Amella Viso represents corporations, investment funds, and individuals in complex regulatory, criminal, and civil matters. Ms. Viso’s practice centers on government and internal investigations, including matters before the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. She also handles securities and complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts. Many of her engagements involve simultaneous regulatory, criminal, and civil exposure, and she has substantial experience coordinating strategy across those fronts. Ms. Viso has been named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers (New York Metro).
Before attending law school, Ms. Viso spent approximately five years in assurance services at the Big Four accounting firms, examining companies' financial statements and internal controls. That background distinguishes her in matters that turn on financial evidence, where she works directly from the underlying records and alongside forensic accounting, valuation, and damages experts to shape case strategy from the outset. She has led investigations for public companies, investment funds, and individuals involving allegations of securities fraud, accounting fraud, insider trading, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, and theft of intellectual property.
Ms. Viso's litigation experience includes two multi-week arbitration hearings arising from post-merger disputes, one of which resulted in a $666 million award, and federal securities fraud class actions in which she secured dismissal with prejudice. She has taken and defended depositions, prepared fact and expert witnesses for testimony, and drafted dispositive and appellate briefs in state and federal courts.
Prior to joining Angeli & Calfo, Ms. Viso practiced at Baughman Kroup Bosse PLLC, a litigation boutique firm in New York City, and before that in the litigation and investigations groups of large international law firms. She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Anne M. Nardacci of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Ms. Viso is a native speaker of Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian.
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Represented a publicly traded technology company in a post-merger dispute resulting in a $666 million award after a two-week arbitration hearing.
Represented the same technology company in a second post-merger dispute, prevailing on all alleged claims after an eleven-day arbitration hearing.
Won dismissal with prejudice of federal securities fraud class actions brought under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of a Fortune 500 technology company, and drafted the appellate brief defending that dismissal.
Closed a DOJ investigation into alleged insider trading with no further action on behalf of a leading multi-strategy asset management firm.
Closed parallel DOJ and SEC insider trading investigations with no further action on behalf of an individual.
Secured dismissal with prejudice of federal securities fraud class actions brought under the 1933 and 1934 Acts on behalf of a battery recycling company.
Resolved a PCAOB investigation on favorable settlement terms for a public accounting firm.
Led a publicly traded fund through parallel DOJ and SEC investigations concerning allegations of securities fraud, and ran the related internal investigation, delivering findings to senior leadership and mitigating regulatory exposure.
Settled a pre-litigation dispute with a bankruptcy trustee on favorable terms for an Am Law 100 firm, resolving the matter before formal proceedings commenced.
Defended a hedge fund in the Southern District of New York against a Section 16(b) shareholder action alleging short-swing profits of approximately $200 million.
Represented the founder of a fashion brand in a high-stakes earnout dispute with a major international fashion company, addressing complex contractual issues and highly contentious discovery.
Defended an international telecommunications company in multiple high-stakes actions under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act, coordinating cross-border strategy and complex jurisdictional defenses.
Led an internal investigation into potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and designed and helped implement an internal investigations protocol at a publicly traded life sciences company.
