John Reed > DLA Piper LLP (US) > Wilmington, United States > Lawyer Profile

DLA Piper LLP (US) litigation practice tackles cases arising out of mergers, including SPAC deals, allegations of securities fraud and directors’ breaches of fiduciary duty before state and federal courts and the Delaware Court of Chancery. Head of Delaware litigation John Reed represents companies, their boards and special committees in merger-related disputes, and in 2024 secured the dismissal of a shareholder suit against the directors of RTX (formerly Raytheon), alleging that they were conflicted and failed to uphold their fiduciary duties in the merger with United Technologies. Melanie Walker, who splits time between Los Angeles and Chicago, heads the firm’s corporate and securities practice, with particular expertise in SPAC-related cases, notably representing GigAcquisitions3, LLC and its directors against allegations they provided investors with false and misleading information in the leadup to the acquisition of Lightning eMotors. In Wilmington, Ronald Brown also worked on the RTX matter alongside Reed.