Christine Lazaro was named the recipient of the 2012 PIABA Outstanding Service Award for her service and contributions to Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA).
The PIABA SRO Committee monitors FINRA and SEC arbitration rule-making proposals that are of significant interest to the PIABA membership and investing public. In her capacity as the PIABA SRO Chairwoman for the past two, Ms. Lazaro has coordinated PIABA's response to more than 30 PIABA Comment Letters to the SEC, FINRA and Department of Labor. In addition to her SRO responsibilities, Ms. Lazaro has served on a number of other PIABA committees and presented at the PIABA Annual Meeting and Securities Law Seminar.
Ms. Lazaro joined St. John's University School of Law in 2007 as a Supervising Attorney with the Securities Arbitration Clinic. She holds a B.A. from New York University and a J.D. from Fordham Law School.
After graduating from law school and prior to joining the Securities Arbitration Clinic, Ms. Lazaro was an associate at the boutique law firm of Davidson & Grannum, LLP. At the firm, she represented broker-dealers and individual brokers in disputes with clients in both arbitration and mediation. She also handled employment law cases and debt collection cases. Ms. Lazaro was the primary attorney in the area of the firm’s practice that dealt with advising broker-dealers regarding investment contracts they had with various municipalities and government entities.
Awarded to a PIABA Member annually, the PIABA Outstanding Service Award honors the very best in the PIABA Membership," said Robin Ringo, Executive Director of PIABA. "Ms. Lazaro represents the very best in PIABA members, and is a proven advocate for the rights of public investors."