Find Lawyers in America for Litigation - Securities
Practice Area Overview
Regardless of the setting, a securities litigator must be a persuasive advocate who works to achieve the best possible outcome for the client. To do that, an attorney practicing in the area of securities litigation must understand the client’s legal and business needs, and also have a comprehensive understanding of federal and state securities laws and regulations, and related common law. Securities law has evolved dramatically over the past two decades and continues to develop. For example, just recently in June 2011, the United States Supreme Court in Janus Capital Group, Inc. v. First Derivative Traders, No. 09-525, narrowed the scope of primary liability in federal securities fraud actions to those with “ultimate authority” over the allegedly false statements.
Securities disputes frequently spawn parallel civil, regulatory or even criminal actions or investigations. Effective securities litigators rely on experience and judgment to zealously represent clients while remaining sensitive to the potential implications of positions or strategies to those clients in other settings.
Select a location from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
State
David Ackerman defends law firms in professional malpractice and legal ethics actions. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, clients value his litigation experience and strategic insight in resolving disputes through trial and appeals, negotiation, or arbitration. Ranked by Chambers USA , where he is described as “an even-keeled, thoughtful and smart attorney,” he is repeatedly recognized by Florida Trend’s Legal Elite and included in The Best Lawyers in America...
Jimmy Adams is a versatile and seasoned litigator with more than 30 years of experience in arbitrations and in federal and state courts. Jimmy represents clients on dispute and litigation issues related to noncompetition agreements, taxation, health care, professional malpractice, ERISA and estate litigation, and all types of corporate and commercial disputes. He is an accomplished litigator who is very familiar with the process, strategy and custom at the trial and appellate levels. His goal...
Don Aho practices in the area of litigation with an emphasis on business and banking litigation, securities-related litigation, professional liability, healthcare, insurance, arbitration and mediation. With more than 30 years of experience in these areas, Mr. Aho is able to provide clients with guidance to assist them in avoiding disputes, to use creative alternative dispute resolution techniques to settle the disputes or litigate them to a successful conclusion. Mr. Aho routinely represents ...
Tom Ajamie is the founder of Ajamie LLP. He represents clients in complex commercial litigation and arbitration. His work includes groundbreaking securities and financial cases, cross-border litigation, business contract disputes and employment issues. His cases have been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The American Lawyer. He established The Ajamie Foundation, which provides scholarships to university students. He is co-author of the book Fina...
James E. Arnold is recognized as one of Ohio's top trial lawyers. He was recognized by Best Lawyers as Central Ohio's "Securities Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2012, as the "Bet-The-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2013, and as the "Intellectual Property Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2014. Since 2001 he has consistently been recognized by Best Lawyers in multiple fields, including bet-the-company, personal injury (plaintiffs and defense), commercial, intellectual property and...
David A. Ball is a principal in the firm's Litigation , Securities , and Telecommunications & Utilities Groups. Resident in the firm's Bridgeport office, Mr. Ball practices in state and federal court handling complex commercial litigation cases; shareholder and partnership disputes; business tort claims; securities fraud actions; and administrative appeals. He also litigates before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and has extensive experience handling arbitrations before the Am...
Bill Banowsky focuses his practice on complex business litigation and arbitration, securities litigation, and corporate governance investigations. He also represents national and international energy industry clients in various disputes involving contract rights and business torts. In recent years, he has become involved in numerous disputes representing healthcare providers including hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, medical device suppliers, physician groups and ancillary providers. Mr...
Sam Baxter is a principal in McKool Smith's Marshall and Dallas offices. He is a former Texas state district judge and district attorney for Harrison County, Texas. Few people know the Eastern District of Texas—an important venue in intellectual property litigation—as well as Sam does. His unique ability to connect with jurors and skillfully cross-examine witnesses has helped him secure significant verdicts for clients. Four of these victories have been recognized in The National ...
Olivier A. Beabeau leads the firm’s business litigation and intellectual property practice groups. Olivier’s practice focuses on complex civil litigation at the trial and appellate level, alternative dispute resolution through arbitration and mediation, and trademark and copyright protection in the United States and abroad. He has significant experience litigating high-stakes partnership disputes, contract disputes, securities fraud, residential construction fraud, unfair competit...
Keith has substantial experience litigating complex commercial matters in a variety of contexts, including business torts, injunctive proceedings, legal malpractice defense, and claims against directors and officers. He has served as lead counsel in the defense of class actions. Additionally, Keith represents broker-dealers and investment professionals in the litigation, arbitration, and regulatory arenas. He has been involved in evidentiary injunctive matters on a broad range of issues, incl...
Katherine Lubin Benson is a partner in our San Francisco office specializing in securities and derivative suits and antitrust class actions. Katherine’s successful cases include a shareholder derivative action against The Boeing Company’s officers and directors . Katherine 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 al...
Nick is of counsel in the firm’s Securities Litigation & Regulatory practice group. A trial lawyer with 40 years of experience, he defends financial services firms and their employees in securities matters all over the country. Nick’s practice encompasses the full range of investor-based disputes and regulatory enforcement proceedings, as well as disputes arising out of employment practices in the financial services industry. He also handles internal investigations and investi...
Ronald Berenstain, a partner in the firm's Litigation practice, has been lead counsel in scores of high-stakes securities and corporate governance cases for more than 30 years. His practice is focused on representing public companies and their officers and directors, as well as underwriters and accountants in shareholder class action litigation, shareholder derivative litigation, merger and acquisition litigation, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) class action litigation, Securi...
Jamie L. Berger is a member of the firm and serves as the firm’s hiring partner. Clients have praised Jamie for her "out-of-the-box solutions to complicated legal problems" and "impeccable judgment." Jamie practices in all aspects of complex litigation. She has litigated, arbitrated, and advised clients in a variety of areas, including securities, corporate governance, contract disputes, and government and regulatory investigations. Her clients come from a range of industries, including...
When a company or its leaders are at risk, founding partner Daniel J. Bergeson uses his substantial litigation and trial experience to advocate for their rights and reputations in lawsuits involving securities, intellectual property, employment, private equity and venture capital, and commercial law. He focuses on the essential facts to persuade juries, judges, and triers of cases in state and federal courts and arbitration forums in Silicon Valley, Delaware, New York, and other dispute resol...
Maureen Beyers practices complex commercial litigation and arbitration. Licensed in Arizona since 1996 and New York since 1988, Maureen practices in state and federal court representing clients in wide assortment of contract and business tort disputes across many industries. Litigation Practice: From technology to franchise and everything in between, Maureen is known for her effective and efficient approach to complex litigation. For the last several years, Maureen has been recognized for her...
Robert Bieck is special counsel in the Litigation Practice Group. He focuses on securities and other regulatory compliance and enforcement defense, and capital markets products and corporate governance litigation. Rob represents securities brokers, banks and other financial institutions, and corporations, as well as their directors, officers, and other employees, in matters arising under federal and state securities laws, general corporate laws, banking laws, and the Employee Retirement Incom...
Deborah Birnbach is a partner and co-chairs Goodwin’s Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Public M&A / Corporate Governance practices and is a member of the firm’s Life Sciences Disputes group. She specializes in securities litigation, including class action defense; SEC, regulatory and internal investigations; M&A-related litigation; stockholder disputes; fiduciary duty claims; and proxy contests. Ms. Birnbach’s practice is national in scope and clients ...
Michael Brickman is a skilled trial attorney and legal strategist who has devoted his career to representing consumers in complex legal matters against the world’s largest corporations. He is a founding member of RPWB. From confronting anti-competitive and unscrupulous business practices to helping those harmed by dangerous products, Michael is known for taking on challenging cases in emerging areas of the law that benefit workers, consumers and ordinary investors. Michael was born in C...
Mark Briol graduated summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota. Mark Briol graduated number one in his class at William Mitchell College of Law. Mark Briol has tried more than 80 commercial and securities cases to award or verdict. Mark Briol is a frequent lecturer and author in the area of securities litigation and securities issues in general.
James J. Brosnahan is named among the top 30 trial lawyers in the United States, according to the Legal 500 US . A lion of the trial bar , James J. Brosnahan is one of the most respected and recognized trial lawyers in the United States. Mr. Brosnahan has more than 50 years of experience in both civil and criminal trial work. He regularly undertakes complex cases that are about to go to trial. He has tried, to conclusion, 150 cases. The cases have ranged from anti-trust to wire fraud and from...
Trevor A. Brown represents clients in both litigation and transactions. His real estate experience ranges from resort acquisition and development to acting as trial counsel to establish beach access rights based on Kingdom of Hawaii land use. Mr. Brown's corporate experience ranges from negotiating corporate restructurings to acting as trial counsel to force the break-up of related land development corporations. Mr. Brown counsels trustees and beneficiaries in trust matters and also represent...
Jason Burge has more than 17 years of experience recovering funds for victims of financial misconduct in single plaintiff, mass action, and class action cases against banks, loan servicers, stockbrokers, and investment firms. With a background in economics, Jason specializes in distilling complex financial transactions into terms that judges, arbitrators, and jurors can understand. Jason routinely represents individual and institutional investors and borrowers in securities fraud and lender l...
Jim Burke helps clients develop sound litigation strategies and execute on those strategies successfully to resolve corporate disputes. Jim’s practice focuses on complex corporate and commercial litigation, including both trial and appellate practice, in state and federal court. He has handled cases before courts in Ohio, Kentucky, California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Colorado and Delaware. He has significant experience in financial and transactional cases, c...
Beth is tenacious and a rigorous thinker. Her practice focuses on business disputes of all kinds, in courtroom and arbitration settings, including FINRA. Beth’s clients include publicly traded and private companies and their officers and employees operating in a wide array of industries such as real estate development, insurance, energy and utility, restaurant and retail, financial investing, and health care. Beth’s litigation experience also includes trust and estate work, and ap...
Guy has over 40 years of trial experience with over 100 trials in State and Federal Courts, as well as dozens of trials conducted before arbitration panels. He primarily represents plaintiffs in complex commercial, securities, financial malpractice and consumer fraud litigation and in class actions, generally on a contingency fee basis. He also represents defendants in selected large, complex commercial disputes. He has successfully represented plaintiffs in numerous disputes against brokerag...
Jon is a commercial litigator with experience in litigation of supply chain disputes, asset purchase agreements, franchise agreements, and other business related litigation. Jon also has a substantial practice in securities dispute, including litigation and arbitration of securities and investor disputes, in which he has successfully represented investors and broker-dealers. His experience on sophisticated matters includes bringing cases to summary judgment, trial, and courts of appeal. Jon i...
Howard Cabot is widely recognized nationally as a leading courtroom lawyer in complex and sophisticated litigation, including antitrust, securities, intellectual property and class actions. His experience extends to state and federal court matters, as well as emergency injunctions, jury and non-jury trials, and appeals. His jury trials have ranged from several days to as long as six months. He also teaches trial advocacy, evidence and professionalism as an adjunct professor at the Sandra Day ...
Under Elizabeth Cabraser’s leadership, Lieff Cabraser has become one of the country’s largest law firms serving clients seeking redress for financial and consumer fraud , anti-competitive practices , harmful drugs and products , and illegal employment practices . For four decades, Elizabeth has made sure that our firm remains dedicated to its clients and its core values. Possessing unparalleled expertise in complex civil litigation, Elizabeth has served as court-appointed lead, co...
Webb Campbell’s business litigation practice focuses on representing companies and individuals in shareholder and corporate governance lawsuits, insurance coverage disputes, breach of contract and employment matters, business torts involving fraud and enforcement of restrictive covenants, and plaintiffs’ recovery cases in the area of antitrust. As a veteran trial lawyer with over three decades of experience spanning a wide range of high-stakes matters, Mr. Campbell also teams regu...
James R. Carroll heads the litigation practice of Skadden’s Boston office. Mr. Carroll has broad experience — including jury trial experience — in consumer products, insurance, subprime-related issues and securities class action defense, as well as a broad array of complex civil litigations. Mr. Carroll is handling a number of purported class actions for major national life insurers and is defending a variety of purported class and individual actions in the life, disability ...
Paul S. Chan is the managing principal of Bird Marella. His practice focuses on the trial and arbitration of complex business disputes, including commercial fraud, class action, securities, and intellectual property litigation. Paul also represents companies and individuals in regulatory and parallel civil/criminal investigations. A graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard College, Paul has particular expertise litigating cases involving the False Claims Act, civil RICO statute, unfair comp...
Proven hustle. Unrivaled grit. Bold execution. Daniel has spent years on the front lines of high-stakes litigation in both federal and state courts throughout the country, coast to coast, and international arbitrations around the world. He is equally comfortable in a courtroom talking to a jury as he is in a boardroom talking to executives or on a gravel road talking to witnesses. Daniel uses a combination of experience, intellect, grit, and compassion to achieve his client’s goals. And...
Anthony W. Clark heads Skadden’s corporate restructuring and bankruptcy litigation practice in Wilmington, Del., and represents debtors, creditors and acquirers. He also handles corporate, securities and general litigation matters. Mr. Clark’s Chapter 11 debtor representations include: Refco Inc.; Accuride Corporation; Central European Distribution Corporation (named as the “Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year (Over $1 Billion)” for 2013 by The M&A Advisor); Exid...
Robert Clark has extensive experience in complex litigation, representing local and national companies with respect to securities, class actions, trade secrets, antitrust, corporate governance, intellectual property, shareholder derivative actions, etc. He has extensive experience representing clients in state and federal courts including trials, arbitrations, appeals, and settlements. Mr. Clark has served as President of the Utah Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He received a Bachelor...
David Clouston has been practicing securities, commercial and employment litigation in Dallas, Texas since 1993. With a reputation for unparalleled advocacy in state and federal court, as well as in various arbitration forums, he works closely with brokerage firms, oil, gas and chemical companies, manufacturers and distributors, real estate brokers and agents, and wholesale/retail businesses in a variety of matters, including litigation avoidance, customer disputes and claims, employment and ...
Michael Clyde, a partner in the firm's litigation practice, has more than 30 years of experience in securities, corporate governance, professional liability, antitrust and other complex litigation. He has represented securities issuers, directors, officers and professionals in a wide variety of litigation involving securities, corporate governance and financial disclosure and accounting issues. In December 2009, Michael was lead trial counsel for craigslist, Inc. in eBay v. Craig Newmark, whe...
Joseph C. Coates III focuses his practice on securities litigation, regulatory and class actions and serves as the head of the West Palm Beach Securities Litigation Group. Joe has represented most of the major broker/dealers in all aspects of their business, including federal and state courts, regulatory matters, and arbitrations. His representation of clients include appearances as appellate counsel in securities litigation cases in federal and state courts. Joe also focuses on shareholder d...
Steve Collins is a partner practicing in the firm’s Litigation & Trial Practice and Securities Litigation Groups. His practice focuses on (1) securities litigation, investigations and enforcement proceedings; (2) financial services litigation; and (3) transaction-based litigation, as the principal components of a commercial litigation practice. Securities Litigation and Investigations: Mr. Collins represents clients in SEC, stock exchange and state securities investigations and enfo...
Dennis Concilla practices securities law, business law and litigation at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP, where he provides counsel to securities broker-dealers, investment advisors, registered representatives and banking institutions. CPM’s Securities Practice Group, headed by Dennis Concilla, is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of securities recruiting law and has represented numerous national and regional securities and investment firms. Dennis served as Legal Counsel ...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.