Attorney Juan Monteverde has built firm on success
Juan Monteverde is an attorney in New York City. He is the founder and managing partner of Monteverde & Associates PC. His firm is largely focused on cases that involve investors and consumers. Many cases look at how shareholders are experiencing unfair financial damages because of unfair practices on the part of the public organization they’ve invested in. Often, underlying corporate fraud is an issue that remains consistent across his cases.
Monteverde & Associates PC has successfully won cases in front of the US Supreme Court and acts as a leader in New York. Juan Monteverde helps ensure merger transactions are fair for his clients. He has a wealth of experience that he can draw from to help companies make better deals and follow fair practices for their shareholders. He is skilled in recommending the best actions for shareholders to take to ensure they get paid fairly for their investments.
Juan Monteverde has been a speaker at ACI, ABA, PLI and other conferences, sharing his perspective on mergers and executive compensation. He has also written a number of published articles on topics about law and litigation.
Juan Monteverde doesn’t believe there should ever be any room for doubt or hesitation.
It can be a big step to start a firm, but he had to put his full belief in the success of his professional abilities. His goal in his career was to establish a practice that helped clients fight for their rights. By keeping the focus on the clients, Monteverde and his firm are able to get great results. Monteverde believes that the lawyer is often more effective when he or she is able to focus on the client over the firm.
However, letting the world know about those successes is a big part of growing a successful firm. One struggle in today’s world is that the unknown firm is essentially the underdog. Building up an online reputation and creating the kind of word-of-mouth referral system that is needed for growth has been a hurdle for Monteverde and his firm.
The firm has put effort into building a website and creating an online presence to help shape an online presence. Without a place to post achievements and case wins, it’s hard to spread the word about the firm. Putting effort into increasing the website and online publications is one way Monteverde has supported his firm with new marketing tactics.
Before the company site that exists now, Monteverde actually created his own initial website to save the firm money. He learned basic programming just to create a working website. Looking back, Monteverde believes tasks like that are better saved for other talent while he focuses on money-making cases. But, he is the kind of professional who won’t hesitate to learn a new skill.
Juan Monteverde has been successful because of his intense work ethic.
He has a hard work ethic that is focused on productivity. In litigation, there are many deadlines and essentially a never-ending stream of work. One of the biggest jobs Monteverde has is in making sure the board is honest with their activities and the corporate agreements for mergers are clear. This requires a lot of hard work and long hours.
He says that the focus has to be on not just the hours spent, but on the efficiency. According to Monteverde, “Time and energy are limited and when they’re utilized in a manner that’s less than ideal, your work can suffer.”
Time spent effectively for the career path goes beyond just work hours—Monteverde says it also includes pursuing a rich background of experiences. By adding to his understanding of case law, industries, business and other valuable professional endeavors, Monteverde keeps his practice sharp.
Juan Monteverde started his career interested in the financial side of business.
He earned his B.S. in Finance from the California State University of Northridge. He then went on to get his J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law where he graduated cum laude in 2006. He passed the New York State bar exam the following year before joining a practice.
After working for a decade in a number of firms, Juan Monteverde decided it was time to set out on his own. He was running the mergers & acquisitions department for a firm when he made the decision to start a new firm. This was a natural step in his career, giving him greater control over the focus of his practice.
With a background in securities law and shareholder rights, it was a natural fit to take on more of these clients and cases. His goal in creating a firm was to establish a legacy firm that would earn a solid reputation. His success with cases has helped establish that reputation and build trust with many clients.
The firm only makes money if it is able to land a favorable deal for a client. A fee structure is set up ahead of time that determines the percentage the firm would take when a deal is reached.
While many firms struggle to be profitable at first, Juan Monteverde came in with plenty of experience under his belt and his firm was able to make money from the start. Most firms have to put in a lot of unpaid hours upfront before they can get back into the black after striking deals or winning cases. It can be years before some firms really start to move into the black.
But, Juan Monteverde was already on good terms with many other industry leaders, including those at his old firm. He was able to keep working the cases he had already started with the old firm and start off his new firm with several profitable deals and wins.
This was a huge step up for Monteverde & Associates PC law firm. Rather than going into debt and low returns, the firm was able to start out at a plus.
His firm has achieved many successful case settlements and wins.
Juan Monteverde has been able to win a number of multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for the clients he represents. Some of his personal wins include:
- Riche v. Pappas (US Geothermal buyout), 2018-0177 JTL (Del. Ch. 2020)(securing $6.5 million cash settlement)
- In Re Hansen Medical, Inc. Shareholder Litigation, Lead Case No. 16-cv-294288 (Santa Clara Cnty., CA 2019)(obtaining $7.5 million post-close cash settlement)
- In Re Clubcorp Holdings Shareholder Litigation, Case No. A-17-758972-B (Dist. Ct. Cark Cnty., NV 2019)(obtaining $5 million post-close cash settlement)
- In Re American Capital, Ltd. Shareholder Litigation, Case No. 422598-V (Rockwell Cty, MD 2018)(obtaining $17.5 million post close cash settlement)
- In Re Jefferies Group, Inc. Shareholders Litigation, Cons. C.A. No. 8059-CB (Del. Ch. 2015)(obtaining as co-lead counsel $70 million post-close settlement)
- In re Force Protection, Inc. Shareholder Litigation, Case No. A-11-651336-B (Dist. Ct. Clark Cnty., NV 2015)(obtaining as co-lead counsel $11 million post-close cash settlement)
- In re Orchard Enterprises, Inc. Stockholder Litigation, C.A. No. 7840-VCL (Del. Ch. 2014) (obtaining as co-lead counsel $10.725 million post-close cash settlement)
- In Re Harleysville Group, Inc. S’holders Litigation, C.A. 6907-VCP (Del. Ch. 2014)(obtaining significant disclosures for stockholders pre-close and securing valuable relief post close in the form of an Anti-Flip Provision providing former stockholders with 25% of any profits in a Qualifying Sale)
- In re Cogent, Inc. Shareholders Litigation, Consol. C.A. No. 5780-VCP (Del. Ch. 2013) (obtaining as co-lead counsel post-close cash settlement of $1.9 million)
Because of cases like these, Juan Monteverde has won a number of awards.
He was chosen by Super Lawyers as a New York Metro Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013 and 2017-2019. This is an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field.
He was also named Top Rated Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Many of Monteverde’s past clients have given him high ratings and stellar reviews. Case studies listed on the site highlight some of the big wins he’s been able to give to clients.
Recently, Monteverde & Associates was named to the list of Top 50 plaintiff law firms of 2018, 2019 and 2020. The list is chosen by the total cash amounts for ISS securities class action settlements within the year. With nearly $11 million spanning three different settlements for the calendar year of 2020, Monteverde & Associates came in 10th in the ranking by the number of settlements for the settlement amount.
The firm then went on to land a $17.4 million cash settlement for the shareholders of Envision Healthcare.
Fighting for shareholder rights is a passion for Juan Monteverde.
He says shareholders never understand that they have the ability to make changes in the proposals and have a say in whatever happens in their organizations. The shareholder proposals were introduced many years ago so that all public companies could try and adhere to all the wishes of the investors.
Juan Monteverde protects the rights of American shareholders, and he gets a lot of hardships because shareholders do not know their responsibilities in public companies. When the attorney works with most clients, he starts to realize that more information should be given to people concerning owning shares in any public organizations.
As a national class action law firm, many of the Monteverde & Associates cases are seeking damages that occurred because of bad advertising or fraud. These cases have been taken to all appellate levels, including the U.S. Supreme Court. This has given the firm a lot of experience with different trial types, courts and shareholder rights cases.
It’s not always easy to fight these huge battles on behalf of hundreds or thousands of plaintiffs.
Juan Monteverde sees himself as a Don Quixote when it comes to law. He found the book inspirational because it showed a man dedicated to a purpose many others called absurd. Don Quixote is focused and willing to take on any challenge. Monteverde has noted that he identifies with the imagery of fighting things other people can’t even see. Even if others don’t see the value or understand the plight, the work can still be noble and meaningful.
“It’s easier to follow the crowd than to be your own person,” he says. “Follow your instincts and fight for better results.”
But, Monteverde isn’t wholly consumed with his career either. His favorite ways to spend his downtime include his family. He says there is no better reason to work hard. When it comes down to it, his wife and kids are the reason he pours so much of himself into his work. He wants to create a legacy firm that does more than just support his family.
Looking forward, the future is bright for Juan Monteverde and his firm.
As a leader in the New York legal scene, Monteverde spends a lot of time encouraging new lawyers and young, budding professionals. He wants the promising new legal professionals to stay dedicated to the small guys—the individuals that are often left out in the cold when larger companies make deals or business decisions.
In the fast-paced world of mass production and the huge reach of corporations, someone has to be looking out for the investors, consumers and stakeholders. Companies often have their own council appointed, so lawyers are often needed to organize and present class action lawsuits on behalf of the smaller party of affected plaintiffs. And, while it’s easy for firms to become removed from the case and the clients, personable firms are needed that really take an interest in what would make the client whole again without depleting crucial time and resources.
Juan Monteverde says it’s important to take advantage of technology.
Up-and-coming professionals should use the tools available to improve their reach, increase their knowledge and organize their approach. The tools today are what makes it possible for brands to reach a huge audience—and they are the same ones that should be used for legal teams to reach those large groups as well.
The valuable technology of the modern day is useful when used correctly. Monteverde believes lawyers in all industries need to take advantage of the latest trends and tools. Learning the technology is the only way to stay ahead of competitors and meet the expectations of clients.
Monteverde also believes it is important for leaders to guide other professionals.
Monteverde has gone on to support other professionals who are looking for guidance from experienced pros. One struggle he encourages them to examine is the difficulty in outsourcing or delegating certain busywork tasks.
As a role model, he says it is important to become the kind of professional that others will want to emulate. He says, “If you want to succeed in law, it is important to be knowledgeable and up to date of all legal developments in the area of law you wish to practice in.” He says it’s crucial for young professionals to find mentors that can help them navigate the early growth of their career.
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