1. Tell us about your practice.
As co-chair of our Securities and Shareholder Litigation Practice Group, my practice primarily focuses on defending and counseling public companies and their directors and officers in securities fraud class actions, actions related to or arising out of corporate transactions and in investigations initiated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
2. What is an interesting trend happening right now related to your field of practice?
Following a 2016 decision by the Delaware Court of Chancery to no longer approve (absent certain conditions) “disclosure only” settlements in shareholder class actions that are routinely filed following the announcement of a public company merger or acquisition, it has been interesting to see whether other states will follow Delaware’s lead and whether and where plaintiffs will continue to file these actions. As the plaintiffs’ bar gets more creative in bringing these actions and identifying other opportunities to pursue securities and shareholder litigation, it has been fun identifying the best ways to defend or try to avoid these claims.
3. Why did you choose to pursue a career in the legal field?
My father always told me that he wanted to go to law school but didn’t have the grades. As a result, he put the idea in my head at an early age. As I started to learn more about legal analysis and advocacy, I was hooked. Not only was it interesting and exciting to me but it was also a great fit for my strengths and skills.