Practice encompasses complex commercial litigation, shareholder litigation, fiduciary duties, board governance and consumer class actions.
Represents corporate and funds clients on a wide variety of business disputes and provides advice outside of litigation.
Clients include public & private companies, boards of directors and investment management businesses.
Stephanie represents clients in high-exposure commercial disputes through every stage of the corporate lifecycle. She leads the firm’s business litigation practice and advises on a broad array of matters, including complex commercial litigation, shareholder litigation and consumer class action defense. Stephanie is particularly known for litigating and advising clients regarding fiduciary duties, corporate governance, contract and Delaware business disputes.
Stephanie represents public companies and their boards, private companies and LLCs, investment funds and their portfolio companies, as well as senior executives, across a range of industries. She litigates cases in both state and federal courts and advises clients on matters involving:
Breach of contract
Breach of fiduciary duty
Shareholder and derivative litigation
Corporate governance disputes
Securities fraud and securities class actions
Consumer fraud and consumer class actions
Unfair and deceptive business practices claims
Breach of warranty claims
Data breach and privacy-related litigation
Artificial intelligence (AI)- and ESG-related litigation.
Outside of litigation, Stephanie provides corporate advice during each phase of an investment or transaction and beyond. She is well versed in assessing litigation risks in potential investments, governance issues and decisions that can affect shareholder value and corporate objectives. Stephanie regularly evaluates pending securities and derivative suits, as well as related regulatory and governmental investigations.
Stephanie is a co‑host of Akin’s podcast series, The Business Court Benches, which examines developments in the Delaware Court of Chancery and the emerging Texas business courts, among others, and their implications for corporate governance and complex litigation.
Stephanie joined Akin in 2015. Prior to joining the firm, she was a litigation associate at another prominent New York law firm focusing on privacy, data security, right of publicity, insurance defense and class action matters. She also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Martin Glenn of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
Representative Work
Successfully defended a global technology company in a high-profile consolidated securities class action and a putative stockholder class action in New York federal and state courts against claims of securities fraud and breaches of fiduciary duty related to the announcement of a contemplated $765 million loan from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to support the launch of the company’s pharmaceutical manufacturing business. Both cases were dismissed in full with prejudice at the threshold motion to dismiss stage.
Achieved denial of class certification in a putative false advertising and fraud class action brought against a multinational telecommunications company.
Obtained dismissal of securities fraud action against a mining company and its former chief executive officer on international comity grounds.
Secured dismissal with prejudice in a putative consumer class action against a major restaurant chain facing allegations of deceptive business practices.
Counseled a debtor offshore drilling company through trial, ultimately resulting in confirmation of the debtors’ plan of liquidation.
Successfully vacated arbitration award that assessed partial withdrawal liability under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 against corporation that owned multiple hotel casinos after one closed. Obtained affirmance of the vacatur on appeal.