Lawdragon profiled Chief Investigative Officer Amy N. Greenbaum in its Limelight series, offering an in-depth look at her distinguished career, her role in founding Labaton Keller Sucharow’s in-house investigative team, and her development of the Firm’s industry-leading internal investigation protocols.  The feature also explores how Amy’s department has evolved alongside an increasingly complex investigative and regulatory landscape.

Among her many notable achievements are the policies and procedures Amy has developed to streamline the Firm’s investigative process—many of which have since been adopted by other firms—and which continue to evolve under her leadership.  “These policies and procedures work,” Amy says.   “They work to protect our firm, but they also work for the witnesses.”

Working closely with the Firm’s Case Evaluation Group, Amy highlights the power of collaboration and the skill of her internal team.  Due to the heightened pleading standards in securities cases, Amy’s investigative team plays a critical role in developing cases by speaking with individuals across a wide range of industries who possess information that bolsters the Firm’s claims.  “[At other firms] you're not going to get the same type of information, and you're not going to have the same interaction between the lawyers and the investigators that we have,” Amy notes.  “When you build a team that works together every day, powerful results follow.” 

Amy also reflects on how she has continually evolved her department in response to a changing world and emerging trends in litigation.  A Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Artificial Intelligence and Investigations Expert, Amy remains at the forefront of the issues shaping both case development and legal practice.  Her team now includes attorneys, individuals with expertise in open-source researching, and former law enforcement professionals whose varied professional backgrounds strengthen the department’s investigative approach.  “I think when you're a manager, you're only as good as your team, and my team is excellent.”

Amy also shares examples that underscore the powerful results of her department’s work.  In the recent case against Alexion Pharmaceuticals, the Firm revived a securities class action that was initially dismissed and ultimately went to achieve a $125 million settlement.  Amy conducted the investigation herself, speaking with medical professionals who felt strongly about the alleged misconduct.  She also highlights her investigative team’s work in the Firm’s landmark data privacy litigation on behalf of Flo Health app users, in which a jury found Meta liable for unlawfully collecting and exploiting sensitive women’s health data in violation of California privacy laws.  The case marked one of the first times a jury held a major technology company accountable for its handling of consumer health information, and as a result, Meta now faces $8 billion in potential damages.  Prior to trial, the Firm secured settlements totaling $56 million from defendants Flo Health, Google, and Flurry.

Having been with the Firm for twenty-one years, Amy reflects, “What I find most rewarding is that Labaton is really a meritocracy, and the reason I've been able, as a non-lawyer, to get to where I am is because I've worked hard and seen case-changing results.  I love the different industries; I love learning new things.  And, at this point in my career, I love mentoring people.”