Javier Bleichmar

Javier Bleichmar is a founding partner of BFA, bringing a long career of litigation success to his prosecution of large-scale securities fraud class actions on behalf of institutional investors. Javier has been “recommended” in the field of securities litigation by the Legal 500.

Javier led the team litigating In re MF Global Holdings Limited Securities Litigation on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta and MF Global investors, in connection with the company’s dramatic collapse on October 31, 2011. Judge Marrero in the Southern District of New York sustained the complaint in its entirety, and plaintiffs secured settlements totaling over $234 million, resolving claims against MF Global’s former officers and directors, several underwriter defendants, and MF Global’s outside auditor.

Javier also led the team that prosecuted Freedman v. Weatherford International Ltd., et al., on behalf of the Anchorage Police & Fire Retirement System. The case alleged that Weatherford, which made three restatements of audited financials totaling approximately $1 billion, misled investors about the Company’s tax accounting. After more than three years of intense litigation, including 22 depositions and complex expert testimony, the parties announced a proposed $120 million settlement on June 30, 2015.

Javier is also a successful appellate advocate, prevailing before the Eighth Circuit in Public Pension Fund Group v. KV Pharmaceutical, Co. The Eighth Circuit reversed an earlier dismissal and clarified the standard governing pharmaceutical companies’ disclosures relating to FDA notifications.

In recent years, Javier has also played a significant role in several high-profile cases at the center of the global financial crisis. In particular, he is responsible for prosecuting the shareholder suit against Morgan Stanley, relating to the bank’s multi-billion trading loss on its sub-prime mortgage bets.

Javier is active in educating international institutional investors on developing trends in the law, particularly the ability of international investors to participate in securities class actions in the United States. Through these efforts, many of Javier’s international clients were able to join the organization representing investors (i.e., the Foundation) in the first securities class action settlement under the then-recently enacted Dutch statute against Royal Dutch Shell. He also provides thought leadership as a regular contributor on securities issues in the New York Law Journal. Most recently he co-authored “IndyMac Leaves Uncertain Landscape for Opt-Out Litigation” and “The Evolving Legacy of Fait v. Regions Financial.” Javier is an active member of the National Association of Public Pension Plan Attorneys (NAPPA).

Prior to founding the firm, Javier was a Partner of Labaton Sucharow LLP. He also practiced at Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP, where he was actively involved in the In re Williams Securities Litigation, which resulted in a $311 million settlement, as well as significant securities matters involving Lucent Technologies, Inc., Conseco, Inc. and Biovail Corp. He began his legal career at Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

During his time at Columbia Law School, Javier served as a law clerk to the Honorable Denny Chin, United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York. Javier is a native Spanish speaker and fluent in French.