Drinker Biddle Adds Class Action Litigator Jason Gould in Washington, D.C.

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP announced today that Jason H. Gould has joined the firm as a partner in Washington, D.C. Gould comes to Drinker Biddle from Carlton Fields, following on the March 6 addition of a 17-lawyer group from that firm in Washington, D.C., and Hartford, Connecticut

Gould represents professionals and financial institutions, insurers, and other businesses in federal and state litigation and other commercial disputes nationally. He counsels clients on a wide range of matters, including complex litigation and class action lawsuits, administrative investigations and market conduct examinations, enforcement actions, and matters involving regulatory compliance issues.

“Jason is an outstanding lawyer, and we are pleased he is joining Drinker Biddle,” said firm Chairman Andrew Kassner. “He brings tremendous experience in successfully resolving class action and high-exposure litigation for clients, particularly in multidistrict litigation proceedings. Jason’s practice dovetails seamlessly with our nationally recognized litigation capabilities, and increases the value that the exceptional group we welcomed last week brings to insurance and financial services clients. I characterized those additions as ‘strength on strength,’ and Jason further underscores that equation.”

Gould is the 18th member of a high-profile litigation and regulatory group, led by veteran insurance and financial institutions lawyer James Jorden, to join Drinker Biddle this month.

“Our entire team is gratified by Jason’s move to Drinker Biddle,” said Jorden. “The high expectations we had formed before joining have already been exceeded. In our new home, we’ve found first-rate lawyers, a strong national platform, and internal support that will assist us in taking our collective work for insurance and financial services clients to the next level. Jason has been a key element of our success and we couldn’t be happier to have him with us.”

Jorden and the group have built one of the nation’s preeminent litigation and regulatory practices defending financial institutions, life insurers, mutual funds, investment firms, and banks in high-stakes matters, including securities, ERISA, RICO, and pension cases. Team members are particularly well known for their success in blocking class actions, having served as lead or co-lead counsel in more than 100 such matters.

In Washington, D.C., Gould joins former Carlton Fields colleagues and new Drinker Biddle partners Frank G. Burt, Josephine Cicchetti, James F. Jorden, Roland C. Goss, W. Glenn Merten, Shaunda Patterson-Strachan, Brian P. Perryman, Waldemar J. Pflepsen Jr., Kristen Reilly, Kristin Ann Shepard and Dawn B. Williams.

The firm established a Harford location this month with former Gould colleagues and new partners Stephen J. Jorden, Ben V. Seessel and Michael A. Valerio.

Three associates also have joined to support the work of the new partners, including Jason R. Brost, Gail J. Kamal and Laura M. Wall.

Gould earned both his B.A. and J.D. degrees from Georgetown University.