Class Action Defense

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Companies across all industries face an increasing number of class, collective and representative actions, including high-profile multi-district litigation matters.  Class action litigation exposes companies to tremendous risks and uncertainty, including financial liability, defense expenses, uncertain results, and reputational damage.

Cadwalader attorneys have extensive experience defending our clients in high-stakes class action lawsuits in jurisdictions throughout the country.  Our litigators represent clients in shareholder class actions, often following public offerings or events that are claimed to impact the price of securities, derivative suits, customer disputes, and a wide variety of other cases. We have handled class action litigations on behalf of a wide range of clients across industries, including issuers, underwriters, and auditors, and are adept at dealing with the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company and Investment Advisors Acts of 1940, and related federal and state laws.  In addition, we have represented numerous officers and directors accused of securities law violations in state and federal shareholder class actions cases involving alleged violations of Sections 5, 11, 12 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 10(b) and 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, among others.

Cadwalader is known for delivering innovative legal strategies and extraordinary results in class action litigation.  Our goal is always to obtain a favorable resolution of each case at the earliest possible stage.  Cadwalader attorneys routinely obtain dismissals of class actions at the pleading stage or denials of class certification, and if a matter should proceed to trial, we are equally adept at defending and trying certified class actions.  We have experience in every step of the process of defending class action litigation, and, because we understand the path that these types of cases typically take, we provide extraordinarily cost-effective representation.  Our practice draws on the expertise of our lawyers in a variety of industries, including financial services, energy, health care, defense, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, real estate, supermarkets, and telecommunications.  

Class action litigation is often accompanied by parallel proceedings, including federal statutory claims, derivative actions, regulatory investigations, and cross-border actions. We have extensive experience managing parallel proceedings, both within our firm and working with other firms, to ensure that actions taken in one proceeding do not negatively impact another.  We are also skilled at using knowledge gained in one dispute to effectively manage risk in another.  In many instances, class action litigation can result from, or lead to, regulatory and criminal proceedings, and our White Collar Defense and Investigations practice is prepared to help our clients navigate these types of issues.

The reputational risks that can accompany class action litigation are often as important to our clients as the potential monetary costs.  We work with our clients and third-party service providers to develop a comprehensive public relations and media strategy with the goal of prevailing not only in the courtroom, but in the court of public opinion.

8 Attorneys

Burns, Gillian Groarke Special Counsel, Associate General Counsel New York
T. +1 212 504 5696
Halper, Jason M. Partner New York
T. +1 212 504 6300
Hawkins, Howard R. Jr. Senior Counsel New York
T. +1 212 504 6422
Holloman, Ellen V. Partner New York
T. +1 212 504 6200
Karlan, Matthew Partner New York
T. +1 212 504 6169
Magid, Adam K. Partner New York
T. +1 212 504 6314
Stanisci, Jared Partner New York
T. +1 212 504 6075
Watkins, Jonathan Partner Charlotte
T. +1 704 348 5129
New York
T. +1 212 504 6229

Contact(s)