Top Rated Securities Litigation Attorney in Cleveland, OH

Fran is skilled in resolving complex business disputes for financial services clients and multi-national corporations in areas including securities, governance and shareholder rights, banking and consumer law, and trustee and fiduciary liability. Recently, Fran litigated a $65 million Ponzi-scheme securities fraud class action claim against seven major financial institutions to a full defense jury verdict. She recently secured the dismissal in preliminary proceedings of a Fortune-500 company and its officers in a group of derivative cases claiming $800 million in damages, and is defending the same company in another derivative lawsuit alleging breaches of fiduciary duty based on adverse decisions in previous trade secret litigation. As an appellate advocate, Fran obtained seminal Sixth Circuit decisions on the “bespeaks caution” doctrine and CAFA jurisdiction.
Fran also counsels businesses on compliance issues including corporate governance, ethics, anti-bribery, and securities and financial regulatory requirements. She is actively engaged in assisting public and private companies in structuring compliance policies and procedures, and employee training. She has conducted numerous internal corporate and special litigation committee investigations for public and private companies on issues including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, officer conflicts of interest, reimbursement violations, accounting irregularities, and director liability claims. Fran also represents the FDIC in professional liability investigations involving failed banks. In addition, she is actively representing clients in bank regulatory and SEC investigations.
Fran has managed dozens of takeover and proxy contests involving public and private companies. Recently, she counseled a major shareholder of a national bank in a proxy contest challenging executive compensation and staggered election of directors that resulted in favorable changes in the governance structure of the bank.
Fran is recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America® in Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, and Securities and Banking & Finance Litigation.