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Jay S. Handlin, Partner

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group

jhandlin@wmd-law.com

Jay Handlin joined Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch as a partner in 2016. Jay has more than 35 years of experience in litigating, arbitrating, and mediating complex commercial and intellectual property disputes in state and federal courts and regulatory proceedings. He has tried cases and arbitrations and has argued appeals in state and federal courts. He has broad experience in complex commercial litigation including class actions, structured finance, antitrust, securities, corporate governance, insurance, entertainment, and intellectual property. He has previously served as in-house litigation counsel for The Walt Disney Company and has been a litigation partner with leading national and regional law firms in Los Angeles, California and Honolulu, Hawai‘i. He began his career as a judicial clerk to the Hon. Jon O. Newman of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

ILLUSTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Representation of plaintiffs in multi-billion-dollar antitrust class action lawsuit alleging that member companies of national dental insurance system engaged in anticompetitive conduct.
  • Representation of Fir Tree Partners and affiliated entities in litigation against HSBC Bank USA for breach of its duties as trustee for residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) trusts.
  • Representation of Commerzbank AG in lawsuits against Bank of New York Mellon and Deutsche Bank regarding breaches of their trustee duties for RMBS trusts.
  • Representation of Pacific Life Insurance Company in RMBS litigation against Bank of New York Mellon.
  • Representation of institutional investors holding defaulted trust preferred securities (TruPS) issued by affiliates of now-insolvent insurance companies, asserting $200 million in contract and tort claims.
  • Representation of private equity fund in arbitrations against management of portfolio company focused on renewable energy.
  • Representation of artist/rightsholder in California idea misappropriation claim against major motion picture studio.

Jay’s Experience Before Joining WMD

  • Successfully arbitrated multimillion dollar contract dispute on behalf of client against industry-leading international shipping company.
  • Represented real estate investment and development company in lawsuit brought by greenmailer, achieving summary judgment for client and disqualification of opposing counsel on appeal.
  • Represented iconic rock and roll band Aerosmith in class action lawsuit stemming from canceled concert, and resolved case with unique non-monetary settlement focused on makeup concert.
  • Represented State of Hawai‘i and U.S. airline in successful defense of lawsuits asserting tort claims based on alleged workplace contamination at reservation call center.
  • Represented major research university in contested regulatory proceedings and appeals for permitting of $1.5 billion astronomical observatory.
  • Represented Fortune 100 company in major Delaware shareholder derivative litigation involving executive compensation and corporate governance.
  • Obtained dismissal on the pleadings of putative class actions alleging securities law violations against major financial firm and legendary American motorcycle company.
  • Represented entertainment companies in defense of copyright and idea theft litigation involving numerous motion pictures, including The Waterboy (dismissed on the pleadings, affirmed by the Ninth Circuit) and Sister Act (defense verdict at trial, affirmed by the Ninth Circuit).

EDUCATION

Jay received his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He earned his B.A. degree, magna cum laude, in English (highest honors) and History (honors) from Brandeis University.

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