Partner

Angela C. Zambrano

Commercial Litigation and Disputes
Energy
Insurance
Labor, Employment and Immigration

angela.zambrano@sidley.com

Dallas +1 214 981 3405

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ANGELA ZAMBRANO is a co-leader of the firmwide Commercial Litigation and Disputes practice and member of the firm’s COVID-19 Task Force. She represents companies and boards of directors in commercial litigation and internal investigations, including class actions and multi-jurisdictional disputes. Angela has served as trial counsel in cases before numerous federal and state courts around the country and in multiple evidentiary hearings in arbitration proceedings. Angela regularly litigates cases involving allegations of fraud, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, bad faith and breach of fiduciary duty, as well as class action consumer, shareholder, and employment claims, and business torts for companies in a wide variety of industries, including telecommunications, real estate, private equity, energy, insurance, healthcare, transportation, data storage, media and entertainment, and agriculture. The American Lawyer recently named her as the Litigator of the Week based on a complete victory in a $100 million “earn out” proceeding. She is also ranked by Chambers USA in Texas Commercial Litigation.

Angela regularly litigates cases involving allegations of fraud, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, bad faith and breach of fiduciary duty, as well as class action consumer, shareholder, and employment claims, and business torts for companies in a wide variety of industries, including telecommunications, real estate, private equity, energy, insurance, healthcare, transportation, data storage, media and entertainment, and agriculture. Angela frequently represents private equity firms in their key litigation matters, including in earn-out disputes, purchase price adjustments, indemnification disputes, investigations, and arbitration. Angela also regularly represents such clients in employment-related disputes, including trade secret disputes, covenants not to compete and class action employment claims.

Angela is known as being an aggressive litigator with excellent courtroom skills, including obtaining and defending against temporary restraining orders. Angela is also a trusted business counselor and often provides pre-litigation advice related to contract and employment issues for privately held and publicly traded companies. She has extensive experience in conducting internal investigations, including in accounting, data breach, whistleblower, and employment related matters. In addition, she has extensive experience in arbitration (including compelling arbitration) and bankruptcy-related litigation including trying multiple bankruptcy-related matters.

Angela has served as an adjunct professor of law teaching on pretrial procedure at SMU Dedman School of Law. She is ranked by Chambers USA in Texas Commercial Litigation. Angela has also received a variety of awards for her litigation skills. She was recently recognized in “Commercial Litigation” in the 2016–2020 editions of The Best Lawyers in America and selected as one of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” by D Magazine 2018–2020. Angela served as President of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association in 2016 and received the Outstanding Director Award in 2019. Since 2007, she has been recognized annually by Texas Super Lawyers as a leading lawyer in the area of Business Litigation. In 2017, she was recognized by SMU Dedman School of Law as an Emerging Leader. She also received the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award from SMU Women in Law. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, she was listed as a “Local Litigation” star in Texas by Benchmark Litigation and recognized in Who’s Who Legal: Litigation.

Angela’s recent representations include:

Currently representing a chemical manufacturing company in trade secret litigation, including successfully obtaining preliminary injunctive relief and temporary restraining order;
Currently representing a publicly traded company in action against the federal trade commission (FTC);
Currently representing a retail client in multiple wage and hour collective actions;
Currently representing a publicly traded company in class action litigation related to location services;
Recently represented a publicly traded company as lead trial counsel in a final evidentiary hearing of an earn-out arbitration and obtained a complete victory for her client, including a multimillion dollar counterclaim award;
Recently represented an energy company in state court matter as lead counsel and successfully obtained a summary judgment of all claims against client;
Currently representing an energy company in arbitration relating to indemnification claims;
Currently representing a publicly traded company in an alleged whistleblowing claim;
Currently representing a client relating to orders from USDA and TDA;
Currently representing a publicly traded building products company in an earn out proceeding;
Recently represented a mortgage company in class action relating to the purchase of assets from the government;
Currently representing a publicly traded building products company in a group of securities class actions and derivative actions;
Currently advising on data breach and privacy-related investigations and related litigation;
Represented a private equity client in the arbitration of an earn out dispute relating to a healthcare company in which she obtained a complete victory for her client;
Represented a mortgage company in multiple misappropriation of trade secrets and employee-related disputes, including successfully compelling a dispute to arbitration;
Successfully represented an energy company, healthcare companies, and a telecommunications company in multiple FLSA and wage payment matters;
Represented a private equity client in an arbitration where she obtained several early favorable rulings and ultimately a favorable settlement in which the client was able to recoup its entire investment;
Represented several insurance-related entities in an action involving allegations of fraud and breach of contract in which she obtained a dismissal with prejudice for all of her clients;
Representation of a pharmaceutical company in an arbitration with its vendor in which she obtained interim measures from the arbitrator shortly after the arbitrator was appointed, leading to a favorable settlement for her client;
Successfully represented an entertainment company in connection with class action consumer disputes related to the company’s rewards program and gift cards;
Represented energy company in trespass dispute where she successfully defeated plea to the jurisdiction and motion for protection; and
Represented a telecommunications company in complex dispute related to transport charges in federal court.

Experience

A sampling of Angela’s representative experience prior to joining Sidley includes:

Phyllis Schultz v. Ability Insurance Company, et al.; Hull, et al. v. Ability Insurance Company — National coordinating counsel for defendants in multiple cases in U.S. federal courts in Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, and Washington State brought by long-term care policyholders. Hired post-trial, she obtained a significant reduction in the damages verdict awarded in favor of a long-term care policyholder in Montana federal court;
American Airlines Inc. v. Sabre Inc., et al.; American Airlines Inc. v. Travelport Ltd., et al. — Representation of plaintiff in antitrust litigation in Texas state and federal court alleging anticompetitive conduct by leading providers of global distribution systems;
General Motors — Representation of Debtor in the historic, multinational automotive restructuring. Responsible for expunction or resolution of all class action claims against Debtor. Also formed and administered mediation program for Debtor whereby more than $11 billion in claims have been resolved;
Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. — Representation of Trump Entertainment Resorts and certain of its subsidiaries (one of the largest casino operators/owners in Atlantic City, New Jersey) in the reorganization of their business under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The reorganization included a $225 million equity infusion by certain creditors, the restructuring of the company’s first lien credit facility through a $125 million cash payment and the issuance of new first lien term notes, the cancellation of $1.25 billion of second lien debt and all existing publicly held common stock, and the execution of a new trademark agreement with Donald J. Trump in exchange for new common stock and warrants. The company’s chapter 11 plan became effective after a hotly contested, nine-day confirmation hearing in which Angela served as trial counsel;
Hawkeye Renewable — Representation of Debtors in connection with reorganization case, including the trial of the objection of the second lien lender group. Angela served as trial counsel at the confirmation;
SemGroup, L.P. — Representation of Debtors in connection with internal investigation into cause of Debtors’ trading losses and in connection with various governmental investigations;
HealthMarkets, Inc. — Representation of HealthMarkets, Inc. and its subsidiaries in consumer fraud action filed by Attorney General of Massachusetts;
Enron Power Marketing, Inc. v. Virginia Electric and Power Co., d/b/a Dominion Virginia Power — Representation of Enron in an adversary proceeding seeking recovery for breach of energy contract;
Highland Crusader Offshore Partners, L.P., et al. v. Motient Corporation — Representation of defendant in state court lawsuit seeking rescission of stock purchase;
Representation of Special Committee of the Board of Directors of a publicly traded retail company investigating historical stock option granting practices;
UICI, The MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company, and Mid-West Life Insurance Company of Tennessee — National coordination counsel for multidistrict litigation case In re UICI “Association Group” Insurance Litigation, Docket No. 1578 (Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, D.C.) and over 30 individual and class action cases in multiple states, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas;
In re UICI Sec. Litig. (N.D. Tex.) — Counsel for HealthMarkets, Inc. (f/k/a UICI) and former officers and directors in federal shareholder class action, asserting claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;
Richard Schappel v. UICI, et al. — Counsel for the corporate defendant, UICI, in Texas state court shareholders’ derivative case. Following an investigation by independent counsel, Plaintiff’s request for attorneys’ fees was tried to the court in a two-day bench trial. The court awarded Plaintiff a fraction of the requested fee amount after the trial. Angela served as trial counsel in the matter;
Stoneville Pedigreed Seed Company v. House of Agriculture Spirou A.E.B.E. — Counsel in arbitration before the American Arbitration Association, Geneva, Switzerland concerning termination of Greek distributorship agreement, including defense of opponent’s $1.25 billion counterclaim. Following two evidentiary hearings and argument, Tribunal ruled that the client had properly terminated the agreement. Angela served as trial counsel at the hearings;
In re Footstar, Inc., et al. — Counsel in bankruptcy litigation against Kmart, Inc.;
Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. v. Swan Magnetics, Inc., et al. — Counsel for Mitsumi in a misappropriation of trade secrets case. Case settled favorably for Mitsumi after Plaintiff’s case was presented at trial;
American Credit Educators LLC and American Fair Credit Association, Inc. v. United Credit National Bank, et al.; UICI, et al. v. Phillip A. Gray, et al.; UICI, et al. v. Dennis M. Weseloh; William K. Lester, on Behalf of United Credit National Bank v. John E. Allen, et al. — Counsel for UICI in federal and state court litigation involving its sub-prime credit card business. Obtained various favorable pre-trial rulings and settlement;
Silver v. UICI, et al. — Counsel for defendant in federal class action securities action;
IPOC International Growth Fund, Ltd. v. TMI, et al. — Worked with local counsel in the British Virgin Islands to successfully dissolve Mareva injunction.

Advisory Board Member and Former President, Dallas Women Lawyers Association
Former Adjunct Professor, SMU Dedman School of Law
Board Member, Texas Appleseed
Leadership Dallas (2019 Class)
Institute for Energy Law, Advisory Board
American Bar Association
Texas Bar Association
New York Bar Association
National Association of Women Lawyers

Credentials

Admissions & Certifications

U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
U.S. District Court, E.D. of Texas
U.S. District Court, W.D. of Texas
U.S. District Court, N.D. of Texas
New York
Texas

Angela C. Zambrano

Credentials

Admissions & Certifications

Education

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