Joseph L. Motto
Partner
A partner in Winston & Strawn’s Chambers USA-ranked Securities Litigation Practice, Joe is described by clients as a “very strategic” litigator known for his “great client service,” and has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation US, Super Lawyers, and The Legal 500 US for his securities and financial services defense work on behalf of preeminent financial institutions.
Key Matters
Notable past representations and successes include:
- Trial counsel to a Morgan Stanley-backed public-private partnership in a major contractual dispute
- Dismissal on a motion to dismiss of Securities Act of 1933 claims against underwriters of secondary public offering of stock by one of North America’s leading branded food companies
- Dismissal on a motion to dismiss of a sprawling alleged securities fraud class action against a multinational technology conglomerate
- A complete victory on a motion to dismiss putative class action fraud claims asserted against an underwriting syndicate in relation to an IPO by the nation's largest party supplies company
- Dismissal at summary judgment of class claims asserting securities fraud against a telecommunications equipment company
- Dismissal on a motion to dismiss of multi-billion-dollar qui tam claims against an international financial services firm relating to its municipal bond underwriting practices
Joe has also litigated numerous qui tam and consumer suits brought pursuant to False Claims Act, consumer fraud, and related statutes in Illinois and across the country. Recent and current engagements include:
- Representing an international financial services firm in putative consumer class action fraud litigation relating to its federally insured mortgage lending and property inspection practices
- Representing the concessionaire of the on-street parking system for the City of Chicago in successfully defeating a putative Illinois Consumer Fraud Act class action on a motion to dismiss
- Successfully representing a major academic health care system against consumer fraud claims
- Defeating an Illinois False Claims Act suit against an international financial services firm, which alleged the defendants obtained billions of dollars in state and municipal bond business by falsely certifying compliance with lending and consumer protection laws
- Securing complete dismissal on behalf of a major academic health care system of a qui tam action in federal court alleging that defendants violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to Medicare for reimbursement of medically unnecessary procedures
- Defending a national insurance provider against a qui tam suit alleging false claims for payment relating to the National Flood Insurance Program in the wake of a hurricane that struck the Gulf Coast