Robbins Geller Announces Class of New Partners

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is pleased to announce that the following attorneys have been elected partners in the Firm, effective January 1, 2022: Michael Albert; Lea Malani Bays; Sheri Coverman; Desiree Cummings; William Geddish; and Kevin Lavelle.

The Firm is proud to welcome these rising stars to the partnership, each of whom has demonstrated a tireless commitment to our clients.

“We’re so proud of this group. They have an immense breadth and depth of personal and professional experience. They share something that’s deep in our Firm’s DNA – they are relentlessly committed to fighting for our clients. They know that this work is about the impact we can have together with our clients. When you put that motivation together with immense talent, it’s an extraordinary combination,” said partner Darren Robbins.

Partner Paul Geller commended the new partner class, “This class reflects the best of us and the legal community, and we’re so proud to see them advancing to be leaders in this Firm.”

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world's leading litigation firms, representing plaintiffs in securities fraud, antitrust, corporate takeover, consumer fraud and privacy, multi-district litigation, and shareholder derivative cases. With 200 lawyers in 9 offices, Robbins Geller has obtained many of the largest securities, antitrust, and consumer class action recoveries in history. Since 2015, the Firm has recovered $7.7 billion for investors and consumers harmed by corporate abuse. The Firm secured the largest-ever securities fraud class action settlement — $7.2 billion — in In re Enron Corp. Securities Litigation.

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Michael Albert is based in the Firm’s San Diego office, where his practice focuses on complex securities litigation. In addition to his work on the Lead Plaintiff Advisory Team, Michael is part of the Firm’s SPAC Task Force, prosecuting fraud on behalf of investors in connection with their investments in special purpose acquisition companies. Michael has been a member of litigation teams that have successfully recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors in securities class actions, including: NECA-IBEW Health & Welfare Fund v. Goldman Sachs & Co. ($272 million recovery); City of Pontiac General Employees’ Retirement System v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ($160 million recovery); and In re LendingClub Securities Litigation ($125 million recovery). Michael earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia Law School, where he was a Managing Board Member of the Virginia Tax Review.

Lea Malani Bays is counsel to the Firm’s e-discovery team, providing counsel to the Firm’s multi-disciplinary e-discovery team of attorneys, forensic analysts, and database professionals. Lea was a member of the litigation team that earned the approval of a $131 million settlement in Bennett v. Sprint Nextel Corp. Lea earned her Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School, where she graduated magna cum laude and served as Executive Editor of the New York Law School Law Review.

Sheri Coverman is based in the Firm’s Boca Raton office, where her practice focuses on complex class actions, including securities, corporate governance, and consumer fraud litigation. Sheri advises public and multi-employer pension funds on issues related to corporate fraud in U.S. securities markets. Sheri earned her Juris Doctor degree from University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Desiree Cummings is based in the Firm’s Manhattan office, where her practice focuses on complex securities litigation, consumer and privacy litigation, and breach of fiduciary duties. Desiree serves as counsel in numerous securities fraud class actions and several breach of fiduciary duty actions. Before joining the Firm, Desiree was an Assistant Attorney General with the New York State Office of the Attorney General’s Investor Protection Bureau. Desiree was awarded the Louis J. Lefkowitz Award for Exceptional Service for her work prosecuting securities fraud as part of a federal and state Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group. Desiree earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School.

William Geddish is based in the Firm’s Melville office, where his practice focuses on complex securities litigation. Willie has played a significant role as a member of the litigation teams that successfully prosecuted: In re Barrick Gold Securities Litigation ($140 million recovery); Landmen Partners Inc. v. The Blackstone Group L.P. ($85 million recovery); City of Austin Police Retirement System v. Kinross Gold Corp. ($33 million recovery); and City of Roseville Employees’ Retirement System v. EnergySolutions, Inc. ($26 million recovery). Willie earned his Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University School of Law, graduating magna cum laude and serving as Alumni Affairs Editor of the Hofstra Law Review.

Kevin Lavelle is based in the Firm’s San Diego office, where his practice focuses on complex securities litigation. Kevin served on the litigation team that obtained the largest securities class action recovery ever in Tennessee — $215 million — in Schuh v. HCA Holdings, Inc. Kevin earned his Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School, graduating cum laude and interning with New York City Department of Investigation, Kings County District Attorney’s Office, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.