Heather Benzmiller Sultanian

HEATHER BENZMILLER SULTANIAN has handled cases at all stages of litigation, from pre-complaint investigation to trial and appeal. Her practice focuses on securities and shareholder litigation, data breach class actions, and complex business disputes, and she has represented clients from Fortune 50 corporations to emerging companies in matters involving securities laws and regulations, breach of contract, business torts, consumer protection statutes, and related claims.

Heather has been a member of two teams named as runners up for “Litigator of the Week” by The American Lawyer in recent years, including for a first-of-its kind dismissal of a challenge to a SPAC transaction under the “entire fairness” doctrine in the Delaware Chancery Court and for a full trial victory in post-transaction litigation alleging fraud and breach of contract in the Delaware Superior Court. She is admitted to the bars of Illinois and California, and has successfully defended clients in their most complex and high-stakes disputes in arbitrations and courts across the country.

Prior to joining the firm, Heather clerked for the Honorable Karen Nelson Moore of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Heather graduated from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where she served as articles editor on the Northwestern University Law Review. Heather is also an active member of SidleyWomen and a member of the Field Associates, an organization of young professionals committed to supporting the mission of the Field Museum.

Heather regularly publishes on trending issues in shareholder-related litigation and Delaware law, including on the firm’s Enhanced Scrutiny blog.

Heather’s recent representative matters include:

Securities and Shareholder Litigation

• Representation of a Fortune 50 healthcare, pharmacy, and retail company in a $2 billion federal securities class action and related derivative lawsuit in the Northern District of Illinois, relating to missed financial projections for a multi-billion dollar international merger, resulting in a partial victory on summary judgment followed by a favorable settlement.
• Representation of a global manufacturer of electrical and infrastructure products in a federal securities class action and related derivative lawsuit in the Northern District of Illinois, relating to alleged anticompetitive conduct.
• Representation of the former CEO of an energy company in securities litigation in the Northern District of Illinois.
• Representation of the former CFO of an industrial and specialty chemical products company in securities litigation in the District of Delaware and a related derivative lawsuit in the Delaware Chancery Court.
• Representation of a leading accounting firm in securities litigation in the Southern District of New York, resulting in early dismissal of all claims.
• Representation of a SPAC and its board of directors against breach of fiduciary duty claims relating to a merger with an electric vehicle company in Delaware Chancery Court and on appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court, resulting in a first-of-its-kind dismissal of litigation challenging SPAC transactions under the “entire fairness” doctrine and affirmance by the Delaware Supreme Court.
• Representation of a SPAC and its board of directors against breach of fiduciary duty claims relating to a merger with a property technology company in Delaware Chancery Court, resulting in an early favorable settlement.

Data Breach Litigation

• Representation of a prominent healthcare provider in a putative class action arising from a data breach of a third-party vendor in a multidistrict litigation pending in the District of New Jersey.
• Representation of an insurance company in a putative class action arising from a data breach of software utilized by a third-party vendor in a multidistrict litigation pending in the District of Massachusetts.

Additional Trials and Appeals

• Representation of a major sports and leisure company in a three-week bench trial regarding breach of contract and fraud claims arising from the sale of a subsidiary in Delaware Superior Court, resulting in partial victory on summary judgment and a full victory after trial.
• Representation of a global industrial company in an appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court regarding liability for cleanup of environmental contamination, resulting in a favorable reversal of the trial court’s allocation of liability.
• Representation of a financial services company in an appeal to the First Circuit, resulting in affirmance of the denial of class certification.
• Representation of an energy company in a five-day bankruptcy trial, resulting in a favorable order confirming the client’s proposed plan of reorganization.

Heather maintains an active pro bono practice. Among other matters, she has represented a veteran in his appeal of a denial of benefits for service-related disabilities, an inmate who challenged the constitutionality of a state’s execution procedure, and inmates who have sought compassionate early release due to serious illnesses. In 2025, Heather was recognized by the judges of the Northern District of Illinois with an award for “Excellence in Pro Bono Service” for her representation of an inmate who challenged the constitutionality of the state’s provision of care for his debilitating medical conditions.