Sharon A. O'Shaughnessy

She/Her

Partner

Chair, Practice Group DEI Committee (Financial Services)

No detail is too small – I'll find it.

Sharon defends financial services firms and their employees in regulatory and government investigations and enforcement proceedings by the SEC, FINRA, and various state regulators. She advises on compliance with regulatory requirements and on cybersecurity and data privacy issues, and performs due diligence of exchange-traded funds and cryptocurrency exchange assets. Sharon has represented companies and individuals accused of business crimes, public corruption, securities law violations, and fraudulent practices by the Department of Justice, State Attorneys General, District Attorneys' Offices, and the SEC. She has also represented financial services firms and their employees in federal and state court matters, as well as FINRA arbitrations, relating to commercial and employment issues.

Sharon is actively committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as pro bono service. She regularly speaks on the advancement of historically underrepresented lawyers in the financial services community, and she participated in the 2021 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows Program, which recognizes diverse attorneys who have distinguished themselves as leaders in the legal industry.

Sharon was a Partner, as well as the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer and Pro Bono Manager at McGonigle, P.C., before the firm combined with Davis Wright Tremaine.

Practice Highlights

Enforcement and regulatory matters

Sharon successfully convinces regulators not to pursue disciplinary action and regularly negotiates favorable settlement terms for regulatory matters involving fraud, manipulative and insider trading, whistleblower allegations, order handling, inadequate supervision, and inadequate policies and procedures.

Cybersecurity and data privacy

Sharon advises clients regarding data breaches and represents companies victimized by cyberattacks. She regularly lectures on cybersecurity and data privacy trends as well as compliance, data breaches, incident response, and third-party cyber risk management.

Due diligence

Sharon performs limited due diligence on behalf of Authorized Participants for lead market-maker activity and providing seed money for the launch of new exchange-traded funds. The process involves review of offering documents, conducting due diligence, and independent research of the various entities and parties involved. She also conducts due diligence of cryptocurrency exchange assets.

Admitted to Practice

New York, 2013
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 2013
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 2013

Education

J.D., Seton Hall University School of Law, 2012
M.A., Speech and Interpersonal Communication, New York University, 2004, summa cum laude
B.S., Communication Studies, New York University, 2003, magna cum laude
- Lambda Pi Eta

Memberships & Affiliations

- Volunteer Attorney, New York City Bar Association Legal Clinic for the Homeless

Professional Recognition

- Selected to "New York Metro Rising Stars," Thomson Reuters, 2017–2023
- Recognized for distinguished pro bono service to the New York State Courts Access to Justice Program, 2017

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