• U.S. News
  • Lawyers »
  • Legal Topics
  • Legal Advice
  • Find a Lawyer
  • For Lawyers
  • FAQ
  • Best Law Firms
  • Lawyers
  • Legal Topics
  • Find a Lawyer
  • Find Legal Advice
  • For Lawyers
  • FAQ
  • Login

  • More from U.S. News
  • News & Opinion
    • BACK
    • News & Opinion
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Photos
    • Best Countries
    • Best States
    • The Report
  • Education
    • BACK
    • Education
    • Higher Education
      • Rankings
      • Colleges
      • Grad Schools
      • Online Programs
      • Global
      • Advice
    • High Schools
      • Rankings
      • Advice
  • Health
    • BACK
    • Health
    • Wellness
      • Best Diets
      • Food
      • Fitness
      • Family
      • Mind
      • Aging
      • Health Living
    • Healthcare
      • Doctors
      • Hospitals
    • Senior Care
  • Money
    • BACK
    • Money
    • Careers
      • Best Jobs
      • Applying
      • Interviewing
      • Salaries & Benefits
      • Work Culture
    • Investing
      • Rankings
      • Stocks
      • Mutual Funds
      • ETFs
      • Financial Advisors
      • 529s
      • Advice
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate
      • Places
      • Agents
      • Advice
    • Retirement
  • Travel
    • BACK
    • Travel
      • Vacations
      • Hotels
      • Cruises
      • Rewards
      • Advice
  • Cars
    • BACK
    • Cars
      • Rankings
      • New
      • Used
      • Financing
      • Advice
  • Law Firms
    • BACK
    • Law Firms
      • Law Firms
      • Practice Areas
  • Real Estate
  • Contact
  • Employment
  • Advertising
  • Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • Lawyers
Merrill G. Davidoff's Profile Image

Merrill G. Davidoff

Recognized by Best Lawyers® since 2007.
1818 Market Street, Suite 3600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
(215) 875-3084
 | 
mdavidoff@bm.net
Firm: Berger Montague
 |  Website
 
Edit Profile
  • Overview
  • Services
  • Awards
  • Education
  • Contact
  • Client Reviews & Commendations
  • More ▾
  • Overview
  • Services
  • Awards
  • Education
  • Contact
  • Client Reviews & Commendations
Edit Your Profile
To edit your Lawyer Directory information, please login to your
Best Lawyers® Admin Account.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at info@bestlawyers.com or 803.648.0300.
Overview
Firm

Berger Montague


Years In Practice


Phone Number (215) 875-3084

Merrill G. Davidoff is Chairman Emeritus and a Managing Shareholder, in addition to his continuing work as Co-Chairman of the Antitrust Department with Mr. Montague and Chairman of the Environmental Group. Mr. Davidoff has litigated and tried a wide range of antitrust, commodities, securities and environmental class actions.

In In re Currency Conversion Fee Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 1409, Mr. Davidoff was co-lead counsel in class actions that resulted in settlements of $386 million.

In a long-running environmental class action on behalf of property owners whose land was contaminated by plutonium from a neighboring nuclear weapons facility (Rocky Flats near Denver, Colorado), Mr. Davidoff served as lead counsel and lead trial counsel in a 2005-2006 trial that resulted in a $554 million jury verdict, third largest of 2006. In 2009 the Rocky Flats trial team, led by Mr. Davidoff, received the prestigious Public Justice Award for “Trial Lawyer of the Year.” A 2010 decision by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the judgment that had been won in the district court, but Berger Montague persevered and sought entry of judgment under alternative state law grounds. After losing this battle in the district court, plaintiffs appealed to the 10th Circuit again, and, after an appeal argued by Mr. Davidoff, the Court of Appeals (by then-judge, now Justice, Neil Gorsuch) reversed and held that plaintiffs could proceed on state law nuisance grounds. Just before competing petitions for certiorari were to be decided by the Supreme Court, a settlement of $375 million was announced in May 2016. The settlement received final approval on April 28, 2017.

Mr. Davidoff also concentrates his practice in representation for commodities futures and options traders as well as derivatives matters.  He was co-lead counsel for the customer class in In re MF Global Holdings Limited Investment Litigation, which settled for well over a billion dollars and resulted in the recovery and return of 100% of lost customer funds after MF Global’s October 31, 2011 collapse.

Mr. Davidoff has represented diverse clients, including many companies, sports organizations, trading firms and governmental entities. In the Qwest securities litigation, Mr. Davidoff represented New Jersey, securing a $45 million “opt-out” settlement, and also represented New Jersey in “opt-out” litigation against the former public accounting firm for Lehman Brothers Inc.

Mr. Davidoff served as co-lead and trial counsel for a plaintiff class in the first mass tort class action trial in a federal court which resulted in a precedent-setting settlement for class members, In re Louisville Explosions Litigation. In the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (“CRTC”) Decisions (Challenge Communications, Ltd. v. Bell Canada), Mr. Davidoff was lead counsel for Applicant (plaintiff) in three evidentiary hearings before the CRTC. The hearings resulted in the first precedent-breaking Bell Canada’s monopoly over the telecommunications equipment which was connected to its telephone network. He was lead counsel in the Revco Securities Litigation, an innovative “junk bond” class action, which settled for $36 million. Mr. Davidoff was lead plaintiffs’ counsel and lead trial counsel in In re Melridge Securities Litigation tried to jury verdicts for $88 million (securities fraud) and $240 million (RICO). He was co-lead counsel for the class in In re Graphite Electrodes Antitrust Litigation, an international price-fixing case which yielded settlements ranging from 18% to 32% of the plaintiffs’ and class’ purchases from the defendants (aggregate settlements totaled $134 million). He was one of co-lead counsel in the Ikon Securities Litigation, in which a settlement of $111 million was obtained. He was co-lead counsel and designated lead trial counsel in the In Re Sunbeam Securities Litigation, where settlements of $142 million were reached. One of his areas of concentration is representation in commodities futures and options matters, and expertise in derivatives. He has represented market-makers on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, where he owned a member firm in the 1990s, as well as broker-dealers and market-makers on other exchanges.

What legal services does this lawyer offer?
Antitrust Law
Litigation - Antitrust
Litigation - Environmental
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
Awards
  • Named a 2019 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers: 2004 – 2020
  • Recognized as a 2017 Distinguished Leader by The Legal Intelligencer
  •  “Litigator of the Week” (June 26, 2015) by the AmLaw Litigation Daily for his role in Merilyn Cook et al. v. Rockwell International Corporation et al
  • Recommended in The Legal 500’s 2020 editorial guide for Civil Litigation/Class Actions: Plaintiff division in the United States
  • Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2009
Education
University of Pennsylvania
Graduated 1973
University of Pennsylvania
Graduated 1969
Contact Details and Office Locations
Office: (215) 875-3084
mdavidoff@bm.net
1818 Market Street, Suite 3600
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
See Location
Address for Merrill G. Davidoff
Client Reviews & Commendations

Get Advice

What Legal Advice Does a Startup Need?

Helping an Elder Make a Power of Attorney

How Much Does a Divorce Lawyer Cost?

How Much Does It Cost to File for Bankruptcy?

How to Find the Right Lawyer for Your Needs

Do You Need a Lawyer if You Get a DUI?

Write a Client Review
{{ error.Text }}
Your client review was submitted successfully!
We've encountered an error while submitting your client review. Please try again later.
This comment will be sent to the attorney for review prior to publishing.
Disclaimer and a note about Find a Lawyer and Legal Advice »

SEARCH BY STATE

▼
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
U.S. News
  • About U.S. NewsAbout
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Advertise
  • Jobs
  • Copyright 2021 © U.S. News & World Report L.P.
  • Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy
Login
Forgot your password?
*If you are having any difficulty accessing your account, please contact us at info@lawyerregister.com.
Premium Profiles
Expand Your Presence
Access Exclusive Tools
And Much More...
Learn More
*If you are having any difficulty accessing your account, please contact us at info@lawyerregister.com.
https://www.bestlawyers.com Best Lawyers Best Lawyers +1-803-648-0300
801 Broad Street, Suite 950 Augusta, GA 30901
  • https://twitter.com/bestlawyers
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/137775
  • https://www.facebook.com/bestlawyersllc