Jared Lax

• Contributed to the defense of a large food manufacturing company and its majority shareholders against claims of breach of fiduciary duty and oppression brought by the minority shareholders. The plaintiffs' lawsuit sought to dissolve the company and $2 billion in damages. After a partial summary judgment and a two week trial, a jury found for the company and majority shareholders on all claims and the plaintiffs took nothing. The judgment was affirmed on appeal.
• Contributed to defense of public internet company and its CEO in a wide-ranging insider trading and market manipulation investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. After multiple subpoenas and interviews over five years, DOJ declined to bring charges and the SEC issued "no action" letters to both clients.
• Advising major financial institution on application of federal banking laws and regulations to state-chartered banks and trust companies affiliated with cryptocurrency exchanges or otherwise focused on digital assets. Won summary judgment at district level, judgment affirmed on appeal.
• Representing cryptocurrency company in connection with class action litigation, in multiple federal courts across the country, concerning whether company's distributions of cryptocurrency constitute “investment contracts” subject to regulation under federal securities laws. Won summary judgment at district level, judgment affirmed on appeal.
• Representing pharmaceutical company challenging state-based price cap on federally patented pharmaceutical. Won preliminary injunction at district court.
• Represented a U.S. Olympic athletic organization in a multi-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice that included response to wide-ranging grand jury subpoenas. The matter was concluded when the Department declined to pursue charges.
• Assisted with counseling President of large financial broker-dealer as a testifying witness through subpoena and trial testimony for criminal fraud trial and for tax fraud trial.

Jared Lax's practice focuses on government investigations, complex civil litigation, securities regulation and litigation, internal investigations, and white collar criminal litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Jared clerked for two years at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.  He spent one year with Judge Kristine G. Baker, and one year with Chief Judge D.P. \"Price\" Marshall Jr.  In those clerkships, Jared worked on a variety of federal, constitutional, and state legal issues.

During law school, Jared served as a Principal Senior Editor on the Harvard National Security Journal, Director of Student Organizations and Journals for the Harvard Law School Student Government, and a research assistant for Professor James Tierney's work on state attorneys general.  In the classroom, he received Dean's Scholar Prizes in Criminal Law and in Taxation.

Prior to law school, Jared received a Fulbright Scholarship to Indonesia, where he worked as an English Teaching Assistant.