Perrie M. Weiner

Perrie brings a holistic approach to advocacy, skillfully defending clients facing high-profile and intricate regulatory actions, as well as securities fraud class action cases across the United States. His diverse clientele includes private equity funds, hedge funds, broker-dealers, underwriters, placement agents, REITS and publicly held issuers (alongside their officers and directors).  Perrie also handles M & A securities litigation, where business combinations or sales are being challeged because of alleged deficient public disclosures.  Perrie's expertise extends to SEC and FINRA enforcement proceedings, as well as white-collar criminal proceedings.

Beyond his outstanding work in securities matters, Perrie's legal acumen shines in complex business litigation. He has successfully represented clients in California consumer privacy class actions involving alleged violations of the Right to Privacy, such as TCPA, CCPA, "call recording," data breach, cybersecurity, and more. Additionally, Perrie leads the Firm's global SPAC Rapid Response Team and is a prominent authority in Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) and de-SPAC M&A securities class action litigation, including related SEC enforcement.

His innovative approach and unwavering commitment to serving clients led to his establishment of the Firm's Lease Litigation and Restructuring Group (LLRG) during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Perrie, alongside a multi-disciplinary team of Baker McKenzie lawyers, provides crucial assistance to retailers, tech companies, physicians with surgery centers, law firms, and various tenants negatively impacted by pandemic-related disruptions. He skillfully navigates lease renegotiations, restructurings, and landlord-litigated disputes, supporting clients during challenging times.

Perrie's international practice adds another layer of distinction to his career, with numerous litigation victories and publications featured in renowned media outlets such as Time, Business Week, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist, among others. His expertise extends to representing domestic and international market participants, including Chinese issuers traded in the US, in a wide array of securities litigation and enforcement matters, accompanied by expert pre-litigation crisis management counseling.

He is also a recognized securities expert in the areas of short selling, naked short selling, "pump and dump" and "short and distort" litigation--where self proclaimed analysts short the stock of a thinly traded public company, put out an intentionally or recklessly false negative report about the company, draw in other short sellers causing the stock's price to fall preciptously, thereby reaping a windfall profit from their short selling activity.

Client Testimonials

• Perrie is a "go-to advocate for hedge funds facing complex suits and CEOs squaring off against the US Securities and Exchange Commission." – Law 360
• "Perrie's personal, litigation, negotiation and strategy development skills are superior, as well as his in-depth experience with, and knowledge of, commercial and securities law." – Chambers USA
• "Perrie really has a great deal of experience and expertise in securities class action law. He's also very responsive." – Chambers USA
• "He's sharp, responsive and quick." – Chambers USA
• "Perrie Weiner is outstanding in terms of his knowledge and expertise, as well as being very commercial and pragmatic in his approach." – Legal 500, Securities Litigation
• "My knowledge of the firm’s strengths is primarily through Perrie Weiner. The firm’s international breadth is very useful when we have questions about the application of a particular country’s laws. Perrie has quickly put us in touch with the experts in the particular country, which has been invaluable." – Legal 500, Securities Litigation
• "I have worked with Perrie Weiner for over 20 years, when he was at several different firms. We have used him on a number of matters – we have followed him to represent us at each new firm. Perrie is currently working for us on a class action securities matter where he took over representation from another law firm – the initial law firm selection was made by a co-defendant, not us. Perrie is an excellent securities litigator. He recognizes the legal issues and business imperatives, and works hard to get through the matter to a cost-efficient resolution. I highly recommend him without reservation." – Legal 500, Securities Litigation

Securities Litigation

• Substituted into a California securities litigation to defend a U.S. publicly held Biopharma Company, that was at risk of a default being entered, where there was a tax delinquency and a problem with the company's name registration. After quickly correcting all of these deficiencies, Perrie and his team brought a motion to dismiss. Based on the strength of the motion, plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the case. .
• Represented a building products company in litigation arising from its merger with another building products company. The case included federal securities actions in the Eastern District of New York and alleged insufficient information in the company's merger recommendation to shareholders. Not only did Perrie and his team manage to push back and get the merger to close on time, but also quickly defeated and resolved the litigation.
• Represented a London-based client in the dismissal of a jurisdictional challenge in the Central District of California, in an effort to attach the assets of a Geneva trust worth approx. USD 1 billion. Also sucessfully represented the client in subsequent related litigation, as well as others named as defendents in the case.
• Represented a publicly held Biopharma company and three of its officers in a putative securities class action. The complaint alleged that the company made false and/or misleading statements and did not properly disclose the efficacy of their liver cancer treatment, ThermoDox. Perrie and his team won the motion to dismiss.
• Represented an investor in a highly publicized alleged "pump and dump" scheme resulting in the dismissal of a putative class action (Takata v. Riot Blockchain). The operative complaint alleged that the investor and other Defendants, acting as members of an investor-control group, amassed a controlling interest in publicly-traded Riot Blockchain. Perrie and his team won the motion to dismiss, while it was denied as to the other co-defendants.
• Represented a significant micro-cap investor with holdings of USD 240 million shares of a public company. deposited with a Canadian brokerage. Our engagement came after the public company attempted to cancel the client's entire holdings during a spike in share-price valuation, obstructing their ability to sell or transfer the shares, which Perrie and his team were able to fully reverse.
• Represented an underwriter, where we won a motion to dismiss a securities class action complaint, and where a follow on motion to dismiss the amended complaint resulted in a quick settlement with plaintiffs and where co-defendant issuer fully indemnified the underwriter.

SPAC Secuities Litigation

• Represented the target defendant in a de-SPAC M & A transaction in the partial dismissal of a putative securities class action complaint alleging material misrepresentations and omissions related to stockholders who purchased its stock between October 7, 2020 and July 31, 2021.
• Represented the target defendant in a Derivative Action alleging material misrepresentations and omissions related to stockholders who purchased the stock between October 7, 2020 and July 31, 2021.
• Represented the target and certain of its officers and directors in an action by an investor in the Complex Commercial Litigation Division of New Castle County Superior Court, Delaware alleging fraudulent inducement and breach of contract around a "liquidity event" triggered when the Company completed the de-SPAC merger in August of 2021.

Clerkship

• Judicial Extern to the Hon. Ralph J. Geffen, US District Court, Central District of California (1985)
• Judicial Law Clerk to the Hon. John R. Kronenberg, US District Court, Central District of California (1986-1987)

• Named one of Los Angeles Business Journal's Top 100 Lawyers, 2023
• Named one of Los Angeles Business Journal's Top 500 Most Influential People in LA, 2023
• Blue Ribbon Panelist for the 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Nominations Lists
• Leading Individual, Litigation: Securities in California, Chambers USA, 2021-2023
• Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Lawyers, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2019-2023
• Top Litigators & Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles, LA Business Journal, 2019-2022
• Northern California Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Individual Awards, 2004-2018, 2022-2023
• Southern California Super Lawyer, 2004-2023
• Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, 2017
• Wiley W. Manuel Award for his pro bono legal work, 2013
• Lawdragon's 500 Leading Lawyers in America, 2007, 2012-2013
• Securities Lawyer of the Year, USA, Lawyer Monthly, 2012
• 10 Most Admired Securities Attorneys, Law360, 2010
• Nominated as best contributed articles in the fourth quarter of 2010: "The SEC's Two Pronged Attack on Naked Short Selling," Bloomberg Law, 2009
• 200 Lawyers You Need to Know in Securities Litigation, Lawdragon, 2008
• Highly Commended Award from Emerald Literati Network: "Recent developments in hedge fund enforcement and regulation by the SEC under the leadership of Chairman Cox suggest that he may not be the free market advocate everyone once thought he was," 2007
• California's Top Mega-Rainmakers in the $10 Million Club, Los Angeles Daily Journal, 2004-2007
• Burton Award for Legal Achievement: "Litigation Strategies: Managing Litigation Risk and Addressing Investor Concerns," 2006
• Lawdragon's 3000 Leading Lawyers in America, 2006
• Top 10 Securities Litigators in the US, Securities Law360, 2006
• Who's Who in American Law, 2005-2006
• California's Top Mega-Rainmakers, LA Daily Journal, 2004-2005
• Leading Individual in Litigation, Chambers USA 2006

• Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA)
• Advisory Board, Institute of Corporate Counsel, USC Gould School of Law