Four Grant & Eisenhofer Attorneys Named Among Tops in Securities and Corporate Litigation by Delaware Today

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Four partners from leading securities and corporate governance law firm Grant & Eisenhofer have been chosen by Delaware Today magazine for its "Top Lawyers 2010" list.

Co-managing partners Stuart Grant and Jay Eisenhofer, along with partners Geoffrey Jarvis and Megan McIntyre, were named Delaware's top "Securities" lawyers – the only attorneys chosen for the category.  Mr. Grant was also picked among tops in "Corporate Litigation" and was one of only a handful of attorneys to be named to more than one category.   

The Grant & Eisenhofer lawyers were among a short list of 80 practitioners statewide tapped as best in practice by Delaware Today. The Top Lawyers list was based on a survey of more than 2,500 members of the Delaware Bar Association, which asked respondents to indicate lawyers regarded as the best in multiple specialties.  

In discussing the methodology behind the selection, Delaware Today editor Mark Nardone wrote: "[W]e have never written about a lawyer who was not highly esteemed by his or her peers. We stand behind every one, so you can be confident in the skills of the professionals profiled in these pages."

"Given that Delaware is known for establishing precedent-setting corporate and securities law, it's a privilege to be so well represented in both of these key categories, especially since our selection was  based on input from other members of the Delaware bar," Mr. Grant said.  "Corporate governance and securities  litigation are the cornerstones of our firm, and the recognition by our peers across the state confirms that our dedication to these important practices has paid off."

In profiling Mr. Grant, Delaware Today  noted  that he has secured some of the largest monetary payments in the history of the state's Chancery Court.  The magazine highlighted two of his best-known cases:

• In re Digex Stockholders Litigation:  the $420 million settlement is largest in Delaware Chancery Court history, which led to  the establishment of lead plaintiff provisions in Delaware;

• Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana v. Aidinoff, et al. and American International Group, Inc:   the largest derivative  shareholder settlement on record in Chancery Court – $115 million paid on behalf  of AIG by the insurer's former Chairman and CEO Maurice Greenberg and three other former AIG executives.

Delaware Today also reported that Mr. Grant was the first  attorney in the nation to argue provisions of the seminal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, which allowed institutional investors to be appointed  lead plaintiff in a securities class action. Mr. Grant explains that the firm regularly picks cases that may have the farthest-reaching implications for  investors or the interpretation of corporate law.

The firm continues to  advance key shareholder litigation in Delaware.  On October 21, Delaware Court of Chancery Vice Chancellor Leo Strine, Jr. upheld claims against seven current and former directors of bookseller Barnes & Noble in a derivative case in which Mr. Grant is co-lead  counsel.   Grant & Eisenhofer represents a group of institutional investors who allege that Barnes  & Noble's board breached its fiduciary duties in approving a $596  acquisition of a college textbook subsidiary that led to  a steep drop in shareholder value.   The case is expected to proceed to trial.

Delaware Today's Top Lawyers list is the second noteworthy  recognition for Grant & Eisenhofer in the past month. In October, The National Law Journal's named the  firm to its annual "Plaintiffs' Hot List" for the fifth year in a row.  The NLJ noted that Grant & Eisenhofer has  achieved more securities settlements of $100 million or greater than any U.S.  law firm, with recoveries exceeding $12.5 billion in the past five years  alone.

Note:  Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. represents institutional investors, both domestic and foreign, in securities class actions, corporate governance actions and  derivative litigation.  The firm has recovered approximately $12.5 billion  for shareholders in the last five years and was cited by RiskMetrics for securing the highest average investor recovery in securities class actions of  any U.S. law firm in 2007 and 2008.  Grant & Eisenhofer has been named  one of the country's top plaintiffs' law firms by The National Law  Journal for the past five years.  The firm also represents plaintiffs  in antitrust and False Claims Act litigation.  For more information, visit  www.gelaw.com.

SOURCE Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.