Jessica Park Wright

Representative Matters

• A global biopharmaceutical company in an action for alleged breach of an indenture governing a series of more than 700 million publicly traded contingent value rights issued in a strategic merger. The plaintiff alleges that our client breached its covenant to use "diligent efforts" to obtain FDA approval of a new product candidate in time to meet the payment contingency for the CVRs. We have filed a motion to dismiss the action for lack of federal subject matter jurisdiction because the alleged trustee plaintiff was not appointed in accordance with requirements of the governing indenture.
  
• Same biopharmaceutical company and its directors and officers in several securities actions alleging that disclosures relating to the CVRs in the joint merger proxy statement, press releases, and earnings calls were false or misleading because the company allegedly never intended to obtain FDA approval in time for the CVR payment contigency to be met. The lead case, pending in federal court, recently was dismissed with prejudice

Jessica was nominated for DLA Piper’s North American Pro Bono Award for her pro bono work in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.  In 2021, much of her pro bono time was devoted to assisting with evacuations from Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power.  Jessica continues to work with Afghans on SIV and Humanitarian Parole applications, and also works with the International Refugee Assistance Program on cases involving political asylum and persecution on the basis of religion.  On the domestic front, Jessica represents criminal defendants together with partners at the firm who are members of the Criminal Justice Act panel for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

• Dark Days in Afghanistan, St. John’s University School of Law, Law and Religion Forum, Aug. 17, 2021
• All Quiet on the Merger Front… Right? U.S. Antitrust Agencies Issue Joint 2020 Vertical Merger Guidelines, DLA Piper, Jul. 5, 2020
• DOJ Expands Home Confinement Options As Coronavirus Spreads in Prisons, DLA Piper, Apr. 15, 2020