Joni L. Ostler

Joni Ostler is a member of the firm’s litigation group and receivership group.

Ms. Ostler has extensive experience in federal and state commercial litigation, with particular emphasis on defense of class actions, merger lawsuits, and shareholder derivative lawsuits.  She has assisted in the successful defense of dozens of securities class actions and shareholder derivative lawsuits for public companies and their officers and directors.  She has also regularly represented public companies and their audit committees in conducting internal investigations and responding to regulatory investigations, including investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.  In addition, she has extensive experience in other types of complex commercial litigation, including contract disputes and consumer protection actions. Ms. Ostler has also routinely advised public and private companies regarding corporate governance and director and officer indemnification.

Ms. Ostler formerly worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in its Salt Lake Regional Office, where she conducted investigations of potential violations of the federal securities laws and assisted in bringing enforcement actions. Among other things, Ms. Ostler helped obtain an injunction and the appointment of a receiver in a case involving an alleged multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme operating out of Nevada.

Ms. Ostler also formerly worked for the Utah Attorney General’s office as the Section Director for the White Collar Commercial Enforcement Division, where she represented the Utah Division of Securities, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, the Utah Division of Real Estate, and the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing in enforcement actions in federal and state courts as well as administrative proceedings. She successfully tried administrative cases and state court actions and, among other things, obtained an injunction halting a multi-state securities fraud operating out of Park City, Utah.

Before her work in government, Ms. Ostler was at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, California.

Ms. Ostler’s pro bono work has focused on fighting racial discrimination in public schools. She was honored to receive the Champions of Educational Justice Award from California Rural Legal Assistance for her work. Ms. Ostler is also an animal lover and supports numerous animal welfare charities.

Ms. Ostler is licensed to practice in Utah and California.  She holds a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School.  She received a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Utah, summa cum laude, with a certificate in Criminology.