Tariq Mundiya > Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in New York has standout litigators in head of litigation Tariq Mundiya, and co-chairs of M&A litigation Sameer Advani and Shaimaa Hussein. Together they handle complex matters for large corporates, controlling shareholders, boards of directors, special committees and financial advisors. The work includes Delaware activism and takeover litigation, contentious going private transactions, and matters concerning alleged conflicts of directors or financial advisors. Hussein led a team that is representing directors of Spruce Power Holding Corporation, formerly known as Pivotal Investment Corporation, in a challenge to a SPAC transaction in which Pivotal bought vehicle electrification company XL Hybrids.

In its shareholder-side activism practice, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP represents investors who regularly engage in activist campaigns and proxy contests. It counts Third Point Capital among its key investor clients, and the practice’s recent slate of matters has included successful proxy contests for investment companies and individual shareholders. Seasoned litigator and litigation department chair Tariq Mundiya is a key contact for proxy contests and advises on both the shareholder and board sides of matters. He co-leads the department with Russell Leaf, a corporate governance and M&A expert who also has experience acting on either side of shareholder activism matters, and Robert Stebbins, whose corporate governance practice is particularly strong in SEC compliance and enforcement issues. Jared Fertman is a further key contact who has recently acted for a number of prominent activist investors in high-profile campaigns. All named lawyers are based in New York.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has a strong track record in securities litigation, having achieved notable victories in both securities fraud class actions and derivative litigation, as well as having a strong regulatory enforcement practice. The firm is particularly strong in busted IPO cases, though it handles a broad spectrum of work for both major financial institutions and large corporates. Litigation chair Tariq Mundiya and co-chairs of securities litigation Todd Cosenza  and Antonio Yanez in New York are the principal practitioners. Cosenza recently succeeded in resolving a high-stakes securities class action against CBS, which was accused of making false or misleading statements related to sexual misconduct by its former CEO. The firm’s IPO work includes the on-going representation of underwriters to Uber’s $1bn listing. Litigation partners Charles Dean Cording in New York and Laura Leigh Geist in San Francisco also feature in high-profile cases.

Antitrust, restructuring, class actions, intellectual property, securities, and trade secrets are among the core specialisms of the ‘exceptionally smart, professional, and highly prepared’ practice at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. Practice head Tariq Mundiya is based in New York and is widely regarded as an expert on internal investigations, securities litigation and post-M&A disputes. Midwest chairman Craig Martin works out of Chicago and routinely appears as lead counsel in both trial and appellate cases on a state, federal, and international level. New York contact Todd Cosenza is ‘remarkably experienced and skillful’ in all aspects of financial litigation, with his practice emphasizing securities class actions. Washington DC-based attorney Sameer Advani advises on M&A disputes, federal securities class actions and shareholder derivative claims.