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Below is an interview with Juan Monteverde, founding partner in Monteverde & Associates PC:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to your company?
A: Monteverde & Associates PC represents victims of corporate misconduct. Victims might include shareholders who lost money because of fraud or consumers misled by false advertising claims. We file national class action lawsuits on behalf of our clients and have a long record of success. Our firm gives you excellence, commitment, and results.
Q: How prevalent is corporate misconduct?
A: Unfortunately, it is quite prevalent. A recent book by Toronto professor Alexander Dyck estimates that about 40 percent of companies violate accounting rules, and 10 percent commit securities fraud. The public generally only discovers about one-third of the misconduct.
Q: What interests you about practicing this branch of law?
A: I believe in the free enterprise system. However, that system is threatened when companies make false claims or engage in other misconduct. Investors should be able to trust that the information in annual reports, 10K filings, and other documents is accurate when deciding whether to invest. Likewise, customers should receive truthful information from companies when deciding whether to buy a product or service. If investors and consumers cannot trust what companies tell them, they may choose to stop investing or purchasing products, which will crumble our system.
Q: Tell me about you and your team, including your experience with corporate misconduct law?
A: I have been an attorney for almost 20 years. Most of my law experience is in upholding shareholder rights, especially in disclosures and merger transactions, where I seek to maximize shareholder value. I’ve served as counsel or co-counsel on several high-profile cases and have been instrumental in lowering the threshold required for shareholders to pursue claims under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. I also speak frequently at conferences on mergers and acquisitions and executive compensation issues.
My team is also very experienced. David E. Bower is of counsel in our firm. He has tried more than 100 cases, many in securities and consumer class action lawsuits. Beth A. Keller also is of counsel. She is a strong advocate for shareholders and has been counsel or co-counsel in many cases that recovered money or made corporate governance changes to benefit shareholders.
Jonathan Lerner is an associate with experience in commercial litigation. Rossella Scarpa, also an associate, has experience with financial services and securities action lawsuits. Miles D. Schreiner, the senior associate, also has considerable experience in securities and consumer class action litigation.
Q: Can you give us more insights into what makes your company unique?
A: We have a rare collection of professionals specializing in securities and consumer class action litigation. The experience of our team assures that we will achieve the best possible outcomes for investors and consumers who are victims of corporate misconduct. CEOs representing large corporations are not above the law, and we fight for the little man.
Q: Tell us about your most recent announcements.
A: We recently announced that Institutional Shareholder Services has named us to its 2022 list of Top 50 North American law firms based on the total amount of our securities class action settlements. We’ve also made the list in previous years. The ISS list is very prestigious, and our placement highlights our effectiveness as shareholder advocates.
Q: What are some of the main objectives for your company in the year ahead, and how do you plan to achieve them?
A: Monteverde & Associates plans to continue to advocate for shareholders and consumers. We want to continue to win significant settlements for our clients. We are undertaking several securities fraud and merger investigations against hundreds of companies that may result in class-action litigation. If we find substantial fraud issues or failure to maximize shareholder value, we will pursue them passionately.
Q: What is the best thing about your company that people might not know about?
A: In addition to our firm’s work in the securities, mergers, and consumer fraud areas, our lawyers donate their money or their expertise to various charities. I give to several organizations, including Planned Parenthood, the ASPCA, and the Food Pantry. Another example is David Bower. He serves on the Mental Health Advocacy Services board and has previously been its chair.
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