Haynes and Boone, LLP is excited to welcome Partner Chelsea Corey as the firm’s first addition to the Litigation Practice Group in the Charlotte office. She joins from King & Spalding, where she spent the last decade in the Trial and Global Disputes Group.
The North Carolina native’s practice focuses on high-stakes, complex commercial litigation, and she has a depth of experience handling bankruptcy, securities and accountant liability matters. Corey has represented clients in the financial services, accounting and energy industries. Additionally, she has experience as a trial lawyer, further contributing to the firm’s Trials Practice Group following the arrival of nationally acclaimed trial lawyer and Global Trials Chair Victor Vital in August.
"There is incredible momentum behind Haynes Boone across the country and especially in the rapidly growing Charlotte area,” Corey said. “The firm has placed fantastic people and engaged leadership in the Charlotte office, and I am so excited to be able to help the firm expand its litigation capabilities here in my home state.”
Named to the Charlotte Business Journal‘s 40 Under 40 list in May, Corey recently represented Petersen Energia Inversora and Petersen Energia in a U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York action asserting claims against the Republic of Argentina for breaching the YPF corporate bylaws when it expropriated a majority stake in YPF in 2012. The $16 billion judgment is the largest in the history of the SDNY.
Additionally, Corey achieved rare victories by successfully seeking temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions in two high-profile cases: representing Darwin Deason, Xerox’s third-largest shareholder, in blocking a change-of-control transaction with Fuji, and defending Elan Corporation, an Irish pharmaceutical company, against a hostile tender offer from Royalty Pharma.
“Chelsea’s proven track record in complex commercial litigation and her deep ties to North Carolina make her a perfect fit for our expanding Charlotte office,” said Litigation Department Chair Leslie Thorne. “Her addition reinforces our commitment to the Charlotte market, and we are confident that her skills will bring tremendous value to our clients.”
The Haynes Boone Charlotte office has traditionally focused on finance, currently with 23 lawyers providing on-the-ground support in one of the world’s foremost banking centers and financial hubs. After moving to a new, state-of-the-art office to accommodate its rapid growth in headcount, expanding the office’s services to include litigation is a logical next step.
“Combining Chelsea’s experience in a wide array of litigation matters with the added space from our relocation in April marks a significant step in diversifying our capabilities,” said Charlotte Office Managing Partner Justin Riess. “We are well-positioned to strengthen our services and meet the increasing demand from our clients."
Corey also does significant pro bono work, including time spent representing a group of LGBTQ+ veterans discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” or predecessor policies, who filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the U.S. Department of Defense last year.
