June 2009
For the fourth year in a row, BLB&G was given top rankings in the field of plaintiff securities litigation in Chambers and Partners’ 2009 Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (“Chambers”) and for the third year in a row, BLB&G was named as the top firm in securities class action litigation by the Legal 500 USA Guide (“Legal 500”). BLB&G has been recognized as a leading firm in the field since the inception of these rankings.
Chambers continues to recognize BLB&G as one of “a select number of firms who do high-profile work in the area,” focusing on prominent shareholder class actions and derivative claims addressing corporate governance, shareholder rights, executive compensation, breaches of fiduciary duty and subprime-related litigation issues. Chambers cites the firm’s successful prosecution of the accounting fraud action against R&G Financial, as well the securities class action against Delphi Corporation. Chambers lauds managing partner Max Berger and former partner Sean Coffey as “leaders in the field,” citing Mr. Berger’s successful representation of the three largest pension funds in America in the Cendant class action, one of the largest securities fraud recoveries in history, and Mr. Coffey’s record as a “formidable advocate with plenty of common sense.”
Similarly, Legal 500 maintains that BLB&G “excels in prosecuting securities fraud … [with] capability nationally].” The Legal 500 references the firm’s groundbreaking achievements on behalf of shareholders, including the derivative action against UnitedHealth Group, Inc., in which a record settlement of $920 million was agreed upon, with over two thirds of that to come directly out of the pocket of the former UnitedHealth CEO for his role in illegally backdating stock options. The firm is also noted for its lead role in actions stemming from the subprime collapse.
According to Legal 500, senior partner Max Berger and former partner Sean Coffey have left a lasting impression on clients. Mr. Berger “provides wise counsel to colleagues and clients,” and Mr. Coffey is referred to as a “heavyweight litigator.” Former partners Chad Johnson and Steve Singer are cited for their important ongoing prosecution of subprime related securities class actions against Washington Mutual, Citigroup, American Home and MBIA, Inc.