Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP is one of the largest firms in the world specializing in the prosecution of complex litigation on a contingent basis. Kessler Topaz has developed a worldwide reputation for excellence in the areas of securities, shareholder, and consumer class actions. With offices in Radnor, Pennsylvania (Headquarters) and San Francisco, California, Kessler Topaz is comprised of a highly skilled team of attorneys, paralegals, in-house investigators, legal clerks and other personnel. The Firm proudly notes that it has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of its clients.
With a large and sophisticated client base of over 350 institutional investors, Kessler Topaz has been entrusted to lead some of the most important actions being litigated in our field today. These clients include public, private, and Taft-Hartley pension funds, asset managers, hedge funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, and more.
Kessler Topaz’s shareholder litigation practice focuses on the prosecution of securities fraud claims brought against public companies as well as their officers, directors, and advisors. We currently serve as lead or co-lead counsel in many of the largest and most significant securities and shareholder derivative actions pending in the United States.
Kessler Topaz’s Corporate Governance and Mergers & Acquisitions Department represents investors in shareholder derivative and class actions arising from a wide-range of misconduct, including self-interested M&A transactions or corporate reorganizations, executive compensation abuses, shareholder disenfranchisement, and board entrenchment.
In addition, Kessler Topaz currently serves as lead or co-lead counsel in many of the largest consumer and antitrust actions pending in the United States, including cases against many of the massive pharmaceutical companies for employing illegal pay-for-delay schemes. Previously, we brought and resolved proprietary actions on behalf of institutional investors against numerous banks for foreign exchange rate violations, breaches of securities lending agreements, and violations of consumer protection statutes.
Notably, the Firm has also been at the forefront of representing institutional investors in non-U.S. jurisdictions following the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Morrison v. National Australia Bank, which effectively closed American courts to foreign plaintiffs who invest abroad. The Firm has previously or is currently representing institutional investors in actions in the Netherlands, France, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Israel, Taiwan, Brazil, Portugal and Cyprus.
Landmark Results:
$3.2 billion in Tyco International Ltd. Securities Litigation
$2.425 billion in Bank of America/Merrill Securities Litigation
$2 billion in Southern Peru Copper Corp. in Corporate Governance & M+A Litigation
$1.6 billion in Steinhoff International Holdings N.V. Global Securities Litigation
$1.36 billion (€1.204 billion) in Fortis Bank Global Securities Litigation
$730 million in Citigroup Bonds Securities Litigation
$627 million in Wachovia Preferred Securities Litigation
$612.5 million in Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Corporate Governance & M+A Litigation
$616 million in Lehman Brothers Securities Litigation
$504 million in BNY Mellon FX Fiduciary Litigation
$500 million in Countrywide Financial Corp. Securities Litigation
$486 million in Pfizer, Inc. Securities Litigation
$450 million in Kraft Heinz Company Securities Litigation
$290 million in Allergan Inc. Securities Litigation
$150 million in Flonase Antitrust Litigation
$148 million in Dole Food Company in Corporate Governance & M+A Litigation
$1 billion (£900 million) in Royal Bank of Scotland Global Securities Litigation
$450 million (€323.8 million) in Royal Dutch Shell Global Securities Litigation
Practice Areas:
Updated Sep 2024
Saul Ewing’s Litigation Department features approximately 200 attorneys across 18 offices, including our newest locations in Los Angeles and Irvine, California. We handle a wide range of matters including complex business and commercial disputes, bet-the-company legal proceedings, and high-profile cases in state and federal courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) forums across the nation. We represent local, regional, national and international organizations as well as individuals across a diverse array of industries, including but not limited to energy and environmental, financial services, construction, insurance, health care, food/beverage/agribusiness, life sciences, cannabis, higher education, sports/entertainment and real estate.
Our deep bench of litigators work to protect the interests of our clients and mitigate the impact of litigation on business operations in all phases of litigation, including investigation, pleadings, motions, fact and expert discovery and depositions, hearings, trials, appeals, settlement negotiations, and enforcement of judgments. Among our ranks are seasoned trial lawyers and former government officials and prosecutors, whose insight and strategic judgment are a valuable resource to our entire team.
Our core areas of focus include:
Consumer Financial Services Litigation
Employee Benefits & ERISA Litigation
Environmental Civil Litigation
Insurance Litigation & Arbitration
Intellectual Property Litigation
Title Claims & Coverage Litigation
White Collar & Government Enforcement
Within these core areas of focus, we have extensive experience representing clients in pursuing and defending claims of breach of contract, tortious interference with contracts and business relationships, fraud and misrepresentation, lender liability, property liability, negligence, unfair competition, unfair trade practices, antitrust violations, conspiracy, RICO violations, breach of fiduciary duty, defamation, trade disparagement, false advertising, malicious prosecution, theft of trade secrets, intellectual property infringement, trespass, conversion, trust and estate controversies, partnership and corporate dissolutions and claims arising in shareholder and partner derivative actions, among others.
Our Approach: We start by tailoring a strategy to meet our clients’ objectives and risk management priorities, whether those focus on litigation avoidance, early settlement, resolution through dispositive motions, or pursuing a case through adjudication at trial. Using early case assessment tools, we develop a detailed roadmap for each case. We recognize that litigation can be expensive, distracting and time-consuming, and that our clients need cost predictability. Depending on client needs, we are able to create customized litigation plans and budgets at the matter, phase and/or task levels. Our project management team carefully monitors work volume and billing metrics to help ensure that our services align with project scope and needs, and to maximize proactive communication with clients about changes in cost, scope and/or strategy.
eDiscovery: For cases requiring electronic discovery, we rely on our in-house Litigation Support Services (LSS) team, which is driven by members with sophisticated technical knowledge and credentialing by the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists. With extensive experience managing complex eDiscovery collection, processing, review and production, our LSS team leverages advanced analytics and technology-assisted review to quickly identify and locate relevant information, process and analyze data efficiently, and help reduce overall litigation costs.
Updated Sep 2024
Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 16 offices and more than 750 attorneys and principals, including more than 400 litigators, who provide a full range of legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals are widely recognized for their leading knowledge and experience across a broad spectrum of industries, but what really sets us apart is our investment in client relationships—our unwavering commitment to understanding their businesses, the around-the-clock access we provide, and our nimble and customized delivery of services. We treat your goals, ideas, and objectives as our own and fight fiercely for resolutions that are in your best interest. To learn more, visit www.blankrome.com.
WHAT SETS BLANK ROME APART
Our Commitment to DEI
At Blank Rome, we value diversity of identities, experiences, and backgrounds, which creates a more vibrant and dynamic work environment. Our firm’s culture is centered around collaboration, collegiality, entrepreneurial and familial spirit, and giving back to our local communities through service.
Blank Rome DEI Affinity Groups include BR Parent, BR Pride, BR Advance (for women of color), BR United (BR Asian, BR Black, BR Latinx, BR MENA), BR Women.
Since its inception in 2017, we have joined Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule, which measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered women and attorneys of color for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, and lateral positions.
We are a member of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance since its inception in June 2020.
We are frequently recognized for our DEI initiatives by the legal and business communities.
Pro Bono Policy & Initiatives
Our formal pro bono policy requires each of our attorneys and paralegals to undertake at least 25 hours of pro bono service every year, which has led to more than 99 percent participation in pro bono work from our attorneys since 2015.
In 2023, Blank Rome attorneys and paralegals provided more than 27,000 pro bono hours.
We are frequently recognized for our pro bono work by the legal, business and nonprofit communities.
Updated July 2024