John A. Jordak, Jr.

• Representing HF Foods Group along with certain of its present and former directors and officers as lead counsel in a shareholder securities class action and related derivative actions pending in California federal court.
• Representing Astec Industries along with certain of its former officers as lead counsel in a shareholder securities class action in Tennessee federal court where our motion to dismiss was granted. City of Taylor General Employees Retirement System v. Astec Industries, et al., No. 1:19-CV-00024-CEA-CHS, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 31343 (E.D. Tenn. Feb. 19, 2021).
• Representing SCANA Corp. former CEO and CFO Jimmy Addison as lead counsel in a series of related shareholder class and derivative actions pending in South Carolina federal and state courts.
• Representing Synchronoss Technologies former CFO as lead counsel in a shareholder securities class action pending in New Jersey federal court.
• Represented Avanos Medical (formerly known as Halyard Health) and two of its former officers as lead counsel in a shareholder securities class action in New York federal court where our motion to dismiss was granted. Jackson v. Halyard Health Inc., et al., No. 16-CV-05093-LTS, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54738 (S.D.N.Y. March 30, 2018). The court subsequently denied the plaintiff’s post-judgment motions, which was affirmed by the Second Circuit. Jackson v. Avanos Med., Inc., et al., No. 16-CV-05093-LTS, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 55969 (S.D.N.Y. March 31, 2019), aff’d, 960 F.3d 94 (2d Cir. 2020). Also represented Avanos Medical in related derivative actions pending in New York, Delaware, and California federal courts that were voluntarily dismissed in the wake of the Second Circuit opinion in the class action.
• Represented the executives of Oceans Healthcare as lead counsel in New York federal court where our motion to dismiss was granted. Clark Marcus v. Stuart Archer, et al., Case No. 1:19-CV-7099-JO, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152998 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 24, 2020).
• Represented Keryx Biopharmaceuticals as lead counsel in a shareholder securities class action in New York federal court where our motion to dismiss was granted. In re Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc. Securities Litig., Civil Action Nos. 13 Civ. 755 (KBF) and 13 Civ. 1307 (KBF), 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19138 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 14, 2014).
• Represented Coca-Cola Enterprises and its board of directors in a series of shareholder class actions in Delaware Chancery Court related to the formation of Coca-Cola European Partners. The $27 billion deal closed as scheduled.
• Represented First Cash Financial Systems as lead counsel in an action in Texas state court related to its merger with Cash America International. The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the action, and the $994 million deal closed as scheduled.
• Represented The First Bancshares Inc. and its board of directors as lead counsel in a shareholder securities class action in Mississippi federal court. The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the action, and the deal closed as scheduled.

John Jordak concentrates his practice on securities and complex commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on class action defense. John focuses on defending shareholder actions and D&O claims, including those filed under the federal securities laws and those brought in the wake of an M&A announcement. 

John’s national practice includes civil matters in federal and state courts throughout the country. He also regularly represents clients in investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators. John also counsels companies on securities disclosure and corporate governance, and he has served as counsel to special litigation committees formed in response to shareholder derivative demands. 

John served as chair of the Alston & Bird Securities Litigation Group from 2004 to 2013. He was selected for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^©, where he has been listed since 2013. John has also been listed as a “Super Lawyer” in Law and Politics. John is a member of the board of trustees of The Paideia School in Atlanta, is a member of the UCLA Parents’ Council, volunteers with the Peachtree Road Race Planning Committee, and previously served on the Emory Law Alumni Board (president, 2017–2019).

Bar Admissions

• Georgia
• New York

Education

• Emory University (J.D., 1993)
• Duke University (A.B., 1990)