Stephanna F. Szotkowski | People

Stephanna F. Szotkowski is a member of the Firm's Securities Enforcement and Litigation practice group. Stephanna's practice consists primarily of defending high-stakes securities and commercial litigation; prosecuting various complex breach of contract and breach of warranty cases involving Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code; defending U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations and enforcement proceedings as well as those conducted by other governmental and regulatory entities; and conducting and coordinating other securities-related internal investigations, including in connection with stockholder demands.

Stephanna represents public and private companies, accounting firms, broker-dealers, financial services firms, and other institutions in securities litigation, enforcement, and related matters. She also represents individuals in these matters, including chief executive officers, chief financial officers, senior executives, other market participants, auditors, and lawyers. Stephanna has extensive expertise with all phases of litigation in federal and state trial and appellate courts and in proceedings before arbitral bodies. This expertise includes several trials, dispositive motion and appellate briefing, and complex e-discovery projects.

Stephanna is a member of the firm's Committee of Associates and is a member of the new associate committee. She is very active in the firm's pro bono practice, and has litigated cases to a successful resolution involving violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Stephanna recently represented on a pro bono basis an inmate in a federal penitentiary regarding his claims against the Bureau of Prisons for the failure to protect him and for medical malpractice, which were successfully resolved.

Stephanna graduated, magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School, where she served as an articles editor on the University of Minnesota Law Review. Stephanna earned her BS in political science, international studies, and religious studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating with honors.

Focus Areas

Experience

Multiple clients in FINRA arbitrations.
National accounting firm in defense of whistleblower as well as accountant and auditor malpractice actions brought in various courts.
National accounting firm engagement partner in an SEC investigation in which revenue recognition issues of a public issuer client were at issue.
Credit and monitoring service, where secured dismissal of case involving alleged violation of the Credit Repair Organization Act and fraud in the inducement.
Locomotive manufacturer in federal court litigations and arbitrations against suppliers for breach of warranty and breach of contract claims.

Administrative and collateral agent for lenders in multiple litigations against Steak n Shake Inc. involving alleged breaches of credit agreement.
IT Infrastructure/Disaster Recovery Company in suit against former officer/director who was terminated and whose equity interest was repurchased by the company.
The special committee of the board of directors of a money transfer company in responding to and investigating a stockholder litigation demand.
State of Israel, where secured unanimous affirmance of dismissal on the basis of sovereign immunity in long-running dispute arising out of payments of proceeds from sovereign bonds.
Private hospital system in defending data breach class action litigation.
National accounting firm engagement partner in an SEC investigation involving the valuation of highly illiquid assets.
Global investment bank in litigation related to the sale and repurchase of residential mortgage loans.
Owners of restaurant on Long Island in dispute over ownership of restaurant in parallel proceedings in state and federal court.
Owners of private beachfront property in the East Hamptons who had been joined in an action to quiet title to a portion of the beach, and our clients were the only homeowners who successfully demonstrated title to their portion of the beach.
Board members of a leading media and entertainment company in parallel federal securities class action and state common law fraud and negligent misrepresentation litigation related to a proposed going-private transaction.
Former officer and director of AIG in Martin Act action by the New York State Attorney General.