Monitor: Can you share a little about your background and interests?
Brian O’Connell: I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, attended Stanford for my undergrad, went to Northwestern for law school and I’ve remained in Chicago ever since. My wife and I have an infant daughter, which is my main “interest” right now. I’m a long-suffering Chicago sports fan of the White Sox, Bulls and Bears. My hobbies include golf and participating in a shuffleboard league. I’m licensed in both Illinois and California, which has proved beneficial, as Pomerantz’s cases span the country. Last year, I went to eight different states in four different time zones for either court appearances or depositions.
Christopher Tourek: I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I attended Lafayette College in Easton, PA for undergrad and the University of Illinois College of Law for law school. The Windy City has been my home since 2013. Class action law has been my path from the start, a field that I love deeply. With twelve other attorneys in my family, you could say it runs in the blood. Our reunions are loud, heated, and never dull. I now live in Lincoln Park with my fiancée. Life here is good. I dive into books, explore the world through travel, hit the pavement running, carve down ski slopes, and train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Each pursuit, in its own way, keeps me grounded and focused.
Monitor: What got you interested in securities litigation?
Brian O’Connell: My interest in securities law comes from my interest in financial markets. My first real exposure to the financial markets was during an internship with the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) during undergrad. That internship and the 2008 financial crash and Dodd-Frank regulations led me to financial services litigation, which I’ve been doing essentially my entire career, either on the securities or commodities litigation sides, which is what I worked in before I came to Pomerantz.
Christopher Tourek: In law school, I took a class called Perspectives on Debt. It wasn’t just theory—it was history and consequence. We traced the arc of financial markets, from the Dutch Tulip Bubble in 1637 to the railroad manias of the 19th century, and on to the crash of 2008. What stayed with me wasn’t just the mechanics of securities fraud, but its cost—real and devastating. This class changed how I saw the law.
Monitor: Why is this work so important to you?
Brian O’Connell: I wanted to represent the victims rather than protect well-capitalized wrongdoers, and that’s exactly what I get to do at Pomerantz. Securities litigation is unique, requiring creative approaches since every case is different and lacks formal discovery before filing. Sometimes, we need to act like TV detectives speaking with former employees to crack a case and other times, we can use math and logic to catch powerful CEOs in fraud. The variety makes the work exciting.
Christopher Tourek: Fraud doesn’t just gut the market; it ripples outward. It fuels bubbles and crashes, triggers recessions, shrinks economies. Businesses cut back, jobs vanish, homes are lost. The harm isn’t confined to traders or investors. It hits everyone, even those far from the market. Graduates stepping into a recession face years of harder roads, lower earnings, and deeper struggles. Protecting against the sweeping, lasting damage of unchecked securities fraud felt urgent—necessary. So, when the chance came to join Pomerantz LLP and take up that fight, I didn’t hesitate. This work matters. It always will.
Monitor: What have been the most rewarding cases you have worked on at Pomerantz?
Brian O’Connell: My favorite Pomerantz work has been on SPAC cases. We recently had a de-SPAC case against Grab Holdings, Inc., which is known as the Uber of Southeast Asia. I gave the oral argument that successfully sustained claims under Section 11 of the Securities Act and Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act claims. In another de-SPAC case against Ginkgo Bioworks, we successfully advanced novel legal issues relating to SPACs. Outside of SPAC cases, we’ve recently had some cases go deep into discovery, which helps our approach for future cases. In total, my cases reached settlement agreements exceeding $100 million in 2024.
Christopher Tourek: The most rewarding case I’ve worked on, In Re Bed Bath & Beyond Corporation Securities Litigation, is still unfolding. In this case, we built something bold—a legal theory rooted in a pump-and-dump scheme orchestrated through emojis on social media. We pursued novel claims under Section 9 of the Exchange Act. It took grit and clarity to unravel the fraud and present it to the Court. Drafting the Amended Complaint, countering the Motion to Dismiss—each step was a battle. But we stood firm, and the Court ultimately sided with us. That victory wasn’t just about the law; it was about the challenge, the complexity, and the collective drive of our team to push forward into discovery. Another case that holds a place in my memory is Gong v. Neptune Wellness. It was my first at Pomerantz, and though the $4.25 million settlement in cash and stock wasn’t revolutionary, it was meaningful. I worked closely with the Lead Plaintiff, and when it was over, his gratitude—the sense of justice restored, even in part—reminded me why I do this work. The law can be a long road, but moments like that make the miles worth it.
Monitor: What is your best advice to younger attorneys looking to succeed in securities litigation?
Brian O’Connell: Being the smartest person in the room isn’t as important as being the best prepared. Take the time to research the judge overseeing the case as their past experiences and rulings can guide your arguments.
Christopher Tourek: Never stop learning. My work on fraud cases spans various industries, including marijuana, home robotics, and banking, each one demanding something new—a deep dive into an industry until I could not only see the fraud but lay it out clearly for a court. Success depends on it. To do this work, you need more than skill; you need an unrelenting drive to learn, to dig deeper, and to keep going until the picture is clear. That urge to learn never ends—and it shouldn’t.
