Partner

Michele Cerezo-Natal

Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Global Investigations & White Collar Defense, Internal Investigations

New York +1 212 506 2143

mnatal@mayerbrown.com

Overview

With over 20 years of investigations and regulatory enforcement experience in the financial services sector, clients rely on Michele Natal to solve complicated business issues. Corporate clients value her wealth of business and legal knowledge gleaned from practical experience as in-house counsel at one of the world’s largest global financial institutions.

Michele’s practice focuses on global internal investigations and enforcement matters. She regularly helps companies facing investigations by state attorney general offices, securities regulators (including the SEC, CFTC, and FINRA), the DOJ, and other enforcement authorities. In addition, Michele is deeply experienced in handling whistleblower matters and conducting workplace investigations.

Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Michele spent over a decade at The Bank of New York Mellon, conducting global internal investigations, managing enforcement matters and advising senior management. She conducted more than 100 internal investigations (from fraud to complex regulatory compliance matters) and was responsible for the company’s most significant investigations and counseling business executives on regulatory, reputational, and legal risks. Additionally, Michele was the senior legal advisor on overlapping employment regulatory issues, including whistleblower matters and investigating allegations involving sensitive employee issues. As such, clients now leverage Michele’s experience managing and leading legal strategy for remediation plans and global enforcement matters regarding investment services, investment management, broker-dealer and wealth management businesses arising from securities law, FINRA regulation, and other financial crime legal issues.

Clients served by Michele include The Bank of New York Mellon, Citibank, SMBC, Lyft, and Frontier Communications.

Experience

Represented two asset management firms of a global financial institution in connection with a multi-state attorney general investigation relating to ESG matters.
Represented a technology company in connection with a high profile New York Attorney General investigation relating to allegations of fraud and local labor law violations.
Defended the capital markets firm of a global financial institution in connection with an SEC enforcement action relating to alleged violations of securities laws and fraud, and successfully resolved the matter pursuant to an SEC consent decree involving non-fraud charges.
Conducted an independent internal investigation concerning allegations of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior against an esteemed professor of a prestigious college following public disclosure of allegations on social media posts.
Represented an executive officer and a senior manager of a public digital advertising firm in connection with parallel investigations by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Southern District of New York, and the SEC involving potential accounting fraud.
Defended a global financial institution in a CFTC investigation relating to allegations of whistleblower protection violations resulting in a no-action letter.
Led the internal investigation of alleged insider trading for a private equity client and reported investigative findings and recommendations to the Board.
Led internal investigations for a foreign bank arising from potential whistleblower reports of fraud.
Represented a global financial institution in connection with a DOJ subpoena relating to the Archegos Capital alleged securities fraud.
Led an internal investigation for a public telecommunications company arising from allegations of misconduct by its CEO and reported investigative findings and recommendations to the Board.
Led an internal investigation for a securities rating firm arising from allegations of certain violations of the securities laws.

Michele Cerezo-Natal

Overview

Experience

Related Services & Industries

Services

Publications & Presentations

Publications

The Supreme Court Continues Its Recent Trend of Rejecting DOJ’s Broad Reading of Federal Criminal Law in Thompson v. United States

CFTC’s Division of Enforcement Issues New Advisory on Self-Reporting, Cooperation and Remediation

News

Mayer Brown promotes 65 lawyers to partner and counsel effective January 1

NYC Bar's Annual Leadership Election Results Are In

Events

Employee Misconduct in Financial Services: US and UK Perspectives

What to Expect in Financial Services Regulation

Education

Admissions