Mary O’Connor’s practice focuses on representing public companies and their officers and directors in securities litigation, internal investigations, and regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings. She has served as lead counsel in securities class action cases and shareholder derivative claims, including merger litigation. Ms. O’Connor also has extensive experience in securities industry arbitration and enforcement matters.
Ms. O’Connor’s recent representations include—
- the audit committee of a New York Stock Exchange-listed distributor of brand-name consumer products in an investigation of alleged irregularities in accounting and disclosure practices
- the audit committee of a public company providing restaurant and entertainment services in an investigation of alleged irregularities in accounting for stock option grants
- a leading provider of nutritional supplements in shareholder class action, shareholder derivative and Texas Attorney General litigation related to marketing practices of the company’s independent sales associates
- the former CEO of a public company in an SEC enforcement action based on the company’s alleged improper recognition of revenue for software sales and services
- the former CFO of a publicly-held distribution company in shareholder class actions, litigation by the trustee of a liquidating trust for creditors of the company, and an SEC enforcement action arising from alleged improprieties in accounting for vendor incentives
- the chairman of the board of a publicly-owned financial services company in NASD arbitration proceedings brought by individual customers of an introducing broker
- an Ohio-based manufacturing company in an SEC investigation of fraudulent accounting practices by the vice president for finance of one of its subsidiaries.
In 2010, Ms. O’Connor was named by D Magazine to its list of Best Women Lawyers in Dallas. She has also been ranked in Texas Super Lawyers since 2004.
Ms. O’Connor is the leader of the Dallas office diversity committee, and she also sits on the firm’s diversity committee.
Ms. O’Connor joined Akin Gump in 1983 and has been a partner since 1990. She received her B.A. summa cum laude in political science from Bryn Mawr College in 1979 and her J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1983. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Dallas Bar Association, the Texas Bar Foundation and the Dallas Bar Foundation. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Texas and the District of Colorado, and the U.S. Tax Court.