Nancy Chung

NANCY CHUNG is a member of the firm's Management Committee and Executive Committee. She also serves as the managing partner of the New York office, head of the Litigation group in New York, and co-head of the global Investment Funds Litigation practice. Nancy has more than 25 years of experience handling crisis management situations and other high-stakes commercial litigation and investigations with cross-border implications. Nancy’s matters often involve significant, sensitive reputational matters for global asset management firms, sovereign wealth funds, and other multi-national companies across a wide range of industry sectors. Her matters are multidisciplinary and cross the spectrum of commercial, white collar criminal defense, securities, and bankruptcy litigation.

Nancy is a trusted advisor and go-to litigator for her clients and their founders, boards, and other senior professionals in managing and assessing their litigation risks and developing value-oriented litigation avoidance solutions. Her matters involve disputes and other risk management issues in the United States and in various foreign jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, Asia and emerging markets in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In that capacity, she has also handled high-profile multi-jurisdictional litigation, arbitrations, and internal and other regulatory investigations.

“Nancy has a great way with clients and instills a lot of confidence. She’s great at crisis management and making sure everything is being handled.”
Chambers USA 2024

“[Nancy] is a superb tactician as well as a highly commercial adviser who routinely helps clients navigate the thorniest of matters to excellent effect.”
Chambers USA 2022

Nancy’s experience and strong performance have earned her recognition in Chambers USA for New York Litigation: General Commercial (2022–2025), where clients comment that “she demonstrates extraordinary command of the law with great attention to detail and concern for the client” (2022). In 2024, the New York Law Journal honored Nancy as “Office Managing Partner of the Year” at the New York Legal Awards. She has also been recognized as one of Crain’s 2019 “Annual Notable Women in Law,” as well as a 2018 “Rainmaker” by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. 

Nancy received her B.A. in political science and English with honors from Vassar College in 1991 and her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1995. Nancy was a Fulbright Scholar from 1991 to 1992 in Seoul, Korea.

While Nancy is often called upon on a pre-litigation basis and for her crisis management services, she has been involved in many significant litigations and regulatory investigations for investment funds and other multinational clients. Her recent representations include:

• Representing the founder of a multibillion-dollar hedge fund as plaintiff in pursuing defamation claims in New York state court, after securing appellate reversal of the trial court's dismissal of the client's claims on forum non conveniens grounds.
• Representing a family office as plaintiff in litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery arising from a dispute over an investment in a real estate fund, securing a favorable settlement after uncovering additional claims in discovery.
• Defending a multibillion-dollar asset management firm and related investment professionals from claims asserted by a former business partner in multiple forums in the United States and abroad.
• Defending a multibillion-dollar asset management firm and their investment professionals, including in mediation, from breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference of contract and other claims arising from a portfolio company investment.
• Defending the founder of a multibillion-dollar hedge fund against civil RICO claims filed in the Southern District of New York, securing a complete dismissal at the pleading stage.
• Defending a foreign investment firm and its founder and principals in litigation in New York State Court and before the Appellate Division First Department, securing a dismissal on forum non conveniens grounds at the pleading stage.
• Advising a multibillion-dollar asset management firm on corporate governance issues related to a portfolio company investment.
• Defending a multibillion-dollar asset management firm from claims asserted by their joint venture partner relating to an emerging markets-based portfolio company investment.
• Defending a multibillion-dollar asset management firm in an international ICC arbitration regarding an emerging markets based portfolio company investment.
• Defending an asset management firm and one of its investment professionals in Section 1782 discovery litigation in the Southern District of New York and before the Second Circuit.
• Defending a multibillion-dollar hedge fund and its senior investment professional in connection with alleged fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims.
• Defending a multibillion-dollar hedge fund in an investigation conducted by the SEC relating to collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and other mortgage-related securities, alongside parallel civil litigation.
• Defending senior legal and compliance executives of a European-based multinational company in audit committee, DOJ and SEC investigations involving the Foreign Corruption Practices Act (FCPA) and anti-bribery laws in foreign jurisdictions.
• Defending multiple individuals and investment funds in different insider trading investigations conducted by the SEC.
• Defending multiple individuals, including accounting officers in accounting fraud investigations by the SEC, DOJ and/or various congressional committees.
• Defending a leading emerging markets investment fund client in securing dismissals of securities fraud claims in their entirety (Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) involving its investment in China.
• Defending a multibillion-dollar private equity firm in a $22 billion lawsuit commenced by unsecured creditors relating to a high-profile leveraged buyout.
• Defending a multibillion-dollar investment fund client in dismissal of securities fraud and other contract claims involving Bahamian and Cayman incorporated funds.
• Defending a multibillion-dollar hedge fund client in the UK proceedings where the purchaser (another major investment fund) alleged fraud, misrepresentation and breach of warranty claims regarding a resale of shares in an Eastern European company.
• Defending a multibillion-dollar private equity firm and its senior managing partner in the defense of multiple fraud suits in New York and Delaware Chancery Court in connection with a portfolio company investment.
• Defending a Korean conglomerate in an international ICC arbitration involving the application of Korean law.

Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.

Nancy is a member of the Lincoln Center Leadership Fellows program. She also serves on the Board of Directors at the Legal Aid Society.