Webcast: Update on COVID-19-Related Developments in Securities Litigation and Corporate Best Practices

Webcasts  |  December 15, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented changes in daily life, disruption to businesses and the economy, as well as dramatic market volatility. As a follow up to the webinar conducted in May 2020, in this webinar, Gibson Dunn and Cornerstone Research will provide an update on COVID-19-related securities litigation filed since the pandemic began and corporate best practices, including the following topics:

  • Trends in COVID-19-related securities and derivative lawsuits
  • Issues for companies to consider in preparing risk disclosures and discussing forward looking projections
  • Best practices for Board of Directors oversight
  • Economic analyses that are particularly relevant for COVID-19 related securities actions

View Slides (PDF)

PANELISTS:

Jennifer L. Conn is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of Gibson Dunn’s Litigation, Securities Litigation, Securities Enforcement, Appellate, and Privacy, Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection Practice Groups. Ms. Conn has extensive experience in a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters, including those involving securities, financial services, accounting, business restructuring and reorganization, antitrust, contracts, and information technology. In addition, Ms. Conn is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, lecturing on securities litigation.

Avi Weitzman is a litigation partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations, Crisis Management, Securities Enforcement and Litigation, and Media, Entertainment and Technology Practice Groups. Mr. Weitzman is a nationally recognized trial and appellate attorney, with experience handling complex commercial disputes in diverse areas of law, white-collar and regulatory enforcement defense, internal investigations, and securities litigations. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Mr. Weitzman served for seven years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, primarily in the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and Organized Crime Unit.

Lori Benson is a Senior Vice President and heads Cornerstone Research’s New York office. Over the course of her more than twenty years with the firm, she has prepared strategy and expert testimony in all aspects of complex commercial litigation, including trials, arbitrations, settlements, and regulatory inquiries. Ms. Benson has consulted on a wide range of cases including securities class actions, market manipulation, valuation, asset management and fixed income securities disputes.

Yan Cao is a Vice President at Cornerstone Research’s New York office. Dr. Cao specializes in issues related to financial economics and financial reporting across a range of complex litigation and regulatory proceedings. Her experience covers securities, market manipulation, M&A, risk management, and bankruptcy matters. Dr. Cao has fifteen years of experience consulting on securities class actions that cover a wide variety of industries, with a focus on financial institutions. She has also worked on regulatory investigation and enforcement matters led by the SEC, the CFTC, the DOJ, the NY Fed, and state AGs. Dr. Cao is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Certified Public Accountant.