Brenda Szydlo
Partner
OFFICE
New York
PRACTICE AREAS
Securities Litigation
LAW SCHOOL
St. John’s University School of Law
ADMITTED
New York; United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and Ninth Circuits; United States Supreme Court
CONTACT
Brenda Szydlo joined Pomerantz in January 2016 as Of Counsel and was elevated to Partner in 2022.
Brenda has deep experience on both sides of the “v,” having represented both plaintiffs and defendants in complex civil litigation in federal and state courts. Her expertise is particularly strong in securities and financial fraud litigation, cases against pharmaceutical companies, accountants’ liability, and commercial litigation.
Brenda has been recognized by Super Lawyers® as a “Top-Rated Securities Litigation Attorney” every year since 2020 and as one of the New York Metro Top Women for Securities Litigation in 2024. She has been included among Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers every year since 2022.
Brenda played a pivotal role in the historic securities class action case against Brazil's largest oil company, Petrobras, in which Pomerantz served as sole Lead Counsel. This case stemmed from a multi-billion-dollar kickback and bribery scheme. Brenda’s contribution to the litigation helped the Firm secure both a groundbreaking legal ruling and an unprecedented $3 billion settlement for the Class of defrauded investors.
The Petrobras settlement was not only the largest securities class action settlement in a decade and the largest ever involving a foreign issuer but remains the fifth-largest securities class action settlement in U.S. history, the largest achieved by a foreign Lead Plaintiff, and the largest settlement not involving a restatement of financial reports.
Brenda has successfully represented investors in numerous other class and private actions, achieving substantial recoveries for the Class in the process, including $486 million in In re Pfizer, Inc. Securities Litigation and over $407 million in In re Refco, Inc. Securities Litigation. Brenda has also represented investors in opt-out securities actions, such as investors opting out of In re Bank of America Corp. Securities, Derivative & ERISA Litigation.
Before joining Pomerantz, Brenda was a Senior Counsel at a leading plaintiffs advocacy firm, specializing in securities litigation. Additionally, she served as Counsel in the litigation department of one of the world’s largest defense law firms, focusing on defending individuals and corporations in securities litigation, enforcement actions, accountants’ liability cases, and commercial litigation.
Brenda is a graduate of St. John’s University School of Law, where she was a St. Thomas More Scholar and member of the Law Review. She received a B.A. in economics from Binghamton University.
Brenda is admitted to practice in New York; United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Ninth Circuits; and the United States Supreme Court.