Valerie E. Collanton, Attorney

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Ms. Collanton, who joined Block & Leviton in January 2012, focuses her practice on securities litigation and consumer protection issues.  Prior to joining Block & Leviton, Ms. Collanton was an associate at Heller Ehrman, LLP where she was responsible for various complex litigation and energy matters.   Over the course of her career, she has been an integral trial team member in two major antitrust cases:  United States v. Visa USA Inc. (S.D.N.Y), and Atari Games Corp. v. Nintendo of America (N.D. Cal.).  She also worked on several matters involving the response of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in regards to the California energy crisis.  Ms. Collanton began her career as an Assistant District Attorney for New York County under Robert M. Morgenthau.  There, she was first chair in over fifty jury trials, and had responsibility for numerous government investigations.

Ms. Collanton is currently representing several Ohio Pension Funds in the securities class action In re BP plc Securities Litigation, 4:10-md-02185 (S.D. Tex), where she is working to recover investor losses related to the explosion and subsequent massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Ms. Collanton received her B.A. from San Francisco State University.  She was awarded her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law where she graduated magna cum laude achieving the second highest grade point average (GPA) in her class.  While at Hastings, Ms. Collanton was Chief Managing Editor of the International and Comparative Law Review.  Ms. Collanton is admitted to practice law in California, New York and the United States Virgin Islands.