John Clarke > DLA Piper LLP (US) > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

DLA Piper LLP (US) has a growing workflow of deal-related litigation not only in its Delaware office, but also across its national office network. John Clarke in New York and Melanie Walker in Los Angeles are co-chairs of the corporate and securities litigation group with, in which merger-related cases are handled, and head of Delaware litigation John Reed in Wilmington plays a pivotal role in all of that work – all of them of late have handled heavyweight litigation concerning special purpose acquisition companies. Benjamin Schuman  in Baltimore and Jason Hopkins in Dallas also play central roles in the practice.

DLA Piper LLP (US) has a diverse national corporate and securities litigation practice that spans the US, with offices in New York, California, Texas, Delaware and other key jurisdictions. It is particularly active in cases involving the life sciences, financial services, insurance, and technology sectors, hence a client base that includes Goldman Sachs, Abengoa and AxoGen, Inc. John Clarke in New York and Melanie Walker in Los Angeles are co-chairs of the practice. Clarke is representing Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in an action alleging breaches of a contingent value rights agreement. Caryn Schechtman in New York led the defense of AxoGen, which creates innovative nerve repair products, and achieved the dismissal of claims arising from its IPO. John Hillebrecht in New York and Jason Lewis in Dallas also play key roles in the practice. Experienced LA-based practitioner Richard Zelichov joined the firm from Katten in July 2023.