Securities & Shareholder Litigation

Our Securities & Shareholder Litigation Practice Group has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation, Best Lawyers in America©, BTI Litigation Outlook and Chambers USA for its experience and success in corporate and securities litigation, including:

  • Securities fraud class actions
  • Shareholder derivative litigation
  • Merger-related litigation
  • SEC investigations/enforcement proceedings
  • Internal investigations
  • Corporate governance disputes
  • Securities-related arbitrations

Our clients include more than 35 publicly traded companies, some of the country’s largest privately held companies and their officers, directors, issuers, underwriters, special committees, financial and investment advisers. In recent years, we have represented these clients in connection with corporate transactions valued at more than $75 billion, as well as dozens of litigation matters related to sub-prime structured investment products. Our team has significant experience resolving insurance coverage disputes, including working with D&O insurance carriers and their counsel on securities litigation matters filed against corporate and director/officer clients.  We also routinely defend clients in securities-related arbitrations, as well as other forms of alternative dispute resolution, throughout the U.S.

Our experience also includes serving as lead counsel for Special Litigation Committees to effectively and efficiently investigate derivative claims and allegations of breaches of fiduciary duties.

While we take great pride in our record of favorably resolving cases through both dispositive motions and favorable settlements, we have an equally impressive record of success in taking these complex litigation matters to trial. For example, in one of the first credit crisis-related trials in the country, we obtained an order of specific performance for our client, Genesco Inc., in connection with a proposed $1.6 billion merger with The Finish Line, Inc.

  • We serve as lead counsel for the company and 23 individual defendants in a putative class action alleging violations of Sections 10(b), 10A and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Sections 11, 12 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933. The plaintiffs allege that defendants made materially false and misleading statements and omissions concerning the company’s contracts and its out-of-network billing. In re Envision Healthcare Corporation Securities Litigation, Civil Action No. 3:17-cv-01112 (M.D. Tenn.).

    We serve as lead counsel for the company and 23 individual defendants in a putative class action alleging violations of...
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    Client Type: Private Company
  • Served as lead counsel for Morgan Keegan and related entities in Federal securities, ERISA and derivative multi-district litigation related to investment company losses in the wake of the credit crisis

    We served as lead counsel for Morgan Keegan and related entities in Federal securities, ERISA and derivative multi-district litigation related...
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    Client Type: Public Company
  • We served as lead counsel for Envision Healthcare Corporation and current and former board members in four derivative actions asserting claims for breach of fiduciary duty, wasted corporate assets, unjust enrichment and violations of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 arising out of allegations of over billing and improperly billing medical patients, failing to supervise corporate action and failure to maintain proper internal controls.  These cases were consolidated in 2018.  Following a company merger, the case was dismissed in its entirety on October 25, 2018. Purrone v. Sanger et al., Case No. 3:17-cv-01472 (M.D. Tenn.).

    We served as lead counsel for Envision Healthcare Corporation and current and former board members in four derivative actions asserting...
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    Client Type: Private Company
  • Successfully argued issue of first impression under the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

    We successfully argued issue of first impression under the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act before the U.S. Court of Appeals...
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    Client Type: Public Company
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Change Healthcare and related entities in federal court litigation in Seattle stemming from Change Healthcare’s acquisition of a start-up business in the healthcare technology industry where the stock purchase agreement had contingent earn-out provisions

    We obtained summary judgment on behalf of Change Healthcare and related entities in federal court litigation in Seattle stemming from...
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    Client Type: Private Company
  • Represented Pinnacle Financial Partners in a class action brought on behalf of shareholders of Avenue Bank

    We represented Pinnacle Financial Partners in a class action brought on behalf of shareholders of Avenue Bank, arising out of...
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    Client Type: Public Company
  • Represent Ruby Tuesday and certain named officers in a putative class action alleging violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

    We represent Ruby Tuesday and certain named officers in a putative class action alleging violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a)...
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    Client Type: Public Company
  • Represented Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: PNFP) in its merger with BNC Bancorp (NASDAQ: BNCN)

    We represented Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: PNFP) in its $1.9 billion merger with BNC Bancorp (NASDAQ: BNCN) pursuant to...
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    Client Type: Public Company
  • Represented Morgan Keegan & Co. in cases brought by investors in certain Morgan Keegan Funds stemming from investment fund company losses

    We represented Morgan Keegan & Co. in two cases brought by individual investors in certain Morgan Keegan Funds stemming from...
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    Client Type: Public Company
  • Successful representation of an individual in the Northern District of Georgia in a securities fraud suit arising from an investment group that funded entertainment events

    We successfully represented an individual in the Northern District of Georgia in a securities fraud suit arising from an investment...
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    Client Type: Individual
Allison Wiseman Acker
Member
Elaina S. Al-Nimri
Associate
Ryan R. Baker
Member
Michael A. Brady
Member
Shayne R. Clinton
Member
Joseph B. Crace, Jr.
Member
Margaret Dodson
Associate
Harry L. Goldsmith
Senior Advisor
Brian Irving
Member
Britt K. Latham
Member
Christopher G. Lazarini
Member
W. Brantley Phillips, Jr.
Member
Glenn B. Rose
Member
Overton Thompson III
Member
Virginia Maynard Yetter
Associate