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Emily Westridge Black

Partner

Email

emily.westridgeblack@aoshearman.com

Phone

+1 512 647 1909

Offices

Austin

V-CARD
Emily is the Sector Lead for Established Industries and the Managing Partner in Austin. She represents leading companies in high-stakes investigations and litigation.

For nearly 20 years, Emily has served as a trusted adviser to boards and executives, helping them successfully navigate their most sensitive concerns, including products liability, fraud and anticorruption, securities / ESG, environmental / mass tort, and cybersecurity.

Clients have commended her as “a consummate leader in litigation matters” who is “very commercial” and “extremely good at building coalitions without ceding ground.” Others praise her “keen insight” and ability to “quickly grasp the practical implications legal issues have for our business.”

She has also repeatedly been recognized by Chambers USA for commercial litigation and was selected as Attorney of the Year by the Texas Lawyer in 2019.

Experience

Representative matters

Products Liability Matters

PolyPipe/Dura-Line, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of the plastic pipes that are used by utilities and operators in their natural gas distribution networks, in the investigation and disclosure of a manufacturing issue and in related matters, including Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric Company v. Dura-Line Corporation, et. al, pending in the Superior Court for Los Angeles County, California.

Fortune 500 manufacturing company in a $250 million products liability case brought by a downstream domestic products manufacturer. Obtained favorable settlement of all claims and third-party claims.

European manufacturer in investigation of alleged safety issues in construction material product lines.

Pro bono

Emily is dedicated to serving the community. She serves on the A&O Shearman Americas Social Impact Committee, where she helps guide the firm’s pro bono commitments.

Since 2010, she has been involved in humanitarian asylum work, and has helped nearly twenty individuals from countries including Cameroon, Ghana, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras win asylum, including a case that secured a precedent-setting opinion on constitutional due process rights of asylum-seekers.

Published Work

  • Co-Author (2024) “6 Focus Areas For Companies Managing The Risks Of AI Use” Law360
  • Co-Author (2023) “New York State Finalizes Significant Amendment to Part 500 Cybersecurity Regulation” American Bar Association
  • Co-Author (2022) “2021 Year in Review: Antitrust and Business Litigation” Texas Bar Journal
  • Co-Author (2021) “2020 Year in Review: Antitrust and Business Litigation” Texas Bar Journal

Speaking Engagements

  • Co-Presenter, The Evolving Landscape of ESG Litigation, University of Texas School of Law The Review of Litigation Symposium: The ESG Legal Landscape, February 2024
  • Co-Presenter, Harnessing the Potential of Artificial Intelligence While Ethically Managing the Risks, Leading Investment Management Firm, October 2023
  • Co-Presenter, Social Media and Artificial Intelligence – Ethical Guidelines for Lawyers, Public Utility Law Section of the State Bar of Texas Annual Conference, September 2023
  • Co-Presenter, Social Media and AI – Ethical Guidelines for Lawyers, Texas General Counsel Forum, May 2023

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

  • Co-Chair, Privacy and Data Security Committee, Litigation Section of the American Bar Association
  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation
  • Member, United Way Women United
  • Associate, Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court (2009)
Recognition
“Emily has been recognized for general commercial litigation, with clients noting she is “a consummate leader in litigation matters” who is “extremely good at building coalitions without ceding ground.” Others praise her as “just wildly intelligent” and “a great writer” with “keen insight,” who “can quickly grasp the legal implications of an issue but more importantly can quickly grasp the practical implications those legal issues have for our business.” As a result, Emily “delivers practical advice that almost always generates cost savings.” Clients also describe her as “sharp,” and “knowledgeable and thorough in her analysis,” “absolutely phenomenal with expert witnesses,” and note that “her work ethic is unbelievable.”
Chambers USA

Awards

  • Recognized by Chambers USA, 2021-2023
  • Recognized by The Legal 500 in Financial Services Litigation and Securities Litigation, 2023
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), 2024
  • Attorney of the Year, Texas Lawyer, 2019

Qualifications

Admissions

Texas, 2007

Courts

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

United States District Court for the Western District of Texas

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Academic

B.A., University of North Carolina, 2003, Phi Beta Kappa

J.D., University of Texas, 2007, Phi Delta Phi

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.