Joseph H. Weiss
Senior and Founding Partner

  • (212) 682-3025 x. 107

Joseph H. Weiss, is based in New York from where he oversees all of the firm’s litigation and takes an active role in case analysis, the drafting of pleadings and briefs, oral arguments, mediations and settlement negotiations.  He has been recognized by courts throughout the nation as one of the leading practitioners representing investors in securities, class and derivative litigation.  Moreover, he has earned the respect of his peers and adversaries as possessing the highest professional standards and outstanding legal acumen.  In fact, he was listed in the 2007 New York Super Lawyers – Metro Edition in the Class Action category.  The firm has consistently ranked as amongst the leading plaintiffs law firms in the United States, ranked by the total dollar amount of final securities class action settlements. 

Among the more prominent of Mr. Weiss’ cases is Jordan v. California Department of Motor Vehicles, No. 95 AS 03903 (Sacramento, Cal.), where the firm recovered $665 million – payment in full plus interest – on behalf of motorists who paid a “smog impact fee.” Mr. Weiss also recovered $42 million in cash for Apria investors after more than four years of vigorous litigation regarding a sophisticated accounting fraud (In re Apria Healthcare Group Securities Litigation, No. 797060) in California Superior Court. 

Mr. Weiss has been involved in the litigation of numerous other cases of national stature such as In re Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 02 cv 6273 (JES) and In re Global Crossing, Ltd. Securities and “ERISA” Litigation, No. 02 cv 910 (GEL), both in the Southern District of New York.  He has also spearheaded derivative litigations on behalf of his clients aimed at reforming corporate malfeasance, breaches of fiduciary duties and other wrongdoing by the boards of some of the largest corporations in the world including, Hewlett Packard Company (In re Hewlett-Packard Company Derivative Litigation, C.A. No. 2428 (VCN), Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware), BP p.l.c. (In re BP p.l.c. Derivative Litigation, No. 06 cv 6168 (HB), Southern District of New York), Royal Dutch Shell (Soojian et al. v. Jacobs et al. f/b/o Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, No. 04 cv 03603, District of New Jersey), The Bank of New York (Zucker v. Bacon et al. f/b/o The Bank of New York Company Inc., No. 00/106275, New York County Supreme Court) and Freddie Mac (Sadowsky Testamentary Trust v. Brendsel et al. f/b/o Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, No. 05 cv 2596, Southern District of New York).

The firm led by Joe Weiss has also taken a lead in prosecuting market timing and secret revenue sharing cases.  A prime example is the class action against Edward Jones and certain other defendants alleging violations of federal securities laws and other state laws by secret receipt of revenue sharing payments in exchange for selling Preferred Funds to their clients, while misleading them about the payments.  (Spahn v. Edward D. Jones & Co., et al., No. 04 cv 00086, District of Missouri).  As a result of the litigation, a recovery valued at $127.5 million was obtained for the class, more than 40% of the maximum recoverable damages.

Mr. Weiss is active in community, educational and philanthropic causes and is a member of the International Board of Governors of the Mesorah Heritage Foundation.

  • Education

  • J.D., Columbia University Law School, 1972 (Law Review)
  • M.B.A., Columbia University Graduate School of Business, 1972

  • Admissions

  • State of New York
  • U.S. District Court - Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court - District of Arizona
  • U.S. District Court - District of Colorado
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – First Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Federal Circuit