ANGELA ZAMBRANO is a co-leader of the firmwide Commercial Litigation and Disputes practice and co-chair of the firm’s Committee on Retention and Promotion of Women. 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. The American Lawyer recently named her as the “Litigator of the Week” based on a complete victory in a US$100 million “earn-out” proceeding. Angela is known as being an aggressive litigator with excellent courtroom skills, including obtaining and defending against temporary restraining orders. She 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. Angela 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 frequently represents private equity firms in their key litigation matters, including in earn-out disputes, purchase price adjustments, indemnification disputes, investigations, and arbitration. She also regularly represents such clients in employment-related disputes, including trade secret disputes, covenants not to compete, and class action employment claims.
Angela has received a variety of awards for her litigation skills. She is ranked by Chambers USA in Texas – Commercial Litigation. 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 from 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 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 has also served as an adjunct professor of law teaching on pretrial procedure at SMU Dedman School of Law. In 2017, she was recognized by SMU Dedman School of Law as an Emerging Leader and also received the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award from SMU Women in Law.
Angela’s recent representations include:
- Represented 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);
- Represented a retail client in multiple wage-and-hour collective actions in which Sidley successfully won contested transfer and motion to compel arbitration;
- Represented a publicly traded company in class action litigation related to location services in which Sidley successfully moved to dismiss and compel arbitration;
- 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;
- Represented an energy company in state court matter as lead counsel and successfully obtained a summary judgment of all claims against client;
- Represented an energy company in arbitration relating to indemnification claims;
- Currently representing a publicly traded company in an alleged whistleblower claim;
- Currently representing a client relating to inquiries from USDA and TDA;
- Represented a publicly traded building products company in an earn-out proceeding in which Sidley prevailed on all claims;
- Represented a mortgage company in class action relating to the purchase of assets from the government;
- Represented a publicly traded building products company in a group of securities class actions and derivative actions;
- Advised 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;
- Represented 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 an energy company in a 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.