving companies. Over the last several years, Mr. Sutter has focused his practice on representing SEC, CFTC, IRS and qui tam whistleblowers, achieving extraordinary success for his clients. Mr. Sutter has been involved in representing clients who have obtained millions of dollars from various whistleblower programs.
Mr. Sutter's whistleblower matters include the following:
Counsel to whistleblowers who tipped off the SEC and other federal authorities to an alleged Ponzi-like fraud occurring at $1 billion hedge fund, ultimately leading to federal civil and criminal charges against the fund and its principals, with investor recoveries to date approaching $100 million;
Representing whistleblowers in recent reports regarding a potential multi-million-dollar fraud in the electric vehicle market.
Representing whistleblowers before the CFTC and SEC who have tipped regulators to a series of digital asset frauds.
Working with whistleblower groups focused on issuer obligations related to SPAC transactions.
Counsel to various whistleblowers bringing claims related to violations of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Mr. Sutter is a member of the bars of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Federal District Court and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Law, recipient of the Berger Award for Academic Excellence, member of the Boston University Law review, and a charter member of the Phi Delta Phi academic organization at B.U.S.L.
Education
Boston University School of Law - J.D. - 1995
Lindsey B. Silver has been handling securities cases for ten years, including whistleblower, securities fraud, derivative, and other complex business litigation matters. Ms. Silver has represented companies and individuals in SEC investigations and enforcement actions, as well as other state and federal securities cases. Ms. Silver also has significant experience representing companies in securities fraud class actions, playing a critical role in a number of high-profile cases in the financial, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological industries in both state and federal court.
Ms. Silver's whistleblower matters include the following:
Counsel to whistleblowers who tipped off the SEC and other federal authorities to an alleged fraud involving failure to disclose a SPAC merger target's extensive connections to illegal black-market gaming, money laundering, and organized crime;
Representing whistleblowers in a recent report regarding potential securities fraud in the plastics recycling market;
Counsel to a whistleblower who has tipped the SEC to a suspected ongoing fraud by one of the largest interdealer brokers in the United States.
Counsel to various whistleblowers bringing claims related to violations of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
For her work in securities law, Ms. Silver was named a Rising Star by New England Super Lawyers magazine (2021).
During law school, she interned with the Hon. Nancy Gertner on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Education
Northeastern School of Law - J.D. - 2012
Wellesley College - B.A. - 2007
In addition to his whistleblower practice, Mark has been litigating securities disputes for his entire legal career. He has also handled many FINRA arbitration cases and frequently goes to court to pursue claims for victims of fraud.
Mark Pugsley has been handling securities disputes, financial fraud and whistleblower cases for 28 years. His whistleblower practice includes preparing and filing whistleblower tips with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), he also handles False Claims Act or "Qui Tam" lawsuits, FINRA arbitrations and other types of investment disputes.
Mark is based in our Utah office, the state which boasts the largest number of Ponzi schemes per capita in the country. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Benchmark Plaintiffs, and Martindale Hubbell as one of the top securities lawyers in the country. He is licensed to practice law in Utah and California.
Mark represents whistleblowers in a number of high-profile ongoing cases, including the whistleblowers in the Washakie Renewable Energy scam in which executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges in a $1 billion biodiesel tax fraud scheme. He also represents the whistleblowers in the Nikola Motors case who uncovered widespread fraud by the CEO, Trevor Milton. The whistleblower report to the SEC in the Nikola case led to a $125 million settlement by the company with the SEC, and Mr. Milton was charged civilly and criminally with securities fraud, among other charges. Another of his whistleblower clients uncovered an ongoing $200 million Ponzi scheme that led to civil and criminal actions by the DOJ, SEC and State regulators. These cases are ongoing.