Christopher Lometti

In re Alphabet Shareholder Derivative Litigation

Cohen Milstein, as co-lead counsel, represented Northern California Pipe Trades Pension Plan and Teamsters Local 272 Labor Management Pension Fund in a shareholder derivative lawsuit against Alphabet, Inc.'s Board of Directors. Shareholders alleged that the Board allowed powerful executives to sexually harass and discriminate against women without consequence. In November 2020, the Court granted final approval of a historic settlement, including a $310 million commitment to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and robust reforms including limiting non-disclosure agreements and ending mandatory arbitration in sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation-related disputes.

In re Dynex Capital, Inc. Securities Litigation

In re Dynex Capital, Inc. Securities Litigation (S.D.N.Y.): Cohen Milstein, as Lead Counsel, represented Lead Plaintiff Pension Fund Local 445 and a certified class of investors of collateralized bonds known as Merit Series 12-1 and Merit Series 13. Investors alleged that Dynex, its subsidiary Merit Securities Corp., and senior executives lied about the quality of mobile home loans that were collateral for the bonds. Unique to the case were rulings addressing corporate scienter and arguments addressing bond certification and bond market efficiency. It is also the first class certification granted to a class of asset-backed bond purchasers under the 1934 Act within the Second Circuit. After six years of litigation, on March 13, 2012, the Court granted final approval of an eve-of-trial $7.5 million settlement.

In re Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. Third-Party Payor Litigation

In re Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. Third-Party Payor Litigation (D.N.J.): On February 22, 2022, the court granted final approval of a $23 million settlement against Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., as well as a $125,000 settlement against specialty pharmacy Philidor RX Services LLC and certain officers and directors for their roles in an alleged RICO Act scheme to shield the company’s drugs from competition, fraudulently inflate the prices of its products, and artificially boost sales at the expense of third party payors.

New Jersey Carpenters Health Fund v. DLJ Mortgage Capital, Inc., et al.

HEMT MBS Litigation (S.D.N.Y.): $110 million settlement with Credit Suisse. Cohen Milstein was lead counsel in a case alleging Credit Suisse and its affiliates sold toxic securities to pension fund investors. The suit, filed in 2008, was one of the first class action cases involving mortgage-backed securities to be filed.

Novastar MBS Litigation

NovaStar MBS Litigation: Cohen Milstein is lead counsel in litigation alleging that RBS, Wells Fargo (formerly Wachovia) and Deutsche Bank sold toxic mortgage-backed securities to investors. The litigation is one of the last outstanding class action MBS lawsuits. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an earlier dismissal of the lawsuit, paving the way for prosecution of the case. In March 2019, the Court granted final approval of a $165 million all-cash settlement.

RALI MBS Litigation

RALI MBS Litigation (S.D.N.Y.): Cohen Milstein was Lead counsel in a securities class action alleging RALI and its affiliates sold shoddy MBS securities that did not meet the standards of their underwriters. In July 2015, the court granted final approval to a global settlement totaling $335 million, marking an end to a long and complicated class action that took seven years of intense litigation to resolve.