Samuel Cooper > Shearman & Sterling LLP > Houston, United States > Lawyer Profile

Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York has a broad practice that acts for corporations, investment banks, boards of directors, special committees and other major players in high-stakes transactional litigation.  Global managing partner and head of litigation Adam Hakki is an acknowledged expert in both securities litigation and M&A disputes. He leads the M&A litigation practice along with Paula Anderson, Alan Goudiss and up-and-coming talent Mallory Brennan. Dan Gold in Dallas, who the firm from Haynes and Boone, L.L.P., and Samuel Cooper in Houston, who moved over from Paul Hastings LLP, are taking on significant work.

Shearman & Sterling LLP has a standout, internationally-facing financial services practice, representing both US and non-US financial institutions, including investment banks, in contentious matters that are often cross-border. The firm also has expertise regarding underwriting syndicates as well as representing clients before regulators, particularly the SEC, and in securities litigation relating to insider trading, market manipulation, accounting fraud and false statements. The practice is led by Adam Hakki, Richard Schwed, in New York, and Patrick Robbins, in San Francisco. Hakki is renowned for his expertise in securities litigation, acting for the firm’s major banking clients such as Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs on a range of significant securities matters. New York’s Daniel Lewis is another key name, representing significant banks in securities and market manipulation class actions in their role as underwriters, along with Grace Lee, who shares this focus in securities litigation in addition to her experience in bonds, and structured finance products including RMBS. The practice was joined throughout 2022 by Patrick Hein in San Francisco from the Eastern District of New York’s Attorney’s Office, Emily Black in Austin from Haynes and Boone, L.L.P., and Samuel Cooper in Houston from Paul Hastings LLP.

The securities litigation practice at Shearman & Sterling LLP is ‘at the forefront of creative solutions’ and clients remark that it has ‘a deep bench of creative thinkers who often take a novel approach’. The firm is particularly active in matters involving the financial services and life sciences sectors, and its work for underwriting syndicates stands out from the crowd. Adam Hakki and Richard Schwed in New York lead the team along with Patrick Robbins in San Francisco. Hakki and Houston-based Mallory Brennan achieved a significant victory for Jefferies in a securities litigation related to the acquisition of Waite Holdings by special purpose acquisition company Landcadia Holdings – one of the first cases to arise from the SPAC boom. ‘His grasp of the law and his aplomb in advocating for clients is unmatched’, say clients of Daniel Laguardia in San Francisco, who worked with New York partner Daniel Lewis to secure a favourable settlement for underwriters of CannTrust Holdings. Up-and-coming partners Grace Lee in Washington DC and Agnès Dunogué in New York are pivotal to the practice, which continues to expand its roster of talent. Samuel Cooper in Houston joined from Paul Hastings LLP, and he is currently representing various entities in the Arbor Venture Fund family in a complex matter. Class action and internal investigations specialist Emily Westridge Black in Austin joined from Haynes and Boone, L.L.P., and former federal prosecutor Patrick Hein in San Francisco joined from the US Attorney’s Office in New York.