Abena Mainoo has conducted high-stakes investigations involving a range of misconduct (including financial crimes and environmental law violations) and counseled clients in investigations by the authorities.

Abena has litigated high-profile torts, securities, and consumer protection cases. She has experience with federal court, state court, bankruptcy court, and administrative hearings and has argued pre-trial, dispositive, and discovery motions.

Abena joined the firm in 2009 and became a partner in 2018.

Notable Experiences

  • Bosch in investigations and follow-on putative class actions and individual actions in multiple U.S. federal and state courts relating to diesel emissions, including winning summary judgment motions terminating putative class actions asserting civil RICO and state law consumer protection claims in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

  • BNP Paribas and HSBC banks in winning the dismissal of civil RICO and state law claims for fraudulent transfer and tortious interference in follow-on litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in connection with U.S. sanctions violations.

  • Citigroup in parallel investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and bank regulators in the U.S. and Asia involving financial benchmarks, including foreign exchange and interbank offered rates, and related compliance reviews.

  • Non-U.S. financial institution in internal investigation of whistleblower complaint alleging tax fraud and related investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Internal Revenue Service.

  • Non-U.S. financial institution in investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and Office of Foreign Assets Control of potential violations of U.S. sanctions.

  • Non-U.S. financial institution in internal investigation of whistleblower complaint alleging regulatory violations and retaliation.

  • Bank of America in investigation by the New York Attorney General into representations relating to the purchase, securitization, and underwriting of residential mortgage-backed securities.

  • Non-U.S. energy company in investigation by the New York Attorney General into alleged price-gouging.

  • Allergan and certain executives in winning summary judgment motion terminating securities fraud class action concerning silicone-gel breast implants in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

  • Residential mortgage servicer Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. and certain of its current and former officers and directors in winning dismissal of putative securities fraud class action concerning the impact of interest rates on its business in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

  • Non-U.S. company in winning dismissal of civil RICO claims in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York based on forum non conveniens and lack of personal jurisdiction.

  • Commercial real estate company in defeating motion to dismiss counterclaim in dispute over common charges and obtaining favorable settlement providing for full payment of outstanding common charges, including interest and attorney’s fees.

  • Brazilian energy company Petrobras and individual officers and directors in follow-on securities class action and multiple individual actions in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in connection with Brazil’s Operation Car Wash anti-corruption investigation.

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Selected Activities

  • Federal Bar Council
  • Merit Selection Panel for Magistrate Judges for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Publications

Events