StephenAscher

Partners Stephen Ascher and Charles Riely and Associate Shailee Diwanji Sharma co-authored an article for Private Equity Law Report examining the regulatory and litigation risks facing the private credit industry as valuation practices come under increasing scrutiny.

When mortgage defaults occur, lenders have traditionally faced a stark choice under New York's One-Action Rule, but a recent First Department decision may be changing the game. In a December 2025 New York Law Journal article, Partner Stephen Ascher and Special Counsel Abraham Salander examine how U.S. Bank v. Mave Hotel Investors creates a strategic exception that could reshape lender remedies.

In the 2025 edition of Chambers USA, Jenner & Block’s New York office is recognized for excellence across four ranked practice areas and multiple highly ranked lawyers.

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In their article for Cannabis Business Executive, Partner Stephen Ascher and Associate Anna Windemuth examine how the unique legal status of the cannabis business creates a thorny problem for litigants. The complicating factor stems from the business being legal in most states but illegal under federal law. The authors discuss the circumstances under which federal courts will either assert or decline jurisdiction over cannabis-related commercial disputes. They also provide practical guidance not

In this article, Partners Stephen Ascher and Jason Hipp and Associates Melissa Fedornak and Dylan Madoff offer guidance from a litigator’s perspective on how to draft “no-shop” provisions that can protect corporate clients if a deal breaks down.

I. Introduction

When do controlling stockholders, exercising their voting power or selling stock, owe fiduciary duties to a Delaware corporation and its minority stockholders? This thorny question in corporate law may have a new answer following a new landmark decision by the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Partners Debbie Berman and Stephen Ascher are quoted extensively in an article that examines the future of non-competes under New York law. 

The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) recognized Partners Stephen Ascher and Brian Scarbrough and Associate Sarah Atkinson for their support in two recent pro bono matters. In Burks v. Gotham, a class action suit filed on behalf of over 3,000 New York City consumers, the team provided background information consultation to the Special Litigation Unit on multiple issues, including advice on a liability insurance issue. Thanks to the firm’s support, NYLAG reached a $1.35 million settlement i

A Jenner & Block team led by Partner Stephen Ascher won summary judgment in a long-running real estate dispute for client Greystone Special Servicing (f/k/a C-III), who handles defaulted loans in a commercial mortgage-backed securities trust.

In a high-profile transaction that received coverage around the US, Albertsons and Kroger announced last week that the supermarket chains would merge into a combined company with an expanded customer reach of about 85 million households. Valued at $25 billion, the deal is one of the largest this year. It is expected to close in early 2024.

Chambers and Partners published the 2022 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, recognizing 59 Jenner & Block lawyers in 39 categories.

Law360 named Jenner & Block among its Cannabis Practice Groups of the Year, recognizing the group’s work in several of the most significant matters of 2021. Co-Chair Martin C. Glass discusses the groups strengths in a profile announcing the award.

Firm expands renowned securities litigation team with experienced Fintech litigator and prominent member of the blockchain community.

In its profile, Law360 notes that Jenner & Block Partner Stephen L. Ascher has represented some of the biggest cannabis companies in North America in complex securities litigation, including securing the dismissals of securities fraud class actions against cannabis giants Curaleaf and Aurora. The profile highlights his work “on the front lines” when the first wave of securities class actions hit the cannabis industry in 2019. He and his colleagues secured the dismissal of bothlawsuits, which h

Partners Stephen L. Ascher, Noah B. Bleicher, Alexander J. Hadjis, and Rebekah P. Goodheart were recognized among Law360’s 2021 MVPs in the Cannabis, Government Contracts and Grants, Intellectual Property, and Telecommunications practice areas, respectively. The annual list highlights lawyers who have “distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.”

On July 6, a firm team secured a dismissal for Aurora Cannabis Inc. in a putative securities class action in New Jersey federal court.  Aurora is one of Canada’s largest licensed cannabis producers. Aurora was sued as part of a wave of shareholder lawsuits lodged against companies in the cannabis industry. The plaintiffs alleged that Aurora misrepresented its sales strength without disclosing that sales were decreasing and that it would stop construction on two facilities.However, Judge John Vaz

The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance published an article co-authored by Jenner & Block Partners Ali Arain, Stephen L. Ascher, Howard S. Suskin and Associate Reanne Zheng on the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision in Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. v. Arkansas Teacher Retirement System. The article explains how the Supreme Court’s decision gives defendants in securities class actions additional arguments to challenge class certification.

On June 21, 2021, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in Goldman Sachs Group Inc. v. Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, providing guidance to lower courts regarding class certification in securities fraud class actions. On balance, the opinion favors defendants, and potentially signals a backlash against the tide of securities fraud class actions based on vague and generic misstatements. Importantly, the Court instructed that all relevant evidence should be considered when making the cla