Robby Naoufal is a litigation associate in the Los Angeles office of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP. As part of the Litigation, Securities Enforcement, and Anti-Corruption & Internal Investigations practice groups, Robby represents clients in all manner of complex commercial litigation, regulatory inquiries, and corporate investigations.
Robby has experience litigating in California federal and state courts, and has secured victories for clients at both the trial and appellate level. Robby has represented clients in the context of consumer class actions, shareholder class action and derivative suits, executive employment disputes, anti-corruption investigations, and securities enforcement actions, including through formal U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and NYSE Regulation inquiries. Robby has also performed investigations around the globe in matters relating to corruption, fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, and accounting and securities matters, among others.
Areas of Concentration
Complex business litigation in California federal and state courts on matters including commercial contract disputes, executive employment, consumer class actions, and unfair competition
Corporate governance with an emphasis on shareholder derivative proceedings, conducting internal investigations, counseling board committees
Securities litigation, enforcement, and regulation, including SEC/NYSE enforcement actions, shareholder class action and derivative litigation, Exchange Act compliance, and director fiduciary duties
Anti-corruption and fraud investigations on behalf of domestic and multinational companies involving SEC regulations, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, U.K. Bribery Act, and French Sapin II law
Previous Experience
Legal Intern, The White House, Executive Office of the President—Justice and Regulatory Policy, Washington, D.C., 2013
Law Clerk, United States Attorney's Office, Criminal Division, Southern District of California, 2012
Highlighted Publications
Co-author, “California Suspends Penalty Portions of California WARN Act in Response to COVID‑19” (2020)
Co-author, “2012 US Court of International Trade Decisions on Department of Commerce Market Economy Trade Remedy Decisions,” 45 Georgetown Journal of International Law 1 (2013)
Court Admissions
United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
United States District Court for the Central District of California (CDCA)
United States District Court for the Eastern District of California (EDCA)
United States District Court for the Northern District of California (NDCA)
United States District Court for the Southern District of California (SDCA)
United States District Court for the District of Columbia (DDC)
United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California (NDCA)
State Court of California
Court of the District of Columbia (DC)
Highlighted Matters
Representation of world-leading media company executive in connection with securities class action and derivative litigation
Representation of homebuilding company executive in connection with securities class action and derivative litigation
Representation of one of the largest e-sports franchises in the world in an internal investigation and related matters
Representation of one of the world’s most popular dating apps in consumer class action
Representation of world-leading auction house in litigation concerning high-profile watch auction
Representation of world-leading aerospace and defense company in connection with anti-corruption reviews, risk assessments, and related investigations
Representation of audit committee members in an SEC enforcement and fraud investigation
Representation of oilfield services company with respect to SEC investigation
Representation of a broker-dealer in connection with New York Stock Exchange Regulation investigation
Representation of emerging growth company with respect to capital fundraising and related securities compliance
Representation of tire and automotive services company in connection with employee class action
Representation of a multinational “supermajor” oil and gas company in connection with a worldwide risk-assessment and compliance audit, in coordination with a compliance monitor
Representation of a hedge fund and its founder in an administrative proceeding against the SEC alleging fraud and violations of the Exchange Act
Representation of a nonprofit executive in a corporate governance and employment dispute
Assessment of labor and employment matters on numerous merger and acquisition deals
