Barbara Hart

Barbara J. Hart is the head of Lowey Dannenberg’s securities litigation practice. She represents a broad range of clients in complex class action litigation, with a particular emphasis on securities and antitrust litigation.

She currently represents Lead Plaintiff, The NYC Funds, in the Juniper Networks Securities Litigation involving allegations of massive options backdating and the third largest restatement related to such practices. The Juniper litigation was certified as a class action on October 16, 2009 by Judge Ware of the N.D. Cal.

Ms. Hart is Lead Counsel in several securities litigations involving Madoff Feeder Funds including Beacon Associates I & II; Income Plus and claims brought against Jeannerette Associates, Ivy Asset Management and The Bank of New York Mellon.

Ms. Hart served as Counsel to the Office of the Treasurer of the State of Connecticut in the In re Waste Management Securities Litigation, which was settled for $457 million and was the third-largest securities class action settlement in history. Ms. Hart was co-lead counsel in the In re El Paso Corporation Securities Litigation, garnering a $285 million settlement. In addition, she led the team prosecuting the In re Amgen Corporation Securities Litigation.

Some of her other notable settlements include: In re Brand Name Drug Litigation, $65 million settlement; and In re Warfarin Sodium Antitrust Litigation, $44.5 million settlement.

Ms. Hart co-authored "New York's Martin Act: Investor Sword or Fraudster Shield?" New York Law Journal, December 11, 2009, "Can Public Pension Funds Make SOX Meaningful?" The NAPPA Report, Vol. 22, Number 4, Nov. 2008, "Loss Causation in the Ninth Circuit," New York Law Journal, September 2, 2008 and "Antitrust Protections Expanded in New York", New York Law Journal, June 22, 1999. In addition, she is regularly called upon to lecture on cutting-edge issues in her field and has appeared on the FOXNews program "Strategy Room" with FOXBusiness host, Eric Bolling, to discuss the case of Bernie Madoff on the day he pleaded guilty to fraud, perjury and money laundering. Ms. Hart recently spoke on an ABA Antitrust Panel questioning "Is the Robinson-Patman Act the right Rx for Pharmaceutical Industry" (12/8/09). She has also appeared before the Council of Institutional Investors, The Federalist Society, the New York Bar Association, The Institute for Law and Economic Policy, the Public Funds Forum and the Practicing Law Institute.

Ms. Hart is a graduate of Vanderbilt University (B.A. 1982 ), the University of North Carolina ( M.A. 1987), and the Fordham University School of Law (J.D. 1992), where she was a member of the Law Review and on the Dean’s List. Ms. Hart is admitted to practice in New York and Connecticut, and is a member of the bars of the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 2nd and 3rd Circuits; and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.