Jonathan Uslaner, a BLB&G partner and head of the firm’s Los Angeles office, prosecutes class and direct actions on behalf of the firm’s institutional investor clients. A prolific securities litigator, he has secured billions of dollars in recoveries for investors injured by corporate fraud and misconduct.
Jonathan has litigated many of BLB&G’s most high-profile securities fraud actions. Most recently, he co-led the BLB&G team that prosecuted the securities fraud class action challenging Wells Fargo’s fraudulent banking practices and the deficient corporate oversight that allowed those practices to develop and endure. Jonathan achieved a recovery of $1 billion for damaged investors—the largest recovery ever in a securities class action not involving a restatement, an SEC action, or DOJ criminal charges litigations.
Other highlights of Jonathan’s experience prosecuting securities class actions include:
- In re Bank of America Securities Litigation: Co-leading the BLB&G team that prosecuted the securities class action against Bank of America, which resulted in a historic recovery shortly before trial of $2.425 billion—one of the largest shareholder recoveries ever obtained.
- In re Cobalt International Energy, Inc. Securities Litigation: Co-leading the securities class action against Cobalt, which resulted in recoveries totaling up to $335.3 million after years of hard-fought litigation.
- In re Genworth Financial, Inc. Securities Litigation: Achieving a $219 million recovery in the securities fraud class action against Genworth—the largest recovery ever obtained in a securities class action in Virginia.
- In re JPMorgan Chase & Co. Securities Litigation: Serving as a leader of the team that recovered $150 million for investors in the securities fraud class action arising out of the trading activities of the “London Whale.”
- In re Wells Fargo Mortgage-Backed Certificates Litigation: Leading the securities class action against Wells Fargo and certain defendants related to the issuance of mortgage pass-through certificates, which was resolved for $125 million.
Jonathan is also actively involved in the firm’s direct-action opt-out practice. He represented numerous clients in opt-out actions brought against American Realty Capital Properties, which resulted in recoveries totaling $85 million, and more recently represented 18 institutional clients in opt-out actions brought against Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which resulted in confidential settlements.
A respected and prolific thought leader in his field, Jonathan serves as editor of the American Bar Association’s Class Actions and Derivative Suits Committee’s Newsletter. He has authored numerous articles relating to class actions and the federal securities laws, which have appeared in Pensions & Investments and SACRS Magazine, and has a recurring column with Reuters. Jonathan is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, a professional group dedicated to advancing discussions on business litigation issues.
For his achievements, Jonathan has been recognized as a top securities litigation attorney in California by Chambers USA, which describes Jonathan as “an excellent lawyer and a strong advocate for his clients” and “a fierce advocate for his clients and tough opponent.” In 2024, he was named to the Daily Journal’s “Top 100 Lawyers” list honoring the top attorneys in California. Jonathan has also been recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a “Litigation Star” and among Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers.”
Jonathan has served as a board member of UCPLA, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the independence, productivity, and full citizenship of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. He has also been a board member of Home of Guiding Hands, a non-profit organization that serves individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. For his work and contributions to the organization, he was named “Volunteer of the Year.”
Prior to joining BLB&G, Jonathan was a senior litigation associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he successfully prosecuted and defended claims from the discovery stage through trial. He also gained significant trial experience as a volunteer prosecutor for the City of Inglewood, California, and as a judicial extern for Justice Steven Wayne Smith of the Supreme Court of Texas.
Jonathan received his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law, where he served as Articles Editor for the Texas Journal of Business Law. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Duke University, where he received the William J. Griffith Award for Leadership and served as chairperson of the Duke University Undergraduate Publications Board.