First-Chair Trial Attorney Oderah Nwaeze Joins Faegre Drinker’s Growing Litigation Practice

Faegre Drinker announced today that Oderah Nwaeze has joined the firm’s Philadelphia and Wilmington offices as a partner in the litigation practice. Nwaeze was previously a partner with Duane Morris LLP.

A first-chair trial attorney who helps clients resolve complex corporate and commercial disputes, Nwaeze’s practice includes matters involving shareholder rights; actions arising under Delaware General Corporation Law and Delaware common law; lawsuits stemming from mergers, acquisitions and other corporate transactions; and breach of contract matters.

“Oderah is an experienced and highly knowledgeable attorney who adds outstanding trial capabilities to our growing litigation practice, particularly in the area of commercial disputes,” Faegre Drinker litigation practice co-leaders Debbie Ellingboe and Dan Collins said in a joint statement. “With many clients incorporated in Delaware, Oderah’s addition further enhances our bench strength as we continue to provide comprehensive representation in precedent-setting disputes in Delaware’s Court of Chancery.”

As a seasoned litigator, Nwaeze has represented clients in state and federal class actions involving securities laws, statutory and common law fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. He counsels financial institutions in consumer-related litigation and understands the legal and business sensitivities of banking clients, due, in large part, to his time as a secondee with TD Bank.

Nwaeze also takes pride in maintaining an active pro bono practice, which has included representing veterans of the U.S. armed forces in appeals of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ decisions on their entitlement to compensation for service-connected injuries, forming nonprofits and corporations for underprivileged entrepreneurs, and working with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project.

“Beyond his work as a skilled litigator, Oderah is known for his dedication to community service through a robust pro bono practice and a strong commitment to the advancement of diversity and inclusion in the law,” said the firm’s Philadelphia office leader Dan Aiken. “Faegre Drinker has a recognized legacy of pro bono and community service work in and around Philadelphia, and Oderah’s background in this area strengthens the firm’s role in supporting our community, particularly those who are most in need of a strong legal advocate.”

Outside of his practice, Nwaeze is involved in civic organizations and professional associations that promote diversity and the advancement of justice and equity in the law, including as a Fellow and mentor with the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association, where he served as associate editor of the TYL Editorial Board. He is also on the Board of Directors for Community Legal Aid Society, Inc., Mother Teresa House Inc., and Campus Philly, and he sits on the Compliance Committee of Board of Trustees of Bancroft. Nwaeze also volunteers his time through Philadelphia Futures' Sponsor-A-Scholar Program, including by serving as a mentor to a couple of superb Philadelphia students.

Nwaeze earned his Juris Doctor from the Emory University School of Law, where he was inducted into the Order of Emory Advocates, a member of Emory Mock Trial Society, president of the Student/Alumni Association and served on the Emory Law Honor Court. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of the track and field team and a recipient of the Joseph G. Gordon Merit Scholarship. He serves on alumni councils at both universities, and on the Alumni Advisory Board of the Emory Law School Black Law Students Association.

Nwaeze is the 11th partner to join Faegre Drinker in 2021. His arrival marks the third partner addition to the firm’s litigation practice, and he is the second partner to join in Philadelphia this week.

With 250 litigators licensed in key jurisdictions throughout the United States, Shanghai and London, Faegre Drinker’s litigation team provides unparalleled counsel services, comprehensive on-the-ground litigation support and key local court relationships.

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