Stephen Jorden, Veteran Class Action Litigator and Insurance Lawyer, Rejoins Carlton Fields’ Life, Annuity, and Retirement Litigation Practice

HARTFORD, CT – Stephen Jorden has rejoined Carlton Fields’ Life, Annuity, and Retirement Litigation Practice as a shareholder in the firm’s Hartford office. He was most recently a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP.

Jorden is a veteran class action litigator with more than 30 years of experience representing businesses in complex litigation, regulatory disputes, and internal investigations. He regularly defends life insurers, annuity issuers, and other financial institutions in high-stakes class actions, including major market conduct cases, commercial contract disputes, and consumer fraud claims. Over the course of his career, Jorden has led the defense of numerous nationwide class actions and cutting-edge litigation matters across multiple jurisdictions.

“We are thrilled to welcome Steve back to Carlton Fields,” said Markham Leventhal, co-chair of Carlton Fields’ Life, Annuity, and Retirement Solutions Industry Group. “Steve is a preeminent defender of the life insurance industry in class action and high-stakes litigation. As a first-chair trial attorney, Steve has the courtroom experience our industry clients value. I have had the pleasure of working with Steve as a partner for years and knowing him longer. Currently, he serves as lead counsel in a California lapse litigation matter in which the defense team recently secured an important Ninth Circuit decision reversing class certification. As a top legal mind, Steve enhances our industry-leading bench strength in class action and insurance litigation.”

Added Ann Black, co-chair of the firm’s Life, Annuity, and Retirement Solutions Industry Group, “He has been a colleague and friend for years and we have collaborated on market conduct and other regulatory issues for our clients over the years. He is someone who can immediately hit the ground running on behalf of our clients.”

In addition to his litigation work, Jorden counsels life insurers and other retirement services providers on litigation and regulatory risks associated with sales and marketing practices, contracts, and nonguaranteed benefit determinations, such as changes to cost-of-insurance rates and interest crediting decisions. During his first stint with Carlton Fields, he served as co-chair of the Life, Annuity, and Retirement Litigation Practice and recently headed the insurance class actions practice team at Faegre Drinker.

“I’m excited to rejoin a cohesive and collaborative group of litigators and regulatory attorneys with deep industry knowledge and experience in the class action space,” said Jorden. “Carlton Fields embodies a culture of collaborative work and remains committed to organic growth. I’m also looking forward to working again with people whom I have known for years both professionally and personally.”

Jorden earned his J.D., cum laude, from the George Washington University Law School and his B.A., cum laude, from Dickinson College.

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