Tom James, a BLB&G partner, prosecutes corporate governance and fiduciary duty litigation on behalf of the firm’s institutional investor clients. He has significant experience prosecuting and trying cases in the Delaware Court of Chancery and is one of the firm’s go-to litigators for cases involving special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”). Tom practices out of the firm’s New York office.
Since joining the firm in 2020, Tom has been an integral member of the BLB&G teams that prosecuted several notable corporate governance matters, including:
- In re CVR Refining, LP Unitholder Litigation: Playing a key role in helping BLB&G obtain a $78.5 million recovery for investors in this class action concerning the unfair squeeze-out of CVR Refining minority unitholders.
- The Williams Companies Stockholder Litigation: Playing a pivotal role in BLB&G’s successful challenge against a novel and “extreme” poison pill adopted by the board of pipeline giant The Williams Companies.
- In re Columbia Pipeline Group, Inc. Merger Litigation: Serving on the BLB&G trial team that achieved a partial settlement of $79 million for claims against Columbia Pipeline's CEO and CFO.
- In re AVX Corporation Stockholders Litigation: Helping to secure a $49.9 million recovery for stockholders in this litigation concerning a controller squeeze-out transaction.
- In re Pivotal Software Inc. Stockholders Litigation: Helping the firm obtain a $42.5 million recovery for minority stockholders shortly before trial in this class action concerning the controller buy-out of Pivotal Software.
- Fishel, v. Liberty Media, et al.: Leading the BLB&G case team that secured a $36 million recovery in this class and derivative lawsuit challenging a creeping takeover of Sirius by Liberty Media and the extraction of non-ratable benefits from Sirius by Liberty Media.
Tom has also taken the lead in prosecuting BLB&G’s portfolio of SPAC-related cases. His experience in this area includes, among other cases:
- In re Multiplan Corp. Stockholders Litigation: Serving as a key member of the team that achieved a $33.75 million recovery in the stockholder class action challenging Churchill's de-SPAC transaction with Multiplan.
- In re Lordstown Motors Corp. Stockholders Litigation: Under Tom’s leadership, BLB&G prosecuted a class action challenging the 2020 merger between SPAC DiamondPeak Holdings Corp. and Lordstown Motors Corp. and secured a $15.5 million recovery for DiamondPeak’s public stockholders.
- Jesse Newbold v. Craig McCaw, et al.: Under Tom’s leadership, BLB&G prosecuted a class action challenging the 2021 merger between SPAC Holicity and Astra Space, a satellite launch services company, and secured at $16.5 million recovery for Holicity’s public stockholders.
Recognized as one of the nation’s top litigators, Tom has been named to Lawdragon's 2025 “Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation” and “500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers” lists, recognized as a 2024 Leading Attorney by Super Lawyers, and named to Benchmark Litigation's “40 and Under” list in 2024.
Tom is also a frequent speaker and guest lecturer, having taught classes at Boston College Law School, Harvard Law School, and Villanova Law School concerning issues in corporate law and M&A.
Before joining the firm, Tom was a securities litigation associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where he represented clients in corporate governance, appraisal, and securities actions. Before joining Weil, Tom clerked for Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery. Tom received his J.D., cum laude, from Boston College Law School, where he served as Senior Editor of the Boston College Law Review.