Cara M. Peterman

• Representing Dell Technologies Inc. and certain Dell directors in litigation arising out of the company’s multibillion-dollar exchange of its Class V stock for cash and shares of its Class C stock. 
• Representing The Wendy’s Company and certain of its officers and directors in a consolidated shareholder derivative action arising out of a 2016 criminal cyberattack. 
• Representing International Speedway Corporation and certain of its officers and directors in an action alleging breach of fiduciary duty in connection with an acquisition of the company by NASCAR Holdings Inc.
• Represented The Home Depot and certain of its officers and directors in consolidated shareholder derivative litigation alleging claims arising out of a third-party criminal data breach of the company. The defendants won their motion to dismiss in a precedent-setting decision.
• Represented AmTrust Financial Services Inc., a multinational property and casualty insurer, in a shareholder derivative action alleging breach of fiduciary duty claims arising out of a related-party transaction. 
• Representing individuals and companies in several SEC investigations and enforcement actions involving insider trading, accounting restatements and similar issues. 
• Represented one of the country’s largest postsecondary education providers in False Claims Act litigation.

Cara Peterman is a partner with Alston & Bird’s Securities Litigation Group. She focuses her practice on shareholder derivative suits, shareholder class actions, and other complex commercial litigation. She also regularly represents clients in investigations brought by the Securities Exchange Commission and other federal and state regulators.

Cara also counsels public companies and their boards on public disclosure and corporate governance matters, with a concentration on cybersecurity and data-privacy-related issues. She is one of only a handful of attorneys in the country with significant experience defending against shareholder litigation and investigations arising out of cyber incidents. Cara was selected as a member of the Daily Report’s “On the Rise” class on 2021.

Cara received her J.D. from the New York University School of Law and her B.A. from Northwestern University, and she is a member of the State Bars of Georgia and New York. Cara maintains an active pro bono practice; she is a member of the board of directors of Tapestri Inc.

Languages

• Spanish

Bar Admissions

• Georgia
• New York

Education

• New York University (J.D., 2009)
• Northwestern University (B.A., 2005)