Pomerantz Partner Austin Van Honored as a 2020 Securities Litigation MVP by Law360
Pomerantz Partner Austin P. Van has been honored by Law360 as an MVP in Securities Litigation for 2020, an award granted to only six attorneys who have “distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.” According to Law360, “Competition for the MVP distinction was fierce this year, with editors reviewing more than 900 submissions to determine the winners.”
In August, Austin was recognized on Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under Hot List for 2020, a list that honors the “best and brightest law firm partners who stand out in their practices… ready to take the reins from previous generations.” He was also honored as one of Lawdragon’s top 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America for 2020 and recognized in 2018, 2019 and 2020 as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star.
Austin, with Pomerantz Managing Partner Jeremy Lieberman, heads the firm’s representation of lead plaintiffs in a securities class action against the drug behemoth Mylan, marketer of the EpiPen and a host of generic drugs. This multi-billion-dollar litigation is one of the largest securities class actions pending in the United States. The complaint alleges that Mylan misled investors about wide-ranging wrongful conduct in what some estimate to be the largest price-fixing conspiracy in U.S. history. In April 2020, Austin won an important victory for investors when the court certified a class of investors spanning five years and rejected defendants’ motion to dismiss the third amended complaint in a precedent-setting decision concerning the crucial issue of scheme liability.
Austin also leads Pomerantz’s securities class action against TechnipFMC, a global oil and gas services provider. Through months of investigation, Austin uncovered the theory on which this case is based, namely, that TechnipFMC significantly overstated its net income in the registration statement issued in connection with its January 2017 merger because the company was using incorrect exchange rates in translating the financial statements of its foreign subsidiaries. The company also misled investors about its compliance with accounting standards.
Austin heads Pomerantz’s litigation team in a securities class action against Rockwell Medical, Inc., and recently served as the lead attorney in securities class actions against Sunrun Inc. and Stemline Therapeutics, Inc., achieving favorable settlements for lead plaintiffs in both matters (in 2018 and 2019, respectively).
Austin received a J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and the Yale Journal of International Law. He has a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics.
Austin is admitted to practice law in the State of New York; the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the Southern District of Texas; and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First and Second Circuits.