Freshfields‘ national securities and shareholder litigation practice defends clients across technology, life sciences, and electric vehicle sectors. The team focuses on complex cases, including novel theories of corporate control, COVID-19 shareholder litigation, scheme liability, and SPAC litigation. Practice head Meredith Kotler, based in New York, represents public companies and their boards in securities, corporate governance, and M&A litigation, including the full dismissal of a securities class action against Centessa Pharmaceuticals and Amarin. Fellow New York co-head Agnès Dunogué joined from A&O Shearman in July 2025. Co-head Mary Eaton’s recent cases include defending BuzzFeed in two mass arbitration cases arising from de-SPAC transactions, and she acted as lead counsel for Tyson Foods in a Section 220 book and records action. Silicon Valley-based TMT lawyer Boris Feldman specializes in SPAC deals and has represented Tesla and Rivian in shareholder derivative matters. Doru Gavril represented Instacart in the dismissal of all shareholder lawsuits, while Rebecca Lockert focuses on securities and shareholder litigation matters. Both lawyers are based in Silicon Valley.
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Key clients
- AstraZeneca PLC
- Tesla
- Palantir Technologies Inc.
- Independent Directors of Jacobs Solutions
- Buzzfeed and certain officers
- Sumitomo Pharma UK Holdings, Ltd.
- Tyson Foods
- Informatica, Inc.
- Special Committee of the Board of Directors of PowerSchool Holding, Inc.
- Stem, Inc.
- CarLotz, Inc.
- Next Fifteen Communications Corporation
Work highlights
Represented AstraZeneca and two of its executives in a stockholder class action in Delaware’s Court of Chancery, challenging Viela’s US $3 billion sale to Horizon Therapeutics.
Represented Sumitomo Pharma America in a series of disputes stemming from its multibillion-dollar merger with Myovant Sciences, including winning the dismissal with prejudice of merger disclosure litigation in the Southern District of New York.
Represented Palantir in aggressive efforts to expand insider trading liability in derivative litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery, which we won.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
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Leading partners
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Leading associates
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Rebecca Lockert
Practice head
Meredith Kotler; Agnès Dunogué; Mary Eaton
Other key lawyers
Boris Feldman; Doru Gavril; Rebecca Lockert