DLA Piper has recruited securities litigators Terry Weiss and Stefanie Wayco in Atlanta as partners from Greenberg Traurig.

Weiss joined Greenberg 10 years ago from Sutherland Asbill & Brennan (now Eversheds Sutherland), where he headed the broker-dealer practice, to develop a securities litigation and arbitration practice in Greenberg's Atlanta office.

Wayco, an Atlanta native, joined him in 2016 from New York-based Bressler, Amery & Ross after earning her law degree from the University of Georgia in 2009. An associate at Greenberg, she is a partner at DLA Piper.

Weiss said another former Greenberg securities litigator and past SEC enforcement attorney, Jason Lewis, who joined DLA Piper in Dallas last April, piqued his interest in his new firm.

“We really were looking for a firm that offers the breadth of services and geographic scope, but also a really high level of practice,” Weiss said. “My practice with Stefanie has gravitated to more significant litigation and enforcement matters. That seemed like a good fit with DLA.”

“What drew me to DLA was the quality of the lawyers they hire as well as the fit of the firm,” he added. “I really get a sense of a firm that is rowing in a single direction.”

Weiss and Wayco declined to name clients, but Weiss said that, over the years, they have represented “just about every major and regional brokerage firm and a lot of investment advisory firms.”

They handle civil litigation, arbitrations, internal investigations and regulatory and enforcement actions from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, state securities divisions and other government agencies.

DLA Piper has a “substantial depth” of securities litigators and enforcement lawyers, particularly in Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Dallas and on the West Coast, Weiss said. That's helpful for their national practice, he added, noting that he tried only one case in Atlanta last year.

“Greenberg Traurig certainly did serve its purpose for the time we were there,” Weiss said. “I enjoyed working with lots of people there, especially our colleagues in Atlanta.”  

In a statement, James Brogan, the co-chair of DLA Piper's U.S. litigation practice, called Weiss “a seasoned securities litigator with decades of experience in the securities industry, including first-chairing a number of trials and arbitrations” and said he adds “significant capabilities and depth of experience to the litigation practice.”

Weiss said he and Wayco are looking to add lawyers to their practice. “I expect we will be doing so in the next six months,” he said.