Kimberly Litman Kimmel

KIMBERLY LITMAN KIMMEL, an associate in the Haverford office, concentrates her practice on the prosecution of securities fraud class action litigation, shareholder derivative actions and breach of fiduciary duty class action lawsuits. Ms. Kimmel is a graduate of the Temple University Beasley School of Law (J.D. 2003) and the University of Maryland, College Park (B.A. 2000). While in law school, she served as Executive Editor of the Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review and as a law clerk to Senior District Judge Kenneth L. Ryskamp of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Ms. Kimmel is admitted to practice before the Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Kimmel’s pro bono activities include serving as a volunteer attorney with the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (Philly VIP), a non-profit organization that provides legal services to low-income clients who reside in Philadelphia or have legal issues in Philadelphia.

Together with the Firm’s Partners, Ms. Kimmel is currently assisting in the prosecution of several federal securities fraud cases, including the following:

• In re Wells Real Estate Investment Trust Inc. Securities Litigation (Wells REIT), Case No. 07-cv-00862-CAP (N.D. Ga.). The Firm is Class Counsel in this certified class action filed in 2007. The Second Amended Complaint, filed on April 21, 2008 alleges that Wells REIT and certain of its affiliates, officers and directors violated Sections 14(a) and 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 14a-9 promulgated thereunder by failing to disclose material information in connection with Proxy materials disseminated to shareholders in February 2007 seeking their approval to merge Wells REIT’s affiliated Advisor into Wells REIT for $175 million worth of the Company’s stock. On September 16, 2009, the Court certified a class consisting of all shareholders of Wells REIT who were entitled to vote on the February proxy statement and appointed the Firm co-Class Counsel.
   
• In re Piedmont Office Trust, Inc. Securities Litigation, (Piedmont) Case No. 07-cv-02660-CAP (N.D. Ga.). The Firm is Co-Lead Counsel in this certified class action filed in 2007 charging Piedmont (formerly known as Wells REIT) and its officers and directors with violations of the federal securities laws, including Sections 14(a) and 14(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rules 14a-9 and 14e-2(b) promulgated thereunder. The Second Amended Complaint, filed on April 20, 2009, seeks to remedy the wrongdoing that was inflicted against the shareholders of Piedmont who were entitled to tender their shares pursuant to a Tender Offer filed on May 25, 2007, and seeks damages and injunctive relief on behalf of a Class of all persons who are entitled to vote on a false and misleading Final Proxy that was disseminated to investors on October 16, 2007.
   
• In re Inland Western Retail Real Estate Trust, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 07-C-6174 (N.D. Ill.). The Firm is Co-Lead Counsel in this pending class action filed in 2007 asserting federal securities law claims under the 1934 Securities Exchange Act involving a real estate investment trust (REIT) whose stock is not listed on a national stock exchange. The Second Amended Complaint, filed on May 1, 2009, charges the Company and its officers, directors, and affiliates, as well as its financial advisor and auditor, with violations of  Sections 14(a) and 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 14a-9 promulgated thereunder by failing to disclose material information in connection with Proxy materials disseminated to shareholders in September 2007 seeking their approval to merge Inland REIT's affiliated Advisor and Property Managers into Wells REIT for $375 Million worth of the Company's stock.