Isa Garcez joined Ropes & Gray’s litigation and enforcement group in 2023 from another preeminent international law firm. Her practice focuses on anti-corruption and white-collar criminal defense, advising clients in domestic and foreign enforcement matters as well as internal investigations. She has represented a wide range of multinational corporations, global financial firms and individuals in civil and criminal inquiries by federal and state authorities in the U.S. and abroad. She has also counseled educational institutions in sensitive internal investigations, advised clients regarding FCPA, anti-money laundering and compliance matters, and represented a charitable organization in a civil forfeiture federal trial.
Isa maintains an active pro bono practice, successfully securing reduced sentences for multiple incarcerated criminal defendants and advocating for asylum on behalf of persecuted immigrants. She’s also passionate about supporting women in the workplace, serving as the associate leader of her prior law firm’s women’s affinity group. From 2018 to 2019, she clerked for the Honorable Raymond J. Dearie in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil and speaks fluent Portuguese.
Experience
- Represented civil forfeiture claimants in a combined four-week IEEPA jury trial and TRIA bench trial against the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, as well as in two appeals to the Second Circuit.*
- Briefed, argued, and won a First Step Act motion on behalf of pro bono federal criminal defendant in the Southern District of New York.*
- Served as lead associate in various internal investigations into alleged FCPA violations for large Brazilian corporation.*
- Advised witnesses in DOJ Special Counsel’s investigation in preparation for interviews and testimony as witness for the government in US v. Michael Sussman.*
- Represented a leading global fintech company in responding to external audit by AUSTRAC, Australia’s financial intelligence agency, of the company’s international funds transfer instructions (IFTI) reporting, resulting in enforceable undertaking without any monetary penalties.*
- Counseled a securities brokerage platform in responding to multiple SEC and FINRA inquiries relating to its AML program, recent system outages, and account takeovers.*
- Served as lead associate in internal investigation of trading practices at subsidiary of large insurance company.*
- Represented a Special Committee of the Board of Trustees of the University of Rochester in an independent investigation of all claims alleged in EEOC and federal complaints filed by current and former University faculty members and students.*
- Counseled former Clinton campaign manager in lawsuit filed by Donald Trump in the Southern District of Florida, resulting in complete dismissal of complaint and possible sanctions against Plaintiff.*
- Advised global private equity firm and its CEO in insider trading investigation by SDNY and the SEC.*
- Represented Capital One in a resolution with FinCEN regarding its AML program, without criminal charges being filed.*
- Counseled criminal defendant who was a victim of domestic violence in filing of motion for resentencing under New York’s newly enacted Domestic Violence Survivor Justice Act.*
- Served as lead associate in investigation into allegations of employee misconduct at prominent university.*
*Prior to joining Ropes & Gray