Patricia J. Villareal (Pat)

Partner

Pat Villareal's practice focuses on representing public companies and their directors and officers facing securities and corporate governance litigation, as well as advising boards of directors and board committees in matters such as internal investigations and corporate governance issues. She has extensive experience in director and officer indemnification and insurance issues and has represented public companies and private equity clients in response to claims arising from mergers and acquisitions.

Pat has been highly successful in winning securities cases through motions to dismiss under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, in motions for summary judgment, and in Daubert motions. She recently won a motion to dismiss a consolidated securities class action complaint on behalf of Dell and certain of its current and former directors and its independent auditor on the grounds that the plaintiff failed to adequately plead scienter or loss causation. In re Dell Inc. Sec. Litig., No. A-06-CA-726-SS (W.D. Tex.), 591 F. Supp. 2d 877 (2008).

Her other clients include Novatel Wireless, Bell Microproducts, Electronic Data Systems, Michaels Stores, SOURCECORP, Cintas Corporation, ACI Worldwide, Dana Corporation, Nabors Industries, Morgan Stanley, and UICI.

Pat is Partner-in-Charge of the Dallas Office. Recently, she headed the preparation of a letter commenting on the June 5, 2008 Exposure Draft of a Proposed Statement of Financial Accounting Standards that would replace and expand FAS 5's disclosure requirements for loss contingencies. She regularly lectures on corporate governance and securities-related issues.