Negin Hadaghian is a litigator with a wide-ranging complex commercial litigation and white collar defense practice. Since 2021, Ms. Hadaghian has been deepening her knowledge in the area of insurance defense and class action litigation under various provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA").
Ms. Hadaghian has experience representing clients in federal and multi-district litigation involving claims under ERISA, the Securities Exchange Act, the Stored Communications Act, the Civil and Voting Rights Acts, and the unfair trade practices laws of various states. She also has experience in the products-liability and mass torts space where she has prepared expert witnesses for testimony. Ms. Hadaghian's practice extends to litigation in the state courts of New York, including its appellate courts, where she has litigated defamation, retaliation, and labor and employment claims, real estate and other breach of contract disputes, and constitutional due process challenges.
Ms. Hadaghian has been intricately involved with several internal investigations focused on employee "whistleblower" claims and burgeoning insurance disputes. In addition, she has managed due diligence inquiries in large, high-stakes mergers. Ms. Hadaghian has also advised clients on litigation strategy involving parallel proceedings before foreign tribunals.
Prior to joining DLA Piper, Ms. Hadaghian was an associate at another global law firm.
CourtsAll New York state courtsUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York
EXPERIENCE
Ms. Hadaghian's representative matters include:
Represents major insurance company in multiple putative class actions brought under various provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
Represents leading sports analytics company in breach of contract dispute.
Represents police and peace officer unions in the State of New York challenging the constitutionality of a New York City Administrative Law on due process grounds.
Led internal investigation of insurance carrier's claims handling in dispute with excess insurance carrier.
Led litigation prong of due diligence inquiries in connection with cannabis company's acquisitions and mergers.
Represented cryptocurrency exchange to successfully compel arbitration of claims.
Represented major pharmaceutical company in lawsuits in a federal multi-district litigation concerning its prescription opioid pain medications.
Represented prominent media company in sexual harassment, gender discrimination, cyberstalking, and defamation lawsuits in New York state and federal courts, and successfully obtained on motion dismissal of cyberstalking claims raised in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Education
J.D., Fordham University 2014
Member of the Moot Court Board and Coach of the Jessup International Law Competition Team Member of the Fordham International Law Journal Recipient of the Keith C. Miller Memorial Award
cum laude
B.A., New York University 2011 cum laude
Pro Bono
Ms. Hadaghian maintains an active and expansive pro bono practice. Ms. Hadaghian has been an integral part of litigation teams successfully challenging restrictive voting laws in the States of Kansas, Wisconsin, and Nevada. She also aided a multitude of efforts during the 2016 and 2020 elections to ensure that the right to vote was protected. Ms. Hadaghian was part of the litigation team that successfully challenged, on the eve of the 2016 general election, the improper expungement of voters from the rolls in the City of New York. (Common Cause of New York et al. v. Board of Elections of the City of New York et al., 1:16-cv-06122 (E.D.N.Y.)).
In addition, Ms. Hadaghian has experience representing individuals in removal proceedings who have sought asylum in the U.S. and were denied at the affirmative application stage. In 2018, Ms. Hadaghian secured asylum for a Mauritanian national in removal proceedings, who faced persecution and risk of death in Mauritania because of his sexual orientation. She continues to provide guidance to attorneys preparing their clients for similar proceedings. This line of work is particularly important to her as a first-generation American from Iran.
Ms. Hadaghian has also represented victims of human trafficking in suits against their traffickers under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act and applicable labor and employment laws.
*Includes matters handled at DLA Piper or prior to joining the firm
