Angela M. Liu
Partner | New York
Angela M. Liu

Angela M. Liu is a New York-based, boardroom-focused litigator who represents public and private companies, boards of directors, and senior executives in high-profile corporate disputes across the U.S. and globally. Her practice centers on securities class actions, shareholder derivative and M&A-related litigation, fiduciary duty defense, special committee and internal investigations, and private credit disputes. She regularly manages cross-border matters requiring coordinated discovery across the U.S., the UK, Asia, and Africa.

Ms. Liu combines sophisticated legal strategy with a communication style that translates complex litigation dynamics into actionable boardroom guidance. Chambers USA, one of the most rigorous independent ranking services for lawyers, recognizes her as “excellent” and “a smart, capable and practical litigator” with “deep expertise in discovery and the general process around litigation.” Legal 500 recognizes her separately for both M&A litigation defense and securities litigation defense.

In practice, that means preparing executives and directors to testify under pressure, aligning boardroom strategy with litigation strategy, and sequencing decisions to protect the business while keeping disruption to a minimum. Ms. Liu is attuned to the personal toll that public scrutiny takes on clients whose judgment is being second-guessed, and that awareness sharpens how she advises, prepares witnesses, and communicates when the stakes are highest. 

Ms. Liu co‑chairs the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and serves on the Innovation Committee. She is a founding member of the Women in Securities Litigation Network and has been named one of Profiles in Leadership Journal’s “Asian Leaders Worth Watching” and Seramount’s “Working Mothers of the Year.” She was recognized as a finalist for Best Mentor — Law Firm by the New York Law Journal and American Lawyer Industry Awards. Her pro bono practice has included key roles in landmark voting rights matters at the state and U.S. Supreme Court levels for more than a decade, including what has been called one of the “most important voting rights trials so far of the 21st century.”

Ms. Liu clerked for the Honorable John R. Gibson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. She serves on the UNC Law Foundation board and its Audit Committee, is the current President of the UNC Law Alumni Association Board, and partners with the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Foundation.

Shareholder Litigation

  • Defended former chairman and CEO across parallel securities class action (SDNY), NY Attorney General investigation, Delaware Chancery class actions, and California state court proceedings; all matters resolved without client contribution.
  • Defended former CFO of pharmaceutical company relating to tax issues in securities class action in the Southern District of New York, District of New Jersey, and in parallel foreign arbitration proceedings.
  • Defended life sciences company and its officers and directors in securities fraud class action alleging misleading statements related to FDA New Drug Application submissions, and in consolidated shareholder derivative lawsuit alleging breaches of fiduciary duties and waste of corporate assets.
  • Defended fintech company and its officers and directors in securities class action and derivative suits in the Eastern District of New York. 
  • Defended national beverage company and officers in securities class action arising out of a multihundred-million-dollar restatement.
  • Defended life sciences company in securities class action and derivative litigation relating to disclosure of FDA developments in the District of New Jersey.
  • Defended board of directors of credit card company in derivative litigation in the Northern District of Illinois.
  • Defended bio-pharmaceutical companies and their officers and directors in securities class action and derivative suits in the Southern District of New York and Southern District of Indiana.
  • Defended chemical product manufacturer and its officers and directors in securities class action suit in the Southern District of New York.
  • Defended board of directors of Chinese-based company in connection with a derivative action and merger litigation in the District of Delaware.
  • Defended CEO of technology company in connection with breaches of fiduciary duty in Delaware Chancery Court.
  • Defended former CFO of large shipping company in SEC investigation.
  • Defended special litigation committee of large oil and gas company in derivative litigation.

Private Credit

  • Defended directors of a business development company in multi-jurisdiction class action, alleging fiduciary duty breaches tied to purported conflicts of interest; successfully argued before the Delaware Chancery Court. 
  • Representation of global asset management company in cross-border matters, involving allegations of breaches of contract and fiduciary duties, as well as misappropriation of trade secrets.

Cross-border Discovery

  • Defended senior Nigerian official in Section 1782 proceedings.
  • Defended Chinese-based technology company in securities class action in the Southern District of New York.
  • Defended former CFO of Irish-based company in securities class actions and derivative suits.

Technology and Platform Liability

  • Defended global technology company in multiple federal actions, including class actions, addressing cutting-edge immunity issues under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act for third-party platforms.

Selected Pro Bono

  • Kansas voting registration litigation: Trial, 10th Circuit, and U.S. Supreme Court in one of the “most important voting rights trials so far of the 21st century.”
  • Tennessee COVID-19 voting litigation: Argued before the Tennessee Supreme Court.
  • Wisconsin voter ID litigation: Trial, Seventh Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court.
  • U.S. Supreme Court amicus briefs, including Louisiana v. Callais (law professors on election law and democracy); Alexander v. South Carolina Conference of the NAACP (political science professors on voting rights/redistricting); Moore v. Harper (law professors on democracy and race); City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson, et al. (Law Center on Homelessness); and Barnes v. Felix (The Rutherford Institute).
  • Ranked for Securities Litigation - Chambers USA (New York) (2025-2026)
  • Ranked in Litigation: Securities - Legal 500 US (2024-2026)
  • Ranked in Dispute Resolution: M&A litigation: Defense - Legal 500 US (2026)
  • First-ever "Asian Leaders Worth Watching" - Profiles in Leadership Journal
  • “Working Mother of the Year” - Seramount (formerly Working Mother) (2023)
  • Finalist, Best Mentor — Law Firm - New York Law Journal and American Lawyer Industry Awards
  • General Counsel Toolkit: It’s a Privilege, Not a Right - Best Practices for Board Minutes and Attorney-Client Communications — ACC NY (June 10, 2025)
  • Securities Law in Focus: A Look Ahead at the Shaping Litigation Trends in 2024 — The Knowledge Group (February 20, 2024)
  • The Tracing Requirement in Securities Act Cases in Light of the Supreme Court’s Slack Decision — ABA Securities Litigation Committee (September 7, 2023)
  • fintechNEXT Webinar Series: Cryptocurrency Securities Class Action Litigation — 2022 Year Review (April 25, 2023)
  • Securities Litigation, the SEC Rulemaking, and Crypto Markets — Women in Securities Litigation Network Expert Panel (February 2023)
  • Case Study: Innovation Training — Law Firm Innovation Summit Virtual Conference (November 9, 2021)
  • The Ever Shifting Landscape of Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC) — ACC NY Webinar (April 27, 2021)
  • Recent Developments: Securities Fraud Actions Against Life Sciences Companies - Webinar (March 4, 2021)
  • NACD Advanced Director Professionalism — A Price Worth Paying – Chicago, IL (June 18, 2019)
  • Risk Management and Recent Trends in Securities Fraud Litigation Against Life Sciences Companies — Professional Liability Underwriting Society (April 2019)
  • A Term in Review: An Overview of Key Supreme Court Decisions from the 2015 Term & Thoughts about the Upcoming Term (November 29, 2016)
  • Tipping the Scales: A Women in Law Symposium — Women in Law, Chapel Hill, NC (March 22, 2016)
  • Securities and Derivative Litigation: Report — Dechert OnPoint (August 14, 2026)
  • Securities and Derivative Litigation: Report — Dechert OnPoint (March 25, 2026)
  • Developments in Securities Fraud Class Actions Against U.S. Life Sciences Companies — Dechert OnPoint (March 12, 2026)
  • The Rise of 'AI Washing' Claims in Securities Class Actions — Daily Journal (January 26, 2026)
  • Board Minute Best Practices — Directors & Boards (July 10, 2024)
  • SCOTUS: Pure Omissions Are Not Actionable Under Rule 10b-5 — Dechert OnPoint (April 2023)
  • Developments in Securities Fraud Class Actions Against U.S. Life Sciences Companies — Dechert OnPoint (April 2023)
  • Cryptocurrency Securities Class Action Litigation: 2023 Year in Review — The Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation (April 10, 2024)
  • Crypto Securities Class Action Filings Will Follow Market Trends — Bloomberg Law (March 14, 2024)
  • Securities and Derivative Litigation: Quarterly Update (July 25, 2023)
  • Delaware Court of Chancery Cuts “Merger Taxes” by Holding Supplemental Disclosures Must Be Material to Warrant a Mootness Fee — Dechert OnPoint (July 2023)
  • Securities and Derivative Litigation: Quarterly Update (May 09, 2023)
  • 2022 Developments in U.S. Securities Fraud Class Actions Against Non-U.S. Issuers — Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (April 12, 2023)
  • 2022 Developments in U.S. Securities Fraud Class Actions Against U.S. Life Sciences Companies — Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (March 20, 2023)
  • How Deeper Dialogues Among Women Can Bolster Diversity and Inclusion — American Bar Association (July 21, 2021)
  • Recent Trends in US Securities and Derivative Litigation — Financier Worldwide (June 1, 2021)
  • 2020 Developments in Securities Fraud Class Actions Against Non-U.S. Issuers — Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (March 23, 2021)
  • What Was Up With All the Securities Class Actions Targeting Non-U.S. Issuers Last Year? — Law.com (March 15, 2021) 
  • Mitigating Risk Amid Layoff-Driven Confidential Witness Boom — LAW360 (March 10, 2021)
  • Non-U.S. Issuers Targeted in Securities Class Action Lawsuits Filed in the United States — Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (March 29, 2020)
  • How I Made Partner: Dechert's Angela Liu — Law.com (February 20, 2020) 
  • Global Securities Litigation Trends — Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation (July 29, 2019) 
  • Recent Trends in Off-Shore Targeted US Class Actions — Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation (April 30, 2019)
  • INSIGHT: Life Sciences Companies Targeted in Securities Class Actions (March 8, 2019)
  • A New Era in Global Securities Litigation: Parts 1-4 — Law 360 (February 16, 2018) 
  • Guard Attorney-Client Privilege When Sharing Legal Advice — Law 360 (October 5, 2017)
  • The Devil is in the Details: A Litigator's 5 Tips for Drafting Board Minutes — Corporate Counsel (January 26, 2017)
  • Delaware Courts Update:  Supreme Court Issues Decision on Exculpatory Clauses — Wall Street Lawyer (June 2015)
Services
    • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.A., 2004, Highest Honors, Phi Beta Kappa, Morehead Scholar
    • University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D., 2009, Editor in Chief of the North Carolina Journal of International Law & Commercial Regulation
    • New York
    • Illinois
    • Supreme Court of the United States
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
    • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
    • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
    • United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
    • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
    • United States District Court for the District of Colorado
    • Board of Directors - UNC Law Foundation, Inc. 
    • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity – 2018 Fellow
    • Law Alumni Association President – UNC School of Law
    • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
    • Planning Committee, ABA Judicial Division Bench & Bar Academy
    • Law360's Securities Litigation Editorial Advisory Board (2020)
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Honorable John R. Gibson

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