Jason is a co-founding partner of Block & Leviton and focuses his practice on investor protection and shareholder rights matters. He serves as Co-Chair of the Firm’s New Case Investigation and Monitoring Team and Chair of the Merger and Acquisition/Deal Litigation Team.
Since 2011, Jason has been named either a “Super Lawyer” or “Rising Star” by Massachusetts Super Lawyers, anhonor given to only 3% and 5% of all lawyers, respectively, has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, has been named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Lawyer Association, is a Lawdragon Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer, and has been named to the Law360 Securities Editorial Board for multiple years.
Jason focuses his practice on claims alleging breaches of fiduciary duty against officers and directors of publicly traded companies. In just the last few years alone, his litigation efforts have returned hundreds of millions of dollars to aggrieved stockholders. More specifically, Jason served as lead or co-lead counsel in the following breach of fiduciary duty actions, among others: Sciabacucchi, et al. v. Liberty Broadband Corporation, et al., C.A. No. 11418-VCG (Del. Ch.) (settled for $87.5 million weeks before trial was set to begin); In Re Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. Stockholders Litigation, C.A. No. 2021-0468-KSJM (Del. Ch.) (settlement of $85 million reached less than two months before trial); Klein v. HIG Capital, et al., C.A. No. 2017-0862-AGB (Del. Ch.) ($45 million settlement); In re Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation Derivative Litigation, Consol. C.A. No. 2018-0058-JTL (Del. Ch.) ($42.5 million settlement); In re Pivotal Software, Inc. Shareholders’ Litigation, C.A. No. 2020-0440-KSJM (Del. Ch.) ($42.5 million settlement); In re Handy & Harman Ltd. Shareholders’ Litigation, Consol. C.A. No. 2017-0882-TMR (Del. Ch.) (settled for $30 million, making it one of the largest sell-side premiums ever achieved for stockholders through Delaware litigation); Lao v. Dalian Wanda Group Co. Ltd., C.A. No. 2019-0303-JRS (Del. Ch.) ($17.375 million settlement); In re Tangoe Inc. Shareholders’ Litigation, Consol. C.A. No. 2017-0650-JRS (Del. Ch.) ($12.5 million settlement); In re Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. Shareholders’ Litigation, Case No. CIV523789 (Cal. Sup. Ct) (settled for $30 million; at the time, the largest M&A class action in California state court history); In re Rentrak Shareholders Litigation, Case No. 15CV27429 (Ore. Sup.) ($19 million settlement and with the related action, $23.75 million; the largest Oregon M&A settlement); and Garfield v. BlackRock Mortgage Ventures, LLC,C.A. No. 2018-0917-KSJM (Del. Ch.) ($6.85 million settlement).
He has also litigated numerous actions pursuant to the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to: In re BP plc Securities Litigation, Case No. MDL 2185 (S.D. Tex) (settlement of $175 million); Rubin v. MF Global, LTD., et al., Case No. 08-cv- 02233 (S.D.N.Y.) ($90 million settlement); In re VeriSign Securities Litigation, Case No. C-02-2270 (N.D. Cal.) ($78 million settlement); Welmon v. Chicago Bridge & Iron, Case No. 06-cv-01283 (S.D.N.Y.)(settlement of $10.5 million; in approving the settlement, the court noted: “Plaintiffs’ counsel have conducted thelitigation and achieved the settlement with skill, perseverance and diligent advocacy.”); and Ong v. Sears Roebuck & Co., Case No. 03 C 4142 (N.D. Ill.) ($15.5 million settlement).
Jason is experienced in litigating consumer class action cases as well. For instance, he successfully recovered 100% of the class’s alleged damages stemming from the overcharging of scooped coffee beans at Starbucks stores throughoutthe country. In re Starbucks Consumer Litig., Case No. 2:11-cv-01985-MJP (W.D. Wa.) See also, Keenholtz v.GateHouse Media, LLC, et al., Case No. 17-184-A (Mass. Sup.) (settlement involved complete relief to punitive classmembers and significant governance measures).
In addition to his class action experience, Jason has also litigated other complex actions. He successfully defended an attorney accused of insider trading against an SEC investigation and criminal referral to the United States Departmentof Justice. He has represented former employee whistleblowers before the S.E.C. and obtained the maximumwhistleblower award (30%, under the Dodd-Frank Act) for a client, which equated to nearly $1 million. And he alsorepresented the same whistleblower in a retaliation claim against his old employer: a large, multinational financialinstitution. See John Doe v. Oppenheimer Asset Management, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:14-cv-00779-LAP (S.D.N.Y.).
Jason was also heavily involved in the representation of four detainees being held at the Guantánamo Bay NavalStation in Cuba.
Moreover, Jason has served as liaison counsel in numerous cases before the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. See, e.g., Moitoso v. FMR LLC, 1:18-cv-12122-WGY (D. Mass.) (settlement of $28.5 million); Toomey v. Demoulas Super Markets, Inc., 1:19-cv-11633-LTS (D. Mass.) (settlement of $17.5 million); Baker v. John Hancock Life Insurance Co. (USA), et al., 1:20-cv-10397-RGS (D. Mass.) (settlement of $14 million); and Brotherston et al v. Putnam Investments, 1:15-cv-13825-WGY (D. Mass.) (successful appeal, in part, of trial verdict; settled for $12.5 million).
After receiving his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law, with honors, Jason attended the GeorgetownUniversity Law Center and received a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Securities and Financial Regulation (Dean’sAward, 1 of 6). During that time, he was the inaugural LL.M. student selected for an externship with the S.E.C.,Enforcement Division. Jason is now a member of the Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni.
Throughout his career, Mr. Leviton has been privileged to work on behalf of some of the largest and most sophisticated institutional clients in the United States and abroad. A sampling of those clients include:
