Shannon Eagan

Shannon represents corporations and individuals in complex disputes and litigation, securities class actions and breach of fiduciary duty suits, internal corporate investigations, and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations and actions. Her clients have included life sciences and technology companies, directors and officers of corporations, and venture capital firms. Shannon serves as both partner in charge and head of the business litigation practice for Cooley’s Palo Alto office.

Shannon successfully defended a drug development company and its officers and directors in a victory before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that validated the way life sciences companies disclose clinical data to the public. She also served on the trial team for the first defendant to obtain an acquittal in a stock options backdating prosecution. In addition, Shannon has successfully defended many public companies against shareholder litigation and has handled a wide variety of other complex litigation matters, including securities litigation, high-stakes licensing disputes, commercial contract litigation, corporate governance disputes and merger litigation.

Shannon’s recent representative matters include:

• Representing Eventbrite in parallel securities class action litigation brought in state and federal court related to its initial public offering
• Successfully defending Enovix in merger litigation and defeating a related attorneys’ fees motion
• Representing Adamas Pharmaceuticals and its officers and directors in a securities class action related to a follow-on offering and in merger litigation related to its acquisition by Supernus
• Leading several investigations for private and public companies and boards into allegations of illegal hiring practices, fraud, racial and sexual harassment, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and accounting fraud, in addition to working with various stakeholders to develop remediation plans and providing counsel on necessary public relations strategy and whether to self-report to the government
• Defending Gilead in trial and appellate court from shareholder inspection under California and Delaware law
• Representing the CEO of a private unicorn company in SEC and Department of Justice investigations, including negotiating an SEC settlement and defending the CEO in securities and consumer class actions
• Defending a commercial real estate company in a trademark dispute that resulted in successful settlement on the eve of trial
• Successfully representing ecommerce company Art.com in a lawsuit brought by its founders to enjoin a transaction with Walmart.com
• Defending Medivation in a high-profile licensing dispute with the Regents of the University of California related to a faculty invention
• Representing eBay in its successful action against Craigslist and its directors for breach of fiduciary duties, in addition to representing eBay in a related suit brought by Craigslist alleging unfair competition, fraud and antitrust violations
• Defending Rigel Pharmaceuticals in a securities litigation lawsuit, resulting in a major victory for the client and an important Ninth Circuit decision with significant implications for all publicly traded life sciences companies
• Representing Annie’s Homegrown and its board in connection with a securities litigation lawsuit and merger-related litigation
• Representing several life sciences companies in connection with licensing disputes and claims against contract research organizations
• Advising several companies and individuals in connection with internal and SEC investigations into their accounting practices, the FCPA and internal controls
• Advising and representing public companies and their boards in litigation brought by shareholders challenging mergers and alleging breaches of fiduciary duty
• Advising boards on fiduciary duties and public disclosures

Shannon was previously a member of the Stanford Law Review and served as a law clerk for Judge Sarah Vance of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 2000 to 2001. Super Lawyers has repeatedly named Shannon a Northern California Rising Star, and she received YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley’s Tribute to Women Award. Shannon also was a recipient of Stanford University’s Award of Merit, served as co-chair of the Stanford Law Fund, and was a member of the Board of Visitors for Stanford School of Law and the Stanford Law School Women’s Initiative.