Ellen Paulus

Vice President

Contact

  • Boston

Education

Ellen Paulus specializes in matters involving investments, financial markets, financial institutions, and valuation. Dr. Paulus consults to financial services firms, including asset managers and broker-dealers, with a focus on matters involving the performance, pricing, trading, portfolio allocation, and alleged manipulation of a wide range of investments and financial products. She also focuses on valuation, including matters before the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Dr. Paulus supports clients and experts through all phases of litigation, including mediation, deposition, class certification, and trial. She has published research in the Journal of Empirical Finance.

Investments

Dr. Paulus has assessed a range of issues arising in portfolio management firms. She has supported firms in regulatory investigations led by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Department of Justice. She has worked on class action litigation matters involving Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Dr. Paulus has extensive experience with issues related to trading and portfolio allocation, pricing of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closed-end funds, and a range of structured products. Her expertise includes:

Collusive conduct in financial markets

Dr. Paulus has assessed the alleged market manipulation of bid-ask spreads, asset prices, and benchmark prices in FX markets, over-the-counter markets for corporate bonds, and the primary market for ETFs. She has worked with major financial institutions to analyze large transaction-level datasets and conducted forensic analyses of specific trading episodes.

Dr. Paulus has addressed antitrust issues arising in commercial litigation as well as regulatory and internal investigations. Her experience includes:

  • Addressing alleged market manipulation and collusive conduct in FX markets, both in the contexts of class certification and liability and damages
  • Consulting on multinational regulatory investigations into the alleged manipulation of precious metal derivatives
  • Analyzing alleged manipulation of a pricing algorithm for corporate bonds in the context of internal investigations
Valuation

Dr. Paulus has led teams to conduct company valuations, notably in matters before the Delaware Court of Chancery and the United States Tax Court. Her expertise includes analyzing the complex financial structure of high-growth technology companies.

Press Release

Cornerstone Research Announces Senior Staff Promotions to Vice President and Principal

Case

The Hertz Corporation et al. v. Frissora et al.

Press Release

Cornerstone Research Promotes Four to Principal in Boston, Chicago, and Washington

Research

Exchange-Traded Funds

Case

Trading in ETF Basket Securities by an Authorized Participant

Case

Valuation of Odd-Lot Holdings of Securities by ETFs

Case

In re BlackRock Mutual Funds Advisory Fee Litigation

Case

Excessive Risk: Corporate and Municipal Bond Funds