North America - United States • Dispute resolution
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP‘s litigators have ’deep experience in all aspects of securities and shareholder litigation.‘ The firm’s stellar corporate and financial institution client base puts it very much at the epicentre of high-stakes securities cases. New York partners Jonathan Youngwood and Lynn Neuner lead the group. Youngwood recently defended ProAssurance in a securities class action arising from alleged misrepresentations and omissions concerning the company’s loss reserves for physician-staffing company TeamHealth. Senior counsel Janet Gochman also had a major role in that case. Bryan Jin in Palo Alto is a key adviser to Chinese companies. He worked with Blake and Youngwood to defend Alibaba Group in a notable securities class action. Up-and-coming partners Stephen Blake in Palo Alto and Craig Waldman in New York play increasingly prominent roles in the group’s key matters. New York-based Peter Kazanoff is also highly regarded by peers and clients.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘My impression of the team as a whole is that they are one of the top US firms in this regard. In the past years, the team has represented us in defending in securities litigations. They have done a very good job helping the company's Chinese executives and employees to understanding the requirements of foreign legal proceedings and they have deep understanding of our company's businesses. I always found their legal advice not only technically strong, but also commercially sensible.’
‘My main contact person in the team is Bryan Jin, their litigation partner in Palo Alto office. He is one of the few litigators who is not only experienced in handling complex US litigations, but also have deep understanding of Chinese companies' culture and needs so that he works smoothly with our in-house legal and business teams in Chinese companies. His expertise and Chinese capability facilitates better communication with the company's management team. He is also very responsive and can always deliver work in a timely fashion. ’
‘Jon Youngwood and the team are exceptional. I've worked with him on large commercial matters including complex securities litigation on the defense side. As a mediator I work with the top litigation teams at all of the big firms and Youngwood stands out. He represents a new breed of whip-smart lawyers, a statesman, smarter than the next lawyer and also willing to be direct at all times. Word is gold.’
‘The lawyers I work with have deep experience in all aspects of securities and shareholder litigation, and familiarity with the key players in this segment.’
‘Jon Youngwood and Steve Blake are both experienced and savvy, and have the knowledge and judgment necessary to identify the jugular issues in any matter and to develop a strategy to attack them.’
Key clients
- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd
- Allakos Inc.
- Bausch Healthcare (f/k/a Valeant Pharmaceuticals)
- The Blackstone Group, LP
- Bumble
- Deutsche Bank AG
- J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
- Micron Technology, Inc.
- Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc.
- NAPCO Security Technologies
- Paysafe Limited
- ProAssurance Corporation
- Qudian Inc.
- SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc.
- TaskUs Holdings, Inc.
- The Toronto-Dominion Bank
- Twitter Inc.
- ViacomCBS (n/k/a Paramount Global)
- Workhorse Board of Directors
Work highlights
- Acted for Toronto-Dominion Bank in resolving Stanford-related litigation on the eve of trial.
- Secured a win for Bumble in litigation over shareholder voting structure.
- Defending ProAssurance Corporation in a securities and derivative litigation, including winning dismissal in shareholder derivative action.
Lawyers
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Next Generation Partners
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Steve Blake is a Litigation Partner in our Palo Alto office. Steve has extensive experience resolving high-stakes shareholder litigation and securities regulatory matters. Steve regularly advises corporations, financial institutions, funds and their advisors in connection with mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, legal compliance and commercial disputes. Steve also regularly represents entities and individuals before the SEC, FINRA and stock exchanges. Steve frequently writes and lectures on shareholder litigation, fiduciary duties and issues under the Securities Act, Exchange Act, Investment Company Act and Investment Advisors Act. Steve is the author of the quarterly “Stock Block” column in The Recorder. His recent columns “Along Came SPACs, and Then SPAC Litigation,” “Challenges to Corporate Decision-Making in the Face of Increasingly Polarized Responses to ESG Initiatives,” and “Burgeoning ‘Caremark’ Claims Likely to Drive Stockholder Demands” have been widely read. Steve is Co-Head of the Firm’s Asia Litigation Practice and is also Co-Chair of the Firm’s Knowledge & Innovation Committee. Recognized as a 2021 Law360 “Rising Star” in Securities, Steve is also recognized by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star,” and was a repeat honoree on their “40 & Under List.” Steve was named among the Daily Journal’s “Leading Commercial Litigators” for 2024. He was selected as part of Bloomberg Law’s “40 Under 40” in 2022, and by the Daily Journal as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” lawyers in California in 2018. Steve is consistently recognized by The Legal 500 in both M&A Litigation and Shareholder Litigation, and as a “Rising Star” in Northern California securities litigation by Super Lawyers.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Litigation Partner with extensive trial experience who frequently represents issuers, individuals, and underwriters in high-profile securities litigation, including class and derivative actions, in courts throughout the country. Also has considerable experience representing corporate clients, including public companies and leading private equity firms, in transaction-related litigation, corporate governance matters, and corporate control litigations.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Lynn Neuner, Jonathan Youngwood