Stacey M. Kaplan is a partner in Kessler Topaz’s Securities Department. Ms. Kaplan represents classes of investors and consumers who have been wronged by corporate malfeasance, with a focus on litigating complex securities fraud actions. Ms. Kaplan received her law degree from the UCLA School of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame. During law school, she served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Terry J. Hatter, Jr., United States District Court, Central District of California.
For nearly 20 years, Ms. Kaplan has successfully litigated high-profile securities fraud actions resulting in over $1 billion in recoveries for investors. For example, Ms. Kaplan played a leading role in In re Snap Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 17-cv-03679 (C.D. Cal.), a hard-fought, multi-year class action against Snap, Inc. involving its 2017 initial public offering, which resulted in a $187.5 million recovery for injured investors. Ms. Kaplan was also a key member of the litigation team in In re Allergan, Inc. Proxy Violation Securities Litigation, Case No. 14-cv-2004 (C.D. Cal.), a class action involving an alleged insider trading scheme by Valeant Pharmaceuticals and hedge fund Pershing Square. The litigation, which involved unique claims under Section 14(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 14e-3, ultimately settled just weeks before trial and resulted in a recovery of over $250 million for investors.
Ms. Kaplan has also litigated numerous other securities fraud class actions that have resulted in significant recoveries for injured investors, including In re HP Secs. Litig., Case No. 12-cv-05980 (N.D. Cal.) ($100 million recovery); In re Advance Auto Parts, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 18-cv-00212 (D. Del.) ($49.25 million recovery); Baker v. SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., Case No. 14-cv-02129 (S.D. Cal.) ($65 million recovery); Nieman v. Duke Energy Corp., Case No. 12-cv-00456 (W.D.N.C.) ($146.25 million recovery); and Dobina v. Weatherford Int’l, Case No. 11-cv-1646 (S.D.N.Y.) ($52.5 million recovery). Stacey is currently litigating class actions involving Silicon Valley Bank, NVIDIA, Coinbase, Wells Fargo, Google, and Lucid Motors, among others.
In addition to her case work, Ms. Kaplan serves on the Kessler Topaz’s Human Resources Committee and its Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee. In addition, she chairs Kessler Topaz’s Associate Development Committee (which provides instruction and ongoing training to associates at the Firm), helps to manage Kessler Topaz’s summer associate program, and takes an active role in the Firm’s recruiting.
Ms. Kaplan also maintains an active pro bono practice, including work with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and the Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity Pardon Project. She is deeply committed to LGBTIQA+ rights, and served on a team of attorneys representing numerous religious organizations, as amici curiae, challenging the validity of Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage, and arguing to the U.S. Supreme Court that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right.
