Jonathan Cuneo
Encyclopedia
Jonathan W. Cuneo is an American lawyer who has represented clients in state and federal litigation and in government relations in the fields of antitrust
, civil and human rights
, consumer protection
, corporate governance
and securities for over two decades.
He is a partner of the law firm Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP
, a government servant, an affiliate of national legal oversight institutions, and a contributor to many legal publications. He has received the highest Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating of AV.
and William Vickrey
. He graduated in 1974 with a degree in Economics. In 1977, he received his law degree from Cornell Law School, where he studied under notable law professors Irving Younger
, G. Robert Blakey
, Rudolf Schlesinger
and Ian McNeill
.
After law school, Cuneo clerked for Judge Edward Tamm of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit until 1978. After completing his clerkship, he worked as an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel of the Federal Trade Commission
until 1981.
. There, Cuneo counseled Congressman and Committee Chairman Peter W. Rodino
(D-NJ) regarding the Committee's consideration of potential budget-balancing
amendments to the United States Constitution
in 1982. He conducted a large-scale committee investigation and successfully advocated for oversight of the insurance industry.
and Legislative Representative to the Committee to Support Antitrust Laws ("COSAL"). He also co-founded the National Association of Securities and Commercial Law Attorneys ("NASCAT") in 1988, and served as its general counsel from 1988 until 2004.
" cigarette advertising campaign. The action was filed in California state court
in 1991 well before the U.S. Attorney General began tobacco litigation. This litigation led to the release of documents that revealed R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
had studied under-aged smokers with a view toward selling cigarettes and consequently induced youths to start smoking through targeted advertising. Congressman Henry Waxman called Cuneo and his colleagues "American Heroes" for their release of these documents.
from 2002 through 2008. This Enron Securities Litigation recovered over $7 billion, the largest in the history of federal securities litigation.
, successfully represented Hungarian Holocaust Survivors seeking restitution and an accounting against the United States government in the Hungarian Gold Train
case, which was settled for $25.5 million in 2005 after nearly five years of litigation. The settlement's terms also included an apology from the Bush Administration for the conduct of the U.S. Army.
in 1995. Although the coalition Cuneo led was unsuccessful in preventing passage of the bill, some of its more extreme provisions were defeated. After President Bill Clinton
vetoed the bill in December 1995, Congress overruled that veto, the only veto override of the Clinton Presidency.
, The Nation
, and the Legal Times
. He is the co-editor of The International Handbook on Private Enforcement of Competition Law, published in the U.S. in January 2011.
, a lawyer, newspaperman, former National Football League
player and aide to Fiorello LaGuardia. Ernest Cuneo also served as an intelligence liaison between Office of Strategic Services
chief William Donovan
and Sir William Stephenson, who headed British Intelligence.
Cuneo is married to Mara Liasson, the national political reporter for National Public Radio and political contributor to Fox News. He boxes recreationally and is a former collegiate and club competitive heavyweight oarsman.
in American Law.
Cuneo was selected by the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice as a finalist for its 2006 Trial Lawyer of the Year award.
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
, civil and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, consumer protection
Consumer protection
Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...
, corporate governance
Corporate governance
Corporate governance is a number of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions which have impact on the way a company is controlled...
and securities for over two decades.
He is a partner of the law firm Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP
Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP
Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP is a law firm with offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, and Alexandria. Jonathan Cuneo is the lead partner of the firm along with co-partners Pamela Gilbert and Charles LaDuca...
, a government servant, an affiliate of national legal oversight institutions, and a contributor to many legal publications. He has received the highest Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating of AV.
Early career and education
While attending Columbia University, Cuneo studied under noted professors Sidney MorgenbesserSidney Morgenbesser
Sidney Morgenbesser was a Columbia University philosopher. Born in New York City, he undertook philosophical study at the City College of New York and rabbinical study at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, then pursued graduate study in philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, where...
and William Vickrey
William Vickrey
William Spencer Vickrey was a Canadian professor of economics and Nobel Laureate. Vickrey was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics with James Mirrlees for their research into the economic theory of incentives under asymmetric information...
. He graduated in 1974 with a degree in Economics. In 1977, he received his law degree from Cornell Law School, where he studied under notable law professors Irving Younger
Irving Younger
Irving Younger was an American lawyer, law professor, judge, and writer. He is well known among lawyers and law students for his exciting talks on effective trial advocacy and legal history....
, G. Robert Blakey
G. Robert Blakey
George Robert Blakey is an American attorney and law professor. He is best known for his work in connection with drafting the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and for scholarship on that subject.-Education and family:Blakey graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1957,...
, Rudolf Schlesinger
Rudolf Schlesinger
Rudolf Berthold Schlesinger was a German-born American legal scholar known for his contributions to the study of comparative law, a discipline that examines the differences and similarities among the legal systems of nations....
and Ian McNeill
Ian McNeill
Ian McNeill is a former professional footballer and manager.Playing at inside forward, McNeill's career included stints at Aberdeen, Leicester City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Southend United. Upon retiring, McNeill moved into management, taking charge of Wigan Athletic between 1968 and 1970...
.
After law school, Cuneo clerked for Judge Edward Tamm of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit until 1978. After completing his clerkship, he worked as an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel of the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
until 1981.
1981-1986
Subsequent to his tenure at the FTC, Cuneo served as assistant counsel and then counsel to the Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law of the United States House Committee on the JudiciaryUnited States House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
. There, Cuneo counseled Congressman and Committee Chairman Peter W. Rodino
Peter W. Rodino
Peter Wallace Rodino, Jr. was a Democratic United States Congressman from New Jersey from 1949 to 1989. Rodino rose to prominence as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, where he was chair of the impeachment hearings that led to the resignation of President Richard...
(D-NJ) regarding the Committee's consideration of potential budget-balancing
Balanced budget
A balanced budget is when there is neither a budget deficit or a budget surplus – when revenues equal expenditure – particularly by a government. More generally, it refers to when there is no deficit, but possibly a surplus...
amendments to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
in 1982. He conducted a large-scale committee investigation and successfully advocated for oversight of the insurance industry.
1986-present
Since 1986, Cuneo has served as General CounselGeneral Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
and Legislative Representative to the Committee to Support Antitrust Laws ("COSAL"). He also co-founded the National Association of Securities and Commercial Law Attorneys ("NASCAT") in 1988, and served as its general counsel from 1988 until 2004.
"Joe Camel" Case
Cuneo served as Washington counsel in the first case to challenge the "Joe CamelJoe Camel
Joe Camel was the advertising mascot for Camel cigarettes from late 1987 to July 12, 1997, appearing in magazine advertisements, billboards, and other print media.-History:The U.S. marketing team of R. J...
" cigarette advertising campaign. The action was filed in California state court
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
in 1991 well before the U.S. Attorney General began tobacco litigation. This litigation led to the release of documents that revealed R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company , based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and founded by R. J. Reynolds in 1875, is the second-largest tobacco company in the U.S. . RJR is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc...
had studied under-aged smokers with a view toward selling cigarettes and consequently induced youths to start smoking through targeted advertising. Congressman Henry Waxman called Cuneo and his colleagues "American Heroes" for their release of these documents.
Enron
Cuneo served as Washington counsel on behalf of defrauded investors in EnronEnron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with...
from 2002 through 2008. This Enron Securities Litigation recovered over $7 billion, the largest in the history of federal securities litigation.
Hungarian Gold Train
Cuneo's firm, Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLPCuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP
Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP is a law firm with offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, and Alexandria. Jonathan Cuneo is the lead partner of the firm along with co-partners Pamela Gilbert and Charles LaDuca...
, successfully represented Hungarian Holocaust Survivors seeking restitution and an accounting against the United States government in the Hungarian Gold Train
Hungarian Gold Train
The Hungarian Gold Train was the case of a Nazi-operated train during World War II that carried stolen valuables, mostly Hungarian Jewish persons' property, from Hungary towards Berlin in 1945...
case, which was settled for $25.5 million in 2005 after nearly five years of litigation. The settlement's terms also included an apology from the Bush Administration for the conduct of the U.S. Army.
Controversy
Working for the plaintiff's securities bar, Cuneo was the lead lobbyist opposing passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform ActPrivate Securities Litigation Reform Act
The United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-67, 109 Stat. 737 implemented several substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation, and...
in 1995. Although the coalition Cuneo led was unsuccessful in preventing passage of the bill, some of its more extreme provisions were defeated. After President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
vetoed the bill in December 1995, Congress overruled that veto, the only veto override of the Clinton Presidency.
Authorship
Cuneo has authored numerous pieces in newspapers and professional journals, including the New York Times, Georgetown Law JournalGeorgetown Law Journal
The Georgetown Law Journal is a student-edited scholarly journal published at Georgetown University Law Center.-Overview:The Journal publishes six issues each year. It also publishes the Annual Review of Criminal Procedure, a comprehensive practitioner's guide to criminal procedure.The first volume...
, The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, and the Legal Times
Legal Times
Legal Times is a weekly legal newspaper based in Washington, D.C. It is owned by ALM....
. He is the co-editor of The International Handbook on Private Enforcement of Competition Law, published in the U.S. in January 2011.
Personal life
Cuneo is the son of Ernest CuneoErnest Cuneo
Ernest L. Cuneo was a lawyer, newspaperman, author, and intelligence liaison. He was also a professional football player in the National Football League.-Athletics:...
, a lawyer, newspaperman, former National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player and aide to Fiorello LaGuardia. Ernest Cuneo also served as an intelligence liaison between Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
chief William Donovan
William Donovan
William Donovan or Bill Donovan may refer to:*Bill Donovan , pitcher and manager in Major League Baseball*William Joseph Donovan , American soldier, lawyer and intelligence officer, best remembered as wartime head of the Office of Strategic Services *Billy Donovan , head coach of the Florida Gators...
and Sir William Stephenson, who headed British Intelligence.
Cuneo is married to Mara Liasson, the national political reporter for National Public Radio and political contributor to Fox News. He boxes recreationally and is a former collegiate and club competitive heavyweight oarsman.
Awards and achievements
Cuneo is listed in the Marquis Who's WhoMarquis Who's Who
Marquis Who's Who, a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc., is the American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies...
in American Law.
Cuneo was selected by the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice as a finalist for its 2006 Trial Lawyer of the Year award.
See also
- Joe Camel Case
- House Committee on the Judiciary
External links
; Cuneo's Statement at the Hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.- Cuneo quote from PR Newswire Association LLC regarding Opportunity for Hungarian Jews to to Identify Heirlooms Stolen by Nazis during WWII (11/20/99).
- Cuneo quoted in Net Developer's Journal Article, "As Americans Prepare for 'Tax Day,' Citizens Seek to Stop IRS From Collecting an Illegal Excise Tax" (4/11/06).
- Cuneo quoted in New Mexico Independent regarding "Class-action lawsuit filed in NM’s investment losses" (1/12/10).
- Jonathan Cuneo quoted in Corporate Crime Reporter regarding Amerivert v. FINRA lawsuit filed August 10, 2009 (9/17/2009).
- Jonathan W. Cuneo's profile on the Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca website