Atty. Sean A. Petterson
Sean A. Petterson is a partner in Lieff Cabraser’s New York office.
Profile Summary
About Sean A. Petterson at a glance
Sean A. Petterson is a business and litigation attorney based in New York, New York, practicing at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP. They have 10+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 2016. Admitted to practice in New York (2016). Educated at New York University (J.D., 2015) and Brandeis University (B.A (Summa Cum Laude) History and American Studies, 2011). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Litigation (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Awards: (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — “Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2025, 2026 (2026). Serands clients in New York, NY and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Sean A. Petterson is a partner in Lieff Cabraser’s New York office
- He is a member of the firm’s cybersecurity/data privacy practice group
- As a member of that group, he focuses on nationwide data breach class actions
- He was recently appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the nationwide In re: Snowflake, Inc., Data Security Breach Litigation
- Additionally, he works on the pending nationwide data breaches against Marriott and Quest Labs, with a particular focus on experts
- Along with his data breach work, Mr. Petterson represents truck drivers in two proposed class actions brought under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act against two technology providers
- Mr. Petterson is also a member of the firm’s securities practice group
- Sean’s successful cases include a shareholder derivative action against The Boeing Company’s officers and directors [hyperlink: https://www.lieffcabraser.com/securities/boeing/]
- Sean represented Co-Lead Plaintiffs the New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, as trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, and the Fire and Police Pension Association of Colorado in the action alleging breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the board of directors’ oversight of the 737 MAX’s design and development
- In February 2022, the Delaware Chancery Court approved a settlement comprised of a $237.5 million cash payment and extensive corporate governance reforms
- Sean was also a member of the Lieff Cabraser team representing Co-Lead Plaintiff Fire and Police Pension Association of Colorado in a shareholder derivative action against Wells Fargo’s current and former officers and directors [hyperlink: https://www.lieffcabraser.com/securities/wells-fargo/] arising from the illicit sales practices scandal
- The case settled for a $240 million cash payment and corporate governance reforms in April 2020
- The settlement represents the largest insurer-funded derivative settlement in history
- Sean is also a member of the firm’s consumer practice group, where he has helped successfully resolve cases brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act [hyperlink https://www.lieffcabraser.com/consumer/tcpa-cases/]
- And, finally, Sean is currently representing retired pastors in the In Re: AME Church Employee Retirement Fund Litigation, MDL No. 3035
- Sean has been named “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers from 2021-2025 and a Rising Star for the New York Metro Area by Super Lawyers from 2021-2024
- He has spoken at conferences regarding data breach litigation, with a particular focus on Article III standing and damages
- Prior to joining Lieff Cabraser, Sean was an associate at Boies Schiller Flexner, LLP from 2015-2018
- He is a 2015 graduate from New York University School of Law with a Juris Doctor, where he was a Robert McKay scholar and a Senior Quorum Editor for the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy
- Sean also graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University with a B.A. in both History and American Studies
Practice Areas Explained
Sean A. Petterson's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Sean A. Petterson handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
Sean A. Petterson is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in New York →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Sean A. Petterson is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in New York →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in New York
Practicing law in New York. Legal matters in New York are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in New York are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate New York state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in New York brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in New York courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional New York attorneys? Browse all attorneys in New York or all attorneys in New York.
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