Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP - Roberts, Lyle

Lyle Roberts Partner

Lyle Roberts is a partner in the firm's Washington, DC office, where his practice deals in securities litigation and regulation. He defends public corporations in class actions, derivative cases, mergers and acquisitions litigation, and SEC enforcement actions. He also counsels clients with respect to securities regulatory issues. Mr. Roberts' notable representations include appellate victories in the PEC Solutions, Cree and Frontier Insurance securities class actions, leading to the complete dismissal of the claims in those cases.

Mr. Roberts is a frequent writer and lecturer on securities litigation topics and is often quoted in the media. He is the author of The 10b-5 Daily, a Web log devoted to news and analysis related to securities class actions. Mr. Roberts also serves as an adjunct professor at the George Mason University School of Law, where he teaches courses on federal securities law.

Representative Cases

Winn v. Schafer, 499 F.Supp.2d 390 (S.D.N.Y. 2007) (District court dismissed derivative complaint filed against Scottish Re and its directors);
In re Cree, Inc. Sec. Litig., 2005 WL 1847004 (M.D.N.C Aug. 2, 2005) (District court dismissed securities class action complaint against Cree and certain of its officers and directors) aff'd 477 F.3d 162 (4th Cir. 2007);
In re PEC Solutions Sec. Litig., 2004 WL 1854202 (E.D. Va. May 25, 2004) (District court dismissed securities class action complaint against PEC Solutions and certain of its officers) aff'd 418 F.3d 379 (4th Cir. 2005);
Kahler v. Tularik, No. CIV 438544 (Cal. Super. Ct. Aug. 19, 2004) (State court dismissed merger litigation);
Ezra Charitable Trust v. Frontier Ins. Group, Inc., 2002 WL 87723 (S.D.N.Y. January 23, 2002) (District court dismissed securities class action complaint against Frontier and certain of its officers), aff'd 318 F.3d 148 (2nd Cir. 2003);
Graff v. Prime Retail, Inc., 172 F. Supp. 2d 721 (D. Md. 2001) (District court dismissed securities action complaint against Prime Retail and certain of its officers), aff'd 46 Fed. Appx. 140 (4th Cir. 2002); and
In re Republic Services, Inc. Sec. Litig., 134 F. Supp. 2d 1355 (S.D. Fla. 2001) (District court dismissed securities class action complaint against Republic Services and certain of its officers).

Selected Activities

Chairperson, "Stoneridge: Is there 'Scheme' Liability or Not?" Audio Webcast, Practicing Law Institute (January 2008)
Panelist, "What You Need To Know for 2008: Securities Litigation," Audio Webcast, Riskmetrics Group (January 2008)
Chairperson, "Tellabs v. Makor: Pleading Scienter in Securities Fraud Cases," Audio Webcast, Practicing Law Institute (July 2007)
Chairperson, "Debit and the Application of the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act," Audio Webcast, Practicing Law Institute (April 2006)
Chairperson, "Pleading Scienter in Securities Fraud Cases: What Investors, Companies, and Their Counsel Need to Know," Telephone Briefing, Practicing Law Institute (January 2005)
Chairperson, "Pleading Loss Causation in Securities Fraud Cases: What Investors, Companies, and Their Counsel Need to Know," Telephone Briefing, Practicing Law Institute (June 2004)
Panelist, Securities Litigation and Enforcement Institute, Practicing Law Institute, New York (2005-2006)
Advisory Board, Securities Reform Act Litigation Reporter
Adjunct Professor, George Mason University School of Law
Judicial Clerk, The Honorable Donald S. Russell, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1996-1997

Selected Publications

"The Reform Act and Selection of Lead Plaintiffs and Lead Counsel in Securities Class Actions," Class Action Watch (October 2008).
Co-author, "The Officer and the Janitor: 'Collective Scienter' in Securities Fraud Cases," The New York Law Journal (Feb. 8, 2008).
Author, "End the Dual Approach," National Law Journal, Vol. 27 (October 24, 2005).
Co-author, "Lower Courts Will Determine Impact of Supreme Court's Securities Fraud Suit Ruling," Legal Backgrounder, Vol. 20, No. 22, Washington Legal Foundation (May 20, 2005).
Co-author, "Pleading Loss Causation in Securities Fraud Cases: What Investors, Companies, and Their Counsel Need to Know," PLI's Securities Litigation & Enforcement Institute 2004, Course Handbook No. B-1442, (September-October 2004).
Co-author, "Individual Trading Plans Can Help Defend Securities Fraud Claims," Compliance Week (July 7, 2004).

Speeches and Programs

Speaker, "The SEC and Securities Class Action Suits: Defining the Relationship Between the Commission and the Plaintiffs’ Bar," WLF Web Seminar Series (July 29, 2008).