- Representing a Fortune 400 manufacturing company in individual securities actions in state court in Georgia.
- Representing an electric car manufacturer and certain of its former directors and officers in a securities class action filed in New Jersey federal court.
- Represented a biopharmaceutical company and its CEO in a securities class action in New York federal court, where the court granted the motion to dismiss and dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice.
- Represented a medical device company in a securities class action in Georgia federal court, where the court granted the motion to dismiss, the court subsequently denied the plaintiff’s post-judgment motions, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decisions granting the motion to dismiss and denying the plaintiff’s post-judgment motions.
- Represented a Fortune 400 manufacturing company in putative securities class actions in federal court in Delaware and Georgia and related shareholder derivative actions pending in federal and state courts in Georgia.
- Represented a machine industry company along with certain of its former officers in a shareholder securities class action pending in Tennessee federal court.
- Represented a medical device company in a RICO action filed in Georgia state court.
- Represented a communications technology company in an SEC investigation arising out of a cybersecurity incident.
- Represented a multinational health insurance and health care services company in an SEC investigation arising out of a significant cybersecurity incident.
- Represented a committee of the board of directors of a Fortune 400 company in the internal investigation of shareholder derivative demands.
Sierra Shear
Senior Associate,
- Phone: +1 404 881 7988
- Email: sierra.shear@alston.com
Sierra defends companies and their directors and officers in high-stakes securities class actions, shareholder derivative litigation, and SEC and internal investigations, taking a business-focused approach to solving her clients' most complex legal challenges.
- Represented a technology startup in a Securities Act class action litigated in the Commercial Division of the New York Supreme Court.
- Represented a clean energy company in a Securities Act individual action filed in Maryland State Court.
- Represented an international consumer goods manufacturer in a securities fraud class action involving claims under federal and UK law.
- Represented a national insurance company in a commercial class action involving breach of contract and state law fraud claims and alleged damages of more than $200 million+.
- Defended a former senior executive of a national bank in an Office of the Comptroller of Currency enforcement action alleging unfair and unsound practices and breach of fiduciary duty claims, seeking a $2 million civil monetary penalty.
- Secured not guilty verdicts on numerous claims while representing an individual defendant during a two week jury trial in the Northern District of California involving visa fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy claims.
- Defended a national insurance company in an investigation by a state attorney general concerning increases in insurance premiums.
- Represented an international bank in Securities Exchange Commission and state attorney general investigations of electronic trading practices.
Sierra Shear focuses her practice on representing public companies and their officers and directors in securities class actions and opt-out lawsuits, shareholder derivative suits, and M&A litigation. She also represents clients in regulatory and internal investigations into alleged corporate misconduct.
Sierra also focuses on the nexus between technology and securities law and writes and speaks frequently on securities litigation issues related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data privacy. She is listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® – Securities Litigation - Georgia.
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Georgia
Education
- University of Pennsylvania (J.D., 2016)
- University of Texas at Austin (B.A., 2013)
- Securities Litigation
- White Collar, Government & Internal Investigations
- Business Litigation
- Litigation
- M&A Litigation
- Privacy & Cybersecurity Litigation
- Privacy, Cyber & Data Strategy
- Crisis & Data Breach Response
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Board Governance & Cyber Risk Management
- Privacy & Cyber Regulatory Enforcement