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Overview
Jennifer L. Conn is Chair of the Securities Litigation practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Ms. Conn is a commercial litigator and has extensive experience in a wide range of complex commercial litigation and regulatory matters, with a particular focus on those matters involving securities, financial services, and accounting.
In addition, Ms. Conn is a Lecturer in Law at Columbia University School of Law, lecturing on securities litigation. She also regularly writes and speaks on various subjects, particularly those relating to securities litigation. For the past six years, Ms. Conn was the co-editor and a co-author of the Practicing Law Institute Treatise, Securities Litigation: A Practitioner’s Guide.
Ms. Conn received her Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. She graduated, cum laude with distinction in all subjects, from Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences, with a Bachelor of Arts in Government. Ms. Conn also was a law clerk for the Honorable Lawrence M. McKenna, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York.
Education
- Columbia University, J.D., 1995
- Cornell University, B.A., cum laude, 1992
Representations
- Representing Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited, one of the world’s largest mining companies, against Section 10(b) and other claims brought by the SEC and private securities class action plaintiffs in actions in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
- Representing FanDuel Limited and its former directors and officers in an action pending in New York State Supreme Court brought by FanDuel’s founders and certain common shareholders for breach of fiduciary duty and other claims relating to FanDuel’s merger with U.K. bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair.
- Representing Mercer LLC, Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., and Mercer Consulting Group, Inc. in an action pending in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, alleging violations of Sections 12(a)(2) and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with a secondary public offering of the stock of Benefitfocus, Inc.
- Represented several investment banks in SEC investigations on various subjects.
- Represented certain lenders to Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC in defending against actions challenging a novel debt financing and exchange restructuring transaction. Among other favorable decisions, defeated an application for injunctive relief which allowed the restructuring transaction to close.
- Represented UBS AG in connection with investigations into its conduct relating to the setting of LIBOR by antitrust agencies around the world, including those in the United States, the European Union, and APAC.
- Represented ITT Educational Services, Inc. in securities class action lawsuits in the United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York and Southern District of Indiana relating to alleged misrepresentations concerning ITT’s private student loan agreements with third party lenders and accounting for those agreements.
- Represented Royal Bank of Canada in a securities fraud action in state court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin relating to RBC’s sale of synthetic collateralized debt obligations.
- Represented members of the Board of Directors of Yahoo! Inc. in an action against them in Delaware Chancery Court relating to the termination of Yahoo’s former Chief Operating Officer.
- Represented officers of Eastman Kodak Company in a securities class action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York relating to allegations that Kodak and its officers misrepresented the company’s financial prospects prior to filing for bankruptcy. The dismissal of the action was unanimously affirmed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Represented Flagstar Bancorp in actions brought against it by monoline insurers in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York relating to residential mortgage-backed securitizations.
- Represented Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. and Marsh Inc. in a consolidated securities class action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and in various state actions around the country, relating to allegations first made by the New York Attorney General relating to misconduct in connection with insurance placements.
- Represented Mercer LLC in an actuarial malpractice action in state court in Juneau, Alaska.
- Represented members of the Board of Directors of Yahoo! Inc. in an action against them in Delaware Chancery Court relating to the termination of Yahoo’s former Chief Operating Officer.
- Represented officers of Eastman Kodak Company in a securities class action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York relating to allegations that Kodak and its officers misrepresented the company’s financial prospects prior to filing for bankruptcy. The dismissal of the action was unanimously affirmed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Represented Madden International, Ltd. in an action in New York State Supreme Court relating to a licensing and distribution agreement for the sale of Steve Madden footwear and accessories in Australia and New Zealand.
- Represented the Canadian firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in a securities class action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York concerning allegations relating to accounting for theater installations by its client, IMAX.
- Represented the Cayman Islands firm of Deloitte LLP in several accounting malpractice actions in federal courts in Nebraska, Texas, and the Cayman Islands.
- Represented the UK firm of Deloitte LLP in an accounting malpractice action in Florida state court.
- Represented the Irish and Bermuda firms of Deloitte LLP in an accounting malpractice action in California state court.
- Represented the Irish firm of Deloitte LLP in connection with disciplinary proceedings before the Irish Institute of Chartered Accountants.
- Represented several issuers and individuals in a consolidated securities class action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York concerning allegations relating to the issuers’ initial public offerings.
- Represented several accounting firms in connection with SEC civil actions and investigations of their clients relating to various issues, including allegations of accounting improprieties and subprime issues.
Matters may have been handled prior to joining Paul Hastings.