Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP

Partner

Commercial Litigation; Plaintiffs' Litigation; Securities Litigation

Stephen W. Tountas is a versatile trial lawyer who prosecutes and defends complex securities actions and commercial disputes on behalf of leading hedge funds, mutual funds, family offices, and public pension funds.

Steve has been a principal member of several high-profile trial teams and has recovered billions of dollars for stakeholders of public companies.  He also regularly handles significant defense-side litigation, including matters arising from allegations of securities fraud and corporate malfeasance.

In addition to his active litigation practice, Steve develops potential cases for his clients and provides strategic advice regarding the relative merits of pursuing litigation on a direct or class-wide basis.  Sophisticated creditors also frequently turn to Steve to develop litigation strategies in anticipation of potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings that may enhance their recovery of fraud-related losses compared to other stakeholders.

In 2020, The National Law Journal named Steve a Plaintiff’s Trailblazer and highlighted the success of his market-leading strategies in several recent direct securities actions.  He has also been recommended by The Legal 500 for securities opt-out litigation (2018-2020); by Benchmark Litigation as a Local Litigation Star (2020); recognized on Benchmark Litigation’s Under 40 Hot List (2016-2018); honored as a Rising Star by Law360 (2017); and recognized by New York Metro Super Lawyers (2014-2018).

He is a long-term member of the Securities Litigation Committee of the New York City Bar Association, and he is frequently asked to speak or comment on issues pertaining to securities litigation.  Steve is also a member of Law360's Securities Editorial Advisory Board.

New Jersey; New York; U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey; U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court

Washington University School of Law (J.D., Dean’s List and Scholar of Law, 2003); Union College (B.A., Political Science, Dean’s List, 2000)

New York City Bar Association, Securities Litigation Committee; Appointed Member (2014 – Present), Secretary (2011 – 2013); Federal Bar Council