Heather Sprague is a senior attorney in Ropes & Gray’s liability risk management group, which is a leading global practice at structuring customized, complex insurance solutions.
Heather joined Ropes & Gray in 2011 as a litigation associate, and has managed all aspects of complex commercial disputes at the trial and appellate level. Her litigation experience informs her practice in the liability risk management group, where she advises private and public companies and investment management firms (including private equity, hedge and venture capital funds) on matters involving indemnification and insurance. She concentrates her practice on mergers and acquisitions and investments, advising clients on purchasing and negotiating state of the art transactional risk insurance policies (including representations and warranties policies).
While at Ropes & Gray, Heather has spent significant time on pro bono work, including ongoing representation of two death row inmates and coordinating the firm’s partnership with the Steppingstone Foundation (an organization which prepares underserved students for educational opportunities that lead to college success) to provide immigration representation and advice to Steppingstone Scholars and the families. She also regularly advises Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (a nationwide 501(c)(3) organization which provides therapeutic outdoor recreation for disabled military service personnel) on managing risk in general operational and corporate matter.
Experience
- Represented trustees in multiple residential mortgage-backed securities repurchase actions, based on breaches of representations and warranties, in state trial and appellate courts.
- Managed financial expert discovery and testimony for trial team representing the official committee of unsecured creditors of a multibillion-dollar oil and gas exploration and production company that filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in multiparty litigation before the bankruptcy court.
- Represented publicly traded company in federal securities litigation involving claims of insider trading, fraud, and accounting misconduct allegedly caused by improper recognition of revenue for software products and support services.
- Represented an advertising company in a highly publicized multi-district litigation alleging violations of federal computer fraud statutes and privacy violations; successfully defended dismissal of claims on appeal to Third Circuit; and successfully opposed claimants’ petition for writ of certiorari seeking Supreme Court review of the Third Circuit’s decision.
- Represented a large health care services company in state and federal court litigation involving a dispute over a joint venture, including preparation and conduct of pleadings, procedural motion practice, discovery, and settlement mediation.
- Represented a leading medical technology company against a qui tam lawsuit alleging violations of the False Claims Act, including successful defense of dismissal before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.