With a strong presence on both coasts, Dechert LLP has the strength-in-depth to handle a significant range and volume of complex private securities class actions and derivative shareholder actions. Team head Joni Jacobsen is often at the forefront of the most significant securities disputes for publicly-traded companies from a myriad sectors, frequently successfully guiding them through multipronged private litigation class actions, and associated regulatory investigations/enforcement actions. Angela Liu is a skilled practitioner in securities fraud litigation class actions for US and China-based companies, work which she also combines with a broader skill set which encompasses corporate governance and M&A litigation. Drawing upon the firm’s broader institutional knowledge of the asset management industry, many in the team are well-versed at defending private equity (and their portfolio companies), hedge funds and investment advisers against securities fraud allegations. In this regard, David Kotler recently defended an investment adviser against allegations of breaching their fiduciary duties following a decline in the price of a mutual fund it was managing. Corporate governance litigation partner Richard Horvath and securities/antitrust partner Josh Hess are the key contacts in San Francisco. All practitioners are located in New York unless otherwise indicated. David Kistenbroker recently retired.
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Key clients

  • Special Litigation Committee of Exelon Corporation
  • Icahn Enterprises L.P.
  • Turtle Beach Corporation/VTB Holdings, Inc.
  • Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors
  • Delta Dental of California
  • PureCycle Technologies, Inc. and certain officers
  • Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Harvest Capital Credit Corporation
  • Leslie Moonves, former Chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation AmerisourceBergen Corp.
  • CorMedix Inc. and certain current and former officers and directors
  • Willoughby Capital Holdings

Work highlights

  • Represents the special litigation committee (SLC) of Exelon Corporation in one of the most significant SLC investigations in the nation arising from alleged bribery of public officials and multiple demand letters and derivative actions alleging failure of oversight claims. The firm is currently litigating preliminary approval of a derivative settlement.
  • Defending Icahn Enterprises against allegations from short seller Hindenburg Research, which prompted investigations by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the SEC, ultimately resulting in no claims of fraud or impropriety, and successfully represented them in federal securities class action and shareholder demand proceedings.
  • Advised Turtle Beach and Parametric Sound Corporation on litigation involving claims of “equity expropriation” by a controlling shareholder under Nevada law, resulting in a directed verdict in favor of the defendants and subsequent affirmation by the Nevada Supreme Court.

Lawyers

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Joni Jacobsen

Practice head

Joni Jacobsen

Other key lawyers

Angela Liu; Jonathan Streeter; Michael Doluisio; David Kotler; Neil Steiner; Richard Horvath; Joshua Hess; Kathleen Massey