Dallas Law Firm, Farrow-Gillespie & Heath LLP

Mary L. O'ConnorPartner

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214-361-5600 phone

Mary L. O’Connor’s practice focuses on representing public companies and their officers and directors in commercial litigation and arbitration, securities litigation, internal investigations, and regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings.

During the course of her career, Mary has been named to the list of Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine, and to the list of Texas Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters service) by Texas Monthly Magazine.

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration
Securities Litigation and Enforcement
Internal Investigations

Education

J.D., Stanford Law School, 1983
B.A., Bryn Mawr College, summa cum laude (political science), 1979

Experience Overview

Ms. O’Connor’s recent engagements include representing —

a landlord in obtaining a 7-figure jury verdict for breach of a commercial lease agreement and successfully defending that verdict on appeal;
a supplier of frac sand in a suit for payment on a 7-figure account;
an Ohio-based manufacturing company in a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation of fraudulent accounting practices by the vice president for finance of one of its subsidiaries
a publicly-traded insurance holding company and its board of directors in derivative litigation arising from the proposed acquisition of the company by a major professional liability insurance company
a leading provider of nutritional supplements in a shareholder class action, shareholder derivative and Texas attorney general litigation related to marketing practices of the company’s independent sales associates

Internal Investigation Experience

Investigated off-the-books transactions by employees at field locations of publicly-held oil and gas company
Investigated whistleblower allegations by an employee of a publicly-held company
Investigated potential insider trading issues by employees of publicly-held companies in oil and gas and other industries
Investigated related party transactions involving an employee of a publicly-held oil and gas company
Investigated anonymous whistleblower allegations involving contract execution, accounting practices, and executive perquisites for a publicly-held software and services company
Investigated accounting and internal control issues at multiple locations of a publicly-held manufacturing and services company

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
U.S. Court of Appeals, 5^th Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
All Texas courts

Publications & Presentations

SEC’s Authority to Interpret the Securities Laws Comes Under Fire in Criminal Enforcement
“Chinks in the Enforcement Armor: Recent Decisions Erode SEC’s Favored Remedies” by Mary L. O’Connor, Patrick G. O’Brien
“The Conduct of Independent Investigations – and the General Counsel’s Role”
“Arbitration Nuances” by Mary L. O’Connor, Scott Williams

Mary L. O'ConnorPartner

Farrow-Gillespie & Heath LLP