Jayme Jonat

Jayme Jonat litigates high-stakes commercial disputes that frequently affect entire industries and demand the resolution of novel legal theories.

She has particular experience in securities and antitrust class actions. Jayme has represented Visa in class action antitrust litigation involving thousands of worldwide retailers and leading to one of the largest settlements in the history of the Sherman Act, as well as individual cases brought by many of the world’s largest retail chains. She has also defended global financial institutions against class action claims of securities fraud.

In a number of cases, Jayme has represented plaintiffs pushing inventive arguments with the potential to create significant changes in business practices. Together with the ACLU, she represented female pilots and flight attendants of Frontier Airlines in cutting-edge workplace discrimination cases alleging that the airline’s policies toward pregnant and breast-feeding employees violate the Civil Rights Act, which resulted in meaningful accommodations from Frontier. She has also represented plaintiffs at the forefront of a wave of “cost of insurance” litigation against life insurance providers.

Given the size of her clients and the scope of their business activities, many of Jayme’s matters have international components. Jayme has litigated multiple disputes arising from corporate transactions with cross-border implications. She represented, for instance, French industrial company Alstom in litigation against GE concerning the most significant French M&A transaction of 2014.

Jayme also has an active pro bono practice, which has included the successful appeal of a client’s felony conviction, resulting in his release from state prison.

Beyond her client work, Jayme serves as the administrative partner of Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP. She has been recognized as a Notable Woman in Law (Crain’s New York Business), Litigation Trailblazer (The National Law Journal), 40 & Under Hot List member (Benchmark Litigation), Rising Star – Best in Litigation shortlist honoree (Euromoney), and a Woman Worth Watching (Profiles in Diversity Journal). Prior to joining HSG, she was a litigation associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and clerked for the Honorable Arthur D. Spatt of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Noteworthy

• Named to Benchmark Litigation National 40 & Under List
• Received Notable Women in Law Award from Crain’s New York Business
• Named a Litigation Trailblazer by The National Law Journal
• Featured in Law.com How I Made Partner Q&A Series
• Named to Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under Hot List
• Named to Profiles in Diversity Journal's 2018 Women Worth Watching List

Notable Cases

• Lead counsel for Sealed Air as defendant in securities litigation in the Southern District of New York.
• Online media company in putative class action alleging violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA).
• Affiliates of the government-owned investment fund AIMCo, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as securities intermediary, in a $200 million litigation in the Southern District of New York against AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company arising out of AXA’s improper Cost of Insurance rate increase on a certain group of universal life insurance policies.
• Visa Inc. and its subsidiaries in various matters, including their defense against class and individual antitrust actions brought by virtually every merchant in the United States and alleging hundreds of billions in damages.
• French industrial company Alstom in litigation against GE concerning the most significant French M&A transaction of 2014. 
• XPO Logistics, Inc. in litigation with Elliot Management arising from XPO’s acquisition of Norbert Dentressangle, S.A.
• Assisting Judge Holwell in his current role as an independent monitor appointed by a major financial institution under an agreement between the institution and the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission. 

Writings

• “Ending the Widow Penalty: Why Are Surviving Alien Spouses of Deceased Citizens Being Deported?” Fordham Law Review (77 Fordham L. Rev. 1873 (2009))