Freshfields Poaches A&O Shearman Securities Litigation Co-Head

A leader in A&O Shearman’s securities litigation practice has defected for a similar role at Freshfields.

New York-based partner Agnès Dunogué started the new job Monday as co-head of US securities and shareholder litigation at Freshfields, the firm said in a statement.

“I’ve had the privilege of litigating in the same securities space as Agnès for a number of years,” Mary Eaton, co-head of securities and shareholder litigation at Freshfields, said in a statement. “She will be a key driver in the next phase of the team’s growth in the US.”

The move is the latest instance of the multinational law firms with roots in the UK fighting for top talent in key US markets. UK-founded Freshfields has been fighting for US dominance by recruiting from competitors, hiring Latham & Watkins M&A partner Matthew Goulding to launch an office in Boston earlier this year.

Freshfields’ leaders are looking to Dunogué, who has served as outside counsel to Uber Technologies Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., to counsel the firm’s public company and financial clients on how to navigate disputes with stockholders.

Agnès Dunogué

Dunogué was a partner at Wall Street’s Shearman & Sterling prior to its 2024 merger with UK-based law firm Allen & Overy and was named co-head of US securities and shareholder litigation at the time of the tie-up, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Freshfields’ revenue jumped more than 18% to £2.1 billion ($2.63 billion) in its latest financial year, which ended April 30, 2024. UK public filings indicate the firm’s business in the Americas has more than doubled since 2021. Meanwhile, legacy leaders at Allen & Overy tied-up with Shearman & Sterling to deepen its bench in the US, creating a combined firm with $3.5 billion in revenue.

Dunogué and her A&O Shearman colleagues defended Uber in a securities class action stemming from allegedly false statements it made in the company’s 2019 initial public offering. The litigation ended in 2024 when the company agreed to pay $200 million to settle the shareholders’ claims, court records show.

Dunogué also represents financial institutions who act as underwriters in stock offerings and are involved in litigation with company stockholders. She was on the A&O Shearman team defending JP Morgan and Barclays Plc in connection with allegations of omissions and misleading statements in a manufacturer’s secondary public offering.

“The opportunity to add my expertise and experience into a successful, and still growing, practice makes it an exciting place to join and make an impact,” Dunogué said in a statement. A Freshfields representative said she was unavailable to be interviewed about her move.

A representative of A&O Shearman wished her well and said the firm thanks her for her contributions.