Caroline A. Schnurer

Partner

Caroline A. Schnurer represents clients in a range of complex litigation matters, including shareholder derivative actions and securities fraud class actions.  Ms. Schnurer spearheads Robbins Umeda LLP's settlement group and focuses her practice in negotiating and documenting complex litigation settlements and obtaining the required court approval of the settlement.  Accordingly, Ms. Schnurer has extensive experience in achieving court approval of notable settlements that encompass both substantial monetary benefits and extensive corporate governance reform. 

Before joining Robbins Umeda LLP in 2003, Ms. Schnurer focused her practice on estate planning, probate, trust administration, conservatorships, and elder law.  During this time, she also assisted court-appointed private counsel for Public Counsel of Riverside County, was a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc., and was involved in various community organizations related to elder care and protection.

Ms. Schnurer earned her law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School in South Bend, Indiana, where she served as book review editor for the Journal of College and University Law and clerked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.  Ms. Schnurer studied politics at Scripps College in Claremont, California.  During her undergraduate studies, Ms. Schnurer interned at the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC and externed at Public Counsel in the Children's Rights Project in Los Angeles, California.

Selected Noteworthy Cases

• Wireless Facilities, Inc. (now Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.), In re Wireless Facilities, Inc. Derivative Litigation, No. 04-CV-1663-JAH-(NLS) (S.D. Cal. Mar. 29, 2010): Ms. Schnurer led the firm in securing court approval of a settlement in a shareholder derivative case involving Wireless Facilities, an independent provider of security systems engineering for the wireless communications industry.  The settlement required certain officers to forfeit significant amounts of stock and/or stock options back to the company, restricted voting rights for certain former officers and directors, secured monetary reimbursement to the company, and implemented a number of important changes to Kratos' corporate governance.

• Heelys Inc., In re Heelys Inc. Derivative Litigation, No. 3:07-CV-1682-K (N.D. Tex. Nov. 17, 2009): Ms. Schnurer led the firm in securing court approval of a settlement in a shareholder derivative case involving Heelys, Inc.  The settlement included extensive corporate governance reforms, such as the adoption of compensation principles by the board of directors and stricter insider trading controls, conferring a substantial benefit on Heelys and its shareholders.  

• Tenet Healthcare Corporation, In re Tenet Healthcare Corp. Derivative Litigation, No. 01098905 (Cal. Super Ct.–Santa Barbara County May 5, 2006), aff'd, No. B192252 (Cal. App. Sept. 20, 2007): Ms. Schnurer played a key role in the settlement of a shareholder derivative case involving Tenet Healthcare Corporation.  She assisted in obtaining court approval of the settlement, which included $51.5 million in cash contributions to Tenet and sweeping corporate governance and remedial measures designed to ensure the independence and accountability of the company’s board of directors.

• OM Group, Inc., In re OM Group, Inc. Derivative Litigation, No. 1:03CV0020 (N.D. Ohio Nov. 10, 2005): Ms. Schnurer assisted in obtaining court approval of a settlement in this shareholder derivative action arising out of a massive accounting fraud.  The firm secured a $29 million recovery for the company, the removal of the company's long term chief executive officer, the addition of two shareholder-nominated directors, and other significant corporate governance reforms. 

• Dynegy Inc., In re Dynegy Inc. Derivative Litigation, No. 2002-25250 (Tex. Dist. Ct., Harris County July 8, 2005): Ms. Schnurer assisted in obtaining court approval of a settlement in a shareholder derivative case involving Dynegy, Inc., resulting in groundbreaking corporate governance reforms, the replacement of several executive officers and members of Dynegy's board of directors, and a $150 million contribution to the company. 
• Rhodia, Inc., In re Rhodia, Inc. ERISA Litigation, No. 1:05-CV-10242 DAB (S.D.N.Y. June 13, 2008): Ms. Schnurer played a key role in obtaining court approval of a settlement in an ERISA class action against Rhodia, Inc.  The settlement secured a $2.4 million settlement fund and significant non-monetary benefits that provided greater accountability from Rhodia's Savings Plus plan fiduciaries and protections for plan participants, such as the elimination of the stock fund at issue in the litigation.