Ms Deborah Birnbach > Goodwin > Boston, United States > Lawyer Profile

Goodwin
100 NORTHERN AVENUE
BOSTON MA 02210
MASSACHUSETTS
United States

Position

Partner / Co-Chair, Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Career

Deborah Birnbach is a partner and co-chairs Goodwin’s Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Public M&A / Corporate Governance practices and is a member of the firm’s Life Sciences Disputes group. She specializes in securities litigation, including class action defense; SEC, regulatory and internal investigations; M&A-related litigation; stockholder disputes; fiduciary duty claims; and proxy contests. Deborah’s practice is national in scope and clients include public and private companies in healthcare, life sciences and technology, their boards and officers, and private equity firms and their partners.

Deborah represents issuers and their directors and officers in securities and shareholder litigation and corporate governance matters including defending allegations of insider trading, misleading disclosures, M&A transactions, insufficient deal consideration, improper revenue recognition and other alleged accounting irregularities, self-dealing and breach of fiduciary duty, among other issues. With colleagues in the Public M&A / Corporate Governance Practice, Deborah works with integrated deal teams on public M&A transactions, representing targets, acquirers and their financial advisers. She also counsels on litigation avoidance, including arbitration, mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods.

Deborah conducts internal corporate investigations for audit committees and other board committees in financial accounting and corporate governance-related matters, including whistleblower matters under the Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank Acts. She also represents clients in FINRA inquiries and in regulatory proceedings brought by the SEC and others in possible accounting irregularities, corporate disclosures to investors and insider trading, among other matters.

Education

J.D., 1992 Columbia Law School / B.A., 1986 Wellesley College (cum laude)

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense

Goodwin has a unique strategic focus on key industry sectors, notably life sciences, technology, and real estate, handling transactions and consequent litigation across the US, Europe and Asia. The firm also has a large private equity practice that is among the leading players in the expansive middle market sector, and this also generates work for the litigation department. Deborah Birnbach leads the practice, as well as being a key member of the life sciences group, and her track record in securities and shareholder litigation is notable. Adam Slutsky is also active in disputes in after healthcare deals. All lawyers are based in Boston. Michael Jones left to join Holland & Knight LLP.

United States > Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense

Goodwin is known as one of the leading life sciences firms in the US, as well as a prominent player in matters concerning technology companies and REITs. The firm is handling a growing volume of class actions, derivative cases and SEC investigations, particularly for tech companies. Clients note that the firm’s ‘judgement, subject knowledge and guidance is outstanding’ and are ‘impressed with their technical insights combined with practical experience’. Deborah Birnbach leads the practice from Boston, where Adam Slutsky and Caroline Bullerjahn are among the standout partners. Birnback and Bullerjahn obtained full dismissal of a securities class action against biopharma company Alkermes plc, which was accused of making misstatements and omissions regarding the development program for a clinical stage drug for a major depressive disorder. Daniel Roeser in New York is representing underwriting syndicates in a putative securities class action filed in Florida federal court against Axogen. Key partner Brian Pastuszenski retired, but Jonathan Shapiro in San Francisco from Baker Botts L.L.P. (who is ‘a highly capable attorney with a dynamic and empathetic personality’) reinforces the firm’s stronghold in its key sectors. Jonathan Hecht in Washington DC joined from the SEC and is ‘a transformative presence’ in enforcement matters.