Adrienne FerraroMueller

Partner

Cleveland + 1.216.586.7370

Adrienne Ferraro Mueller has amassed a broad range of experience defending companies and their officers and directors in securities and shareholder litigation. She has appeared in federal and state courts throughout the country, with notable success in the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Delaware Supreme Court.

Adrienne advises boards, committees, and senior management in connection with matters of corporate governance, complaints brought on behalf of employee benefits plans, and actions involving the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Secretary of Labor. She frequently collaborates in the M&A space, aggressively defending against merger-related challenges threatening major transactions and practically addressing post-closing disputes. She also has conducted wide-ranging internal investigations arising out of allegations of insider trading, accounting misconduct, harassment, and noncompliance with DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies.

Adrienne is the administrative partner for the Cleveland Office, a role she assumed in 2021 after nearly five years as the office's hiring partner. She is a member of the office's Diversity Inclusion and Advancement (DIA) Committee and the Firmwide Associate Training Committee. Outside of the Firm, Adrienne is a member of the board of directors of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. She previously served as a member of the Family Services Committee of The Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland as well as director and chair of the governance committee of Blessing House, a children's crisis care center. She is a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2022.

Experience

  • GrafTech and its senior leaders defend securities class action alleging misstatements relating to plant shutdown in MexicoJones Day is defending GrafTech and its senior leaders in a securities class action alleging misstatements about the temporary shutdown of a key manufacturing facility in Mexico.
  • U.S. Steel directors win dismissal with prejudice of Section 14(a) claimsJones Day successfully defended current and former directors and officers of the United States Steel Corporation in a shareholder derivative lawsuit filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
  • Directors and officers of Fortune 50 telecommunications company defend shareholder derivative claims relating to legacy lead-sheathed telephone cablesJones Day is defending directors and officers of a Fortune 50 telecommunications company against shareholder derivative claims alleging failure to provide adequate oversight of risks relating to the telephone industry's historic use of lead-sheathed cables.
  • Fortune 50 telecommunications company defends securities class action related to lead-sheathed telephone cablesJones Day is defending a Fortune 50 telecommunications company and its senior leaders in a securities class action that was filed after The Wall Street Journal published a series of articles about the historic use of lead-sheathed cables in the telephone industry.
  • KeyCorp defends securities class action related to effects of rising interest rates on liquidity and net interest incomeJones Day is representing KeyCorp, the holding company for a large regional bank, and several of its current and former officers in a securities class action that was filed in the wake of the banking crisis in early 2023.
  • SER Capital Partners acquires Charah Solutions, Inc.Jones Day advised SER Capital Partners in its acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Charah Solutions for a consideration of $6.00 per share.
  • USG secures affirmance by Delaware Supreme Court of dismissal of merger-related challengesJones Day represented USG Corporation in connection with litigation concerning its merger with Gebr. Knauf KG.
  • FirstEnergy officers and directors defend against claims in securities class action and related opt-out casesJones Day defends certain current and former officers and directors of FirstEnergy Corp. in a securities class action and two related opt-out actions.
  • Shiloh Industries wins dismissal of securities fraud class-action lawsuit filed in aftermath of accounting restatementJones Day won a dismissal of a securities class-action lawsuit, prior to any discovery taking place, against Shiloh Industries, Inc., its CEO, and CFO arising from an accounting restatement in 2015 that caused its stock price to plunge.
  • Steel manufacturer and its current and former CEOs defend consolidated federal securities class actionsJones Day is defending a steel manufacturer and its current and former CEOs in consolidated federal securities class actions in which the plaintiffs allege that the manufacturer’s share price fell over 26 percent as a result of alleged corrective disclosures in April 2017.
  • Cliffs Natural Resources prevails in ERISA stock-drop putative federal class actionJones Day prevailed in a class action alleging breaches of fiduciary duty under ERISA on behalf of Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. and certain of its current and former officers and employees.
  • Cliffs Natural Resources prevails in bondholder class actionJones Day represented Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. in a bondholder class action challenging a voluntary debt exchange offer that Cliffs Natural Resources conducted in early 2016.
  • Former board members of OM Group, Inc. defend shareholder litigationJones Day represented the former members of the board of directors of OM Group, Inc. in connection with shareholder litigation filed in Delaware Chancery Court arising out of the company's $1.03 billion acquisition by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC.
  • Cooper Tire & Rubber wins dismissal of securities class action, and Third Circuit affirmsJones Day, on behalf of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and certain officers and directors, prevailed in a securities class action arising out of a terminated merger transaction.
  • Associated Estates defends challenge to its acquisition by Brookfield Asset ManagementJones Day represented Associated Estates Realty Corporation and its directors in action in Ohio federal court (settled) alleging breaches of fiduciary duty and disclosure violations in the company's cash out merger.
  • STERIS defends challenge to certain payments made in "inversion" merger with UK companyJones Day represented STERIS Corporation and its directors and officers in an action in Ohio state court (settled) alleging breaches of fiduciary duty in authorizing tax gross-up (or make-whole) payments designed to address tax penalties imposed in connection with corporate combinations that shift headquarters overseas.
  • Cliffs Natural Resources and its directors defend shareholder challenges to actions in face of proxy fight for corporate controlJones Day defeated a motion for preliminary injunction and secured dismissal of claims of proxy violation and breach of fiduciary duty in a proxy contest on behalf of Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. and its directors.
  • Cliffs Natural Resources defends multiple securities, derivative, and ERISA lawsuitsJones Day represented Cliffs Natural Resources, Inc. and various current and former officers and directors in a collection of securities (settled), derivative (settled), and ERISA (dismissed; affirmed on appeal) cases in state and federal court.
  • Directors and officers of Cooper Tire & Rubber involved in shareholder derivative lawsuitsJones Day defended directors and officers of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company against shareholder derivative lawsuits arising out of a terminated merger transaction.
  • PolyOne defends lawsuits alleging breach of fiduciary dutyJones Day defended PolyOne Corporation in five lawsuits in federal and state court alleging breach of fiduciary duty and aiding and abetting claims in connection with PolyOne's acquisition of Spartech.
  • Additional Speaking Engagements

    • November 10, 2021
      Shareholder Litigation and Director Oversight: What You and Your Board Need to Know
    • June 2, 2021
      What Lawyers Need to Know About What Employees, Consumers, and Shareholders May Be Thinking About Diversity
    • January 27, 2021
      Accounting for Lawyers Lecture
    • November 16, 2020
      Developments in Securities Litigation and Director & Officer Liability
    • December 4, 2018
      Developments in Securities and Shareholder Litigation
    • December 1, 2016
      Importance of Full and Fair Proxy Disclosures
    • November 29, 2016
      Directors and Officers in the Crosshairs: Trends in Securities and Shareholder Litigation
    • December 2014
      18th Annual RR Donnelley SEC Hot Topics Institute: SEC Enforcement
    • December 2013
      Defending the C-Level Suite
    • October 2008
      Where Default Lies: Litigation Arising from the Subprime/Real Estate Market Downturn
    • December 2006
      Defending Parallel Civil and Criminal Proceedings, Cleveland Bar Association White-Collar Crime Institute