Gara Paulson, JD

Gara Paulson is a Manager in Bates White’s Finance Practice. As an experienced professional with a background in financial litigation support, Ms. Paulson has supported testifying experts in multiple high-profile enforcement actions and litigations. She possesses a deep understanding of industry custom and practice in the alternative investment management industry, conflicts of interest, disclosures, Ponzi schemes, fraud, best execution, and asset tracing. Her work includes supporting experts in commercial litigation engagements and SEC enforcement actions. Ms. Paulson has also provided support for a court-appointed independent Monitor and Receiver.

JD, New York Law School

BA, University of Vermont

Securities and Exchange

• In SEC v. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., supported the testifying expert on behalf of the SEC in an enforcement action against an investment adviser. 
• In SEC v. Ambassador Advisors, LLC, Bernard Bostwick, Robert E. Kauffman, and Adrian E. Young, supported the expert on behalf of the SEC in an enforcement action involving industry custom and practice in the investment advisory industry regarding conflicts of interest, disclosures, and best execution.
• On behalf of the SEC in SEC v. Paul Alar, West Mountain, LLC, supported the expert in an enforcement action against a fund manager that involved industry custom and practice in the investment advisory industry regarding direct investments, conflicted transactions, and investor communications.
• On behalf of the SEC in SEC v. Dean Patrick McDermott and McDermott Investment Advisors, LLC, supported the expert in an enforcement action involving industry custom and practice in the investment advisory industry regarding conflicts of interest, fiduciary duty, compliance for registered investment advisers, disclosures, and best execution.
• In SEC v. Westport Capital Markets, LLC and Christopher E. McClure, supported the expert on behalf of the SEC regarding alleged conflicted transactions of an investment adviser.

Other

• In Kentucky Retirement Systems v. BHEP GP I, LLC, et al., supported the expert in litigation relating to a dispute between the manager of a private equity fund and a public retirement system, which sought remedies related to alleged mismanagement of the funds.
• In Missouri State Employees' Retirement System v. The Catalyst Capital Group, Inc. et al., supported the expert on behalf of an investor in private equity fund regarding a dispute related to the management of the fund, including with respect to conflicted transactions.
• In Douglas A. Kelley, in his capacity as the court-appointed Chapter 11 Trustee of Debtors Petters Company, Inc. and PL Ltd., Inc., vs. Westford Special Situations Master Fund, L.P. et al., supported the expert in in litigation relating to claw-back claims stemming from the Petters Ponzi scheme. 
• In Atlantic Asset Management, LLC, supported court-appointed independent Monitor and Receiver in unwinding a registered investment adviser specializing in fixed-income investment strategies.
• In In re Lynn Tilton, Patriarch Partners, LLC et al., supported the expert on behalf of the defendant in an SEC administrative proceeding involving three structured credit products that invested in distressed companies.