Joan A. Stumpf is an accomplished litigator with over 20 years of experience in all aspects of complex commercial litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. She maintains a significant focus on matters involving sophisticated financial instruments and transactions, internal investigations, and risk management.

Joan litigates matters across a broad spectrum of substantive issues, including financial and commercial fraud, financial instrument and business contract disputes, domestic and international corporate governance disputes, breach of fiduciary duties, securities, employee theft and fraud, consumer product regulation, antitrust, attachment of domestic and foreign assets, mortgage foreclosure, Lanham Act, estates, and insurance insolvency. She has substantial experience representing major domestic and international financial institutions in matters involving complex and speculative financial products, including derivatives, structured transactions, and commodity futures. She has also represented foreign clients in US actions involving application of foreign laws.

Joan has represented clients in New York State and federal courts, arbitrations, mediations, actions pending in international forums, and in matters involving the Federal Reserve Board, New York State Department of Financial Services, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and numerous self-regulatory organizations. She has also represented international organizations in matters before the Consumer Product Safety Commission. She has conducted internal investigations of domestic and international companies in response to regulatory inquiries, whistleblower complaints, operational concerns, and litigation matters as well. Further, Joan assists clients in identifying legal, regulatory, and reputational risks in business operations, and provides pragmatic advice on how to address corporate vulnerabilities exposed by litigation and internal investigations.

Outside of her legal practice, Joan authored “War Memories,” which translates from Old Dutch and provides historical context to a teenager’s sketchbook and journal that chronicles the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during WWII. Her book is part of the official WWII library of the NIOD Institute of War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Prior to joining Barton, Joan was with Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft for 20 years as an Associate then Counsel, and was a Litigation Consultant for Amalgamated Bank.

Admissions

  • State of New York
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Education

  • Temple University Beasley School of Law, J.D., cum laude – Temple Law Review, Note/Comment Editor; Moot Court Board; Distinguished Performances in Trial and Appellate Advocacy
  • The Pennsylvania State University, B.S.; Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society

Memberships

  • New York State Bar Association

Attorney Articles

  • Co-Author. “Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies Application and Interplay Between Blasius, Unocal Heightened Standard of Review of Board Action,” Corporation. (June 16, 2003).
  • Co-Author. “SEC Issues MD&A Guidance.” Capital Markets Report.  (Spring 2002).

Community

  • N.Y.C. Board of Elections, Poll Worker, 2021-present
  • Food Bank for New York City, 2017-2020
  • National Speech & Debate Association, Public Forum Debate Judge, 2014-2018