Lisa C. Wood

Partner - Boston

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Lisa Wood has over 28 years of experience handling complex business litigation, principally in the areas of securities fraud, accountants liability, and antitrust. She is the Co-Chair of the firm's Litigation Department. In recognition of her effectiveness as an antitrust litigator and business counselor, Lisa has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Massachusetts SuperLawyers and Chambers USA, which cited her as "one of the top litigators in Boston."

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Education:

  • Boston College Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
  • Kenyon College, A.B., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Representative Experience

  • Represented national accounting firm and obtained defense verdict after 3 1/2 week jury trial in July, 2012, in malpractice action regarding accounting for municipal bond financing of ISP project.
  • Obtained dismissal of constructive trust and Credit Repair Organization Act claims brought by a class of consumers of a non-profit credit repair organization against a national accounting firm which served as the non-profit’s former tax advisor and auditor, and handled appeal in which First Circuit affirmed dismissal, Zimmerman v. BDO LLP, (1st Cir. 2011).
  • Defended Big Four firm and obtained summary judgment dismissing hedge fund’s claim of fraud, negligent misrepresentation and c. 93A on grounds that hedge fund did not rely on client’s audit opinion in making mezzanine loan to financially troubled company. Summary judgment decision and related decision striking “settlement affidavit,” reported at 19 Mass. L. Rep. 51 and 19 Mass. L. Rep. 26 (2005) and an Appeals Court decision affirming summary judgment reported at 69 Mass. App. Ct. 218 (2007).  In re Imprimis v. KPMG LLP.
  • Represented special committee of independent directors of a public registrant in an SEC investigation into whether the registrant and its management properly disclosed the executive officers of the registrant and whether one member of management “practiced accounting” before the SEC in violation of a previously-issued accounting bar order and in 2010 secured favorable settlement for the registrant.  In related SEC litigation against former executives of registrant, successfully defeated motion to compel the production of privileged communication defeating the argument that the privilege had been waived during the SEC’s investigation. SEC v. Prince et al, DC District, 2011.
  • Represent partner of national accounting firm in on-going PCAOB investigation.
  • Representing manufacturer of destructive testing equipment in antitrust conspiracy action arising out of standard setting activity before ASTM, and obtained an order dismissing all claims in early 2012. Advanced Technology Corporation, Inc. v. Instron, et al, USDC, D. Mass. February 26, 2013.
  • Served as lead counsel to human genomics company in FTC investigation regarding consumer protection and privacy issues.
  • Represent various companies in connection with several different FTC investigations in which the clients have an interest, including producing documents, offering testimony and submitting white papers.
  • Representing The Boston Herald in on-going litigation brought by a former wholesale distributor, challenging an RFP issued by several publishers for wholesale distribution services and winning distribution contracts with vertically integrated publishers. Obtained dismissal of all antitrust claims at motion to dismiss stage.
  • Represent an IT consulting firm in a multi million dollar arbitration dispute with a business customer.
  • Represent various accounting and financial professionals in proceedings before professional and governmental licensing boards including the CFA Institute, AICPA and state boards of accountancy.
  • Obtained immediate dismissal of claims against national accounting firm for alleged negligent failure to detect bank employee embezzlement in state court action in Pennsylvania, 2012.
  • Obtained dismissal of all claims against national accounting firm in securities class action alleging securities fraud in connection with large REIT’s write down of mortgage derivative assets during credit crisis. In Re RAIT Securities Litigation, E.D.PA, 2009.
  • Obtained an immediate dismissal of antitrust and RICO claims filed against a professional service firm drawn into a patent dispute between parties for whom it had allegedly provided patent agent services, in action pending in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois.
  • Represented manager of Big 4 firm in PCAOB investigation and convinced PCAOB not to bring charges.
  • Served as settlement counsel for national accounting firm in complex securities litigation and other related litigation and government investigations and secured favorable settlement of securities class actions.

Professional Experience

  • Has taught securities law at The Sloan School as a guest lecturer and has lectured on the duties and responsibilities of non-profit board members to many boards and "board bank" programs.
  • SEC Regulatory Changes and Enforcement Actions: Highlights from 2012, The Investment Lawyer (January 2013)
  • Limits on the Court of Public Opinion: Is There an Ethical Obligation to Disclose Financial Relationships Between Litigants and the Media?, ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Fall 2012) 
  • The Third Circuit Takes a Narrow View on What E-Discovery Costs May Be Awarded to Prevailing Parties, ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Summer 2012) 
  • Awarding E-Discovery Costs to Prevailing Parties Under Rule 54(d), ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Spring 2012)
  • Using Jury Consultants in Antitrust Cases, ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Fall 2011) 
  • Interview: Judge Vaugn Walker, ABA's Antitrust Magazine (Summer 2011)  
  • Rule 502: Does It Deliver On Its Promise?, ABA's Antitrust Magazine (Summer 2010)
  • Serving as the Company's Voice—The 30(b)(6) Deposition, ABA's Antitrust Magazine (Spring 2010)
  • Early Case Evaluation (Litigation Efficiency Is Not An Oxymoron), ABA's Antitrust Magazine (Spring 2009)
  • Social Media Use During Trials: Status Updates From The Jury Box, ABA's Antitrust Magazine (Fall 2009)
  • A Pragmatic Approach to Stipulated Confidentiality Orders, ABA's Antitrust Magazine (Fall 2008)
  • Better Discovery Through Document Management, ABA's Trial Practice (2008)
  • Making Your Case With Graphics: An Interview, ABA's Antitrust Magazine (Summer 2008)
  • The Perils of Electronic Filing and Transmission of Documents, ABA's Antitrust Magazine (Spring 2008)
  • Experts Only: Out of the Hot Tub and into the Joint Conference, ABA's Antitrust Magazine (Fall 2007)
  • Better Discovery Through Document Management, ABA’s Litigation Magazine (Summer 2005)
  • Experts in the Tub, ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Summer 2007)
  • Court-Appointed Independent Experts: A Litigator’s Critique, ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Spring 2007)
  • Trying Antitrust Cases Before Generalist Judges, ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Fall 2006)
  • Using Documents in Depositions, ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Summer 2006)
  • Exploring Effective Trial Themes in Antitrust Cases, ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Spring 2006)
  • Cross-Examining an Expert Economist at Trial, ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Fall 2005)
  • Expanded Voir Dire: A Case Study, ABA’s Antitrust Magazine (Summer 2005)
  • Chapter Author, How I Pray (Ballantine Books, 1994)

Honors

  • Appears among the best antitrust lawyers in Massachusetts in CHAMBERS USA: AMERICA'S LEADING LAWYERS FOR BUSINESS 2004-2013 Guides, published by the London-based Chambers & Partners Publishing 
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 2005-2013 
  • Antitrust Lawyer of the Year in Massachusetts, 2011 Corporate International Global Awards 
  • Leading Antitrust Lawyer, Global Competition Review, 2011-2012  
  • Recognized by her peers as a Massachusetts “Super Lawyer” for Business Litigation, 2004-2013, and as one of the 50 top women lawyers in Massachusetts and New England, 2005-2013 
  • Named in the Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 1999, recognizing her as one of the outstanding young business leaders in Boston

Involvement

  • Appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court to serve as a member of the IOLTA Committee, 2004 - 2012; Elected Chair, 2008 
  • Appointed by the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts to serve as Chair of the Attorney Advisory Committee charged with assisting the Court in revising and updating its local rules for civil cases, 2009-present 
  • American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, 2009-2013, appointed Chair, 2012; Board of Editors of ANTITRUST MAGAZINE, Member; various other leadership positions in the Antitrust and Litigation Sections of ABA 
  • Boston Bar Association, Executive Committee and Council, 1999-2002; Litigation Section, Past Chair 
  • Serves on the board of directors of several nonprofit corporations, including the Volunteer Lawyers Project 
  • LeadBoston Community, Past President 
  • Boston Club (executive women's club), Past Corporate Secretary
  • “SEC Enforcement Developments,” IA Watch's 12th Annual IA Compliance Fall Conference (September 24, 2012)
  • “Compliance Issues for the Newly Registered Investment Advisor,” IA Watch's IA Compliance Best Practices Summit (March 15-16, 2012)  
  • “The Supreme Judicial Court’s Recent Amendment to Mass. R. Civ. P. 23,” Boston Bar Association (December 19, 2011) 
  • “Class Certification in Antitrust Cases: The Increasing Role of Economic Analysis,” Boston Bar Association (October 17, 2011)
  • “How Good (or Bad) is Shady Grove for Class Action Practioners?,”  Boston Bar Association (November 15, 2010)  
  • “The New Role of the SEC in PCAOB Oversight. Free Enterprise Fund v. PCAOB: An Analysis of What Comes Next,” PCAOB Webinar (July 2010)
  • “Latest U.S. Developments Impacting Audit Committees,” 10th Best Practices for Audit Committee Effectiveness (April 12, 2010)
  • "International Financial Reporting Standards: An Examination of the SEC's Proposed Conversion Roadmap" (January 2009)
  • “An Interview with the Head of Enforcement for the PCAOB” (April 2008)
  • Faculty Member, Workshop at MIT's Sloan School on Subprime Crisis (March 2008 and December 2008)
  • “Litigating and Trying an Accountants’ Liability Case,” ALI/ABA Conference on Accountants’ Liability (May 3, 2007)
  • “Antitrust - Looking for the Bright Lines,” GC New England Antitrust Roundtable Series 2006, Boston (October 25, 2006)
  • “Directors and Officers Liability,” Women Corporate Directors Dinner, Boston (October 3, 2006)
  • “Avoiding Antitrust Violations in Competitor Collaborations,” Legal Publications Group of Strafford Publications Inc. Program (July 2006, November 2006, and October 2007)
  • “Increasing Accountability for Nonprofit Boards - from a Corporate Perspective,” Boston Club Event (January 2006)
  • “Serving on a Non-Profit Board: What Are Your Duties,” Boston Bar Association Program (April 2006)  
  • “Hot Topics in Litigation Ethics” - A Practical Guide To Knotty Litigation Issues, 2004 ABA Corporate Counsel Program
  • “A Year in the Life of a High Tech Standards Setting Organization,” ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting, Washington, DC (April 24-26, 2002)
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Bar Admissions

  • Massachusetts

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals First Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts