Laura Sherling Dunning

Laura Sherling Dunning is an of counsel attorney in the Securities and Business Litigation practice group of Levin, Papantonio.  Ms. Dunning has twice been recognized as an Alabama Super Lawyer Rising Star in Securities Litigation. Her practice focuses primarily upon representing individuals and entities seeking financial recovery for losses from securities fraud. Ms. Dunning has represented more than 300 victims of securities fraud in FINRA arbitration and in state and federal court.  Her clients include state and municipal pension funds, as well as institutional and sophisticated investors, and she recently obtained a $1.95 million award in FINRA arbitration for a sophisticated investor who sustained losses in auction rate securities.  Ms. Dunning’s practice also includes complex business litigation, whistleblower, class action and antitrust litigation.

Ms. Dunning is a frequent speaker on issues confronting the securities industry, including FINRA arbitration procedures, arbitrator selection, electronic discovery and how to vacate arbitration awards, and has served as a guest lecturer at the University of Alabama, School of Law.  She is also a member of PIABA, an international organization of attorneys dedicated to the advancement of investors’ rights in the securities industry.  Ms. Dunning is licensed to practice in Alabama, and has been admitted to the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama.

Ms. Dunning graduated cum laude from Rhodes College with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature.  She received her juris doctor from the University of Alabama, School of Law in 2005, where she served as a Senior Editor on the Alabama Law Review and as a nationally competing member of the Campbell Moot Court Board.  Ms. Dunning was a member of the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society and served as an extern to the Honorable Sharon Lovelace Blackburn of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

Prior to joining Levin Papantonio, Ms. Dunning practiced with Haskell Slaughter Young & Rediker in Birmingham, Alabama, where her nationwide civil litigation practice concentrated on securities matters in state and federal courts as well as AAA and FINRA arbitration.

In addition to her practice, Ms. Dunning is active member of her community, serving on the Executive Committee of the YWCA of Central Alabama’s Junior Board and as an attorney coach in the Civic Education Teen Court Project.

Her representative engagements include:

• Represented 32 hospitals in a securities action relating to subscriber equity accounts which resulted in a $43.7M settlement.
• Represented a statewide pension fund in a securities action relating to a bond fund investment which resulted in a $25M settlement.
• Represented 24 Florida municipal pension funds in state and federal courts in related securities actions against major broker dealer concerning conflicts of interest in pension consulting which resulted in a $21M settlement.
• Represented individual investor in FINRA arbitration against former CEO of global financial services firm alleging fraud and misrepresentation resulting in $10M settlement.
• Represented a sophisticated investor in FINRA arbitration against Morgan Keegan relating to an investment in Jefferson County Sewer Bond Auction Rate Securities resulting in a $1.95M FINRA Award.
• Represented individual investor in FINRA arbitration alleging failure to execute trade order resulting in a $1.35M settlement.
• Launched and managed a litigation support and document review company based in Chennai, India.