Heather Speers

Heather’s practice focuses on securities litigation, corporate governance and shareholder-related litigation, including the defense of securities class actions, derivative suits and M&A litigation. She represents clients in connection with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations, as well as internal corporate investigations. Heather has worked with clients in a variety of industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, financial technology, software, communications, gaming and apparel.

Some of Heather’s recent matters include representing:

• Illumina and several current and former officers and directors in parallel securities class actions, arising from Illumina’s acquisition of GRAIL, in the US District Court for the Southern District of California and the Superior Court of California for the County of San Mateo
• Dexcom and several current and former officers and directors in a securities class action and several tagalong derivative suits in the Southern District of California
• FIGS and several current and former officers and directors in a securities class action in the US District Court for the Central District of California, as well as tagalong derivative actions in the US District Court for the District of Delaware and the Delaware Court of Chancery
• Acadia and several officers in a securities class action in the Southern District of California arising from US Food and Drug Administration denial of a supplemental new drug application
• Beyond (f/k/a Overstock.com) and several officers in a securities class action in the US District Court for the District of Utah brought by a short seller plaintiff accusing the company of market manipulation for purportedly engineering a short squeeze
• Activision Blizzard and several officers in a securities class action in the Central District of California arising from Activision’s partnership with video game developer Bungie

While attending the University of San Diego School of Law, Heather interned at the SEC’s Division of Enforcement in Washington, DC, and worked as a judicial extern to Southern District of California Judge M. James Lorenz. She was also a member of the San Diego Law Review and the school’s William C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot team.

Before law school, Heather worked as an auditor, conducting audits and reviews of financial statements and internal controls for public and private company clients.

Publications:

• Co-author, “10th Circuit Rejects Scheme Liability Claim, Finds Presumption of Reliance Rebutted on the Pleadings – A Significant Cooley Win,” Cooley Securities Litigation + Enforcement blog, November 13, 2024

• Co-author, “Second Circuit Confirms That Corrective Disclosure Mismatch May Preclude Class Certification,” Cooley Securities Litigation + Enforcement blog, September 11, 2023
• Co-author, “Cooley Secures Dismissal of Securities Class Action for Overstock,” Cooley Securities Litigation + Enforcement blog, October 5, 2021