A partner in the Litigation Department, Lina Dagnew is a trial lawyer who represents domestic and international clients in high-stakes disputes involving complex commercial litigation, sensitive internal investigations, white collar defense, employment, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters. Dagnew regularly advises and represents financial institutions across a spectrum of matters, and has previously served as in-house counsel at one of the largest financial institutions. Dagnew also routinely represents companies and board members in M&A-related litigation in state and federal courts. Dagnew has jury trial experience at all levels and is well versed in all stages of critical litigation.
Dagnew’s representative matters include:
- Citigroup in multiple complex commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts on variable rate debt obligations, including an antitrust class action and state-specific false claims act cases;
- the New York State Unified Court System in litigations in state and federal courts regarding the COVID-19 vaccine mandates for employees, nearly all of which have been successfully dismissed;
- General Atlantic, L.P. and individual defendants in a post-merger litigation in state and federal court;
- the New York City Transit Authority in a breach of contract litigation in federal court;
- the founder and former CEO of Premium Point Investments, a multibillion-dollar hedge fund, in a criminal securities fraud trial in the Southern District of New York involving allegations of mismarking; and
- AbbVie in a bellwether trial in Illinois state court on testosterone replacement therapy products, obtaining a complete defense verdict.
Dagnew also maintains an active pro bono practice and has successfully represented clients in civil and criminal matters in state and federal courts as well as administrative proceedings. She serves on the board of the Urban Justice Center, an organization that incubates and accelerates early-stage social justice organizations. She is also a contributing author to the Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Review, U.S. Chapter. During law school, Dagnew was a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, providing direct legal representation to vulnerable clients across legal issues.
