James R. "Jim" Swanson

Jim Swanson represents state and local governments, corporations, and individuals in cases involving municipal finance, derivatives, CDOs, Ponzi schemes, corporate tax, coastal land loss, industrial and environmental accidents, and a range of other subject areas. Jim’s efforts are recorded in over 100 reported decisions.

Jim is particularly known for his securities practice and has obtained multimillion-dollar judgments for his clients in jury and bench trials and commercial arbitrations. Recently, he was counsel to investors defrauded in R. Allen Stanford’s $7 billion Ponzi scheme in their lawsuit against the five banks that the investors allege aided and abetted or knowingly participated in the scheme. Settlements totaling $1.6 billion were reached with five bank defendants on the eve of trial in early 2023.

In addition to his established securities practice, Jim is working on a series of cases involving coastal land loss and other forms of environmental damage for governmental entities and private landowners. He also represents several commercial contractors in confidential international treaty arbitrations arising out of large-scale infrastructure and industrial development projects. Most recently, Jim and his team prosecuted bilateral investment treaty claims before a tribunal of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in London on behalf of a Turkish contractor against a North African nation for defaulting on housing and infrastructure contracts and won a substantial unanimous award from the ICC panel.

While the majority of Jim’s practice is plaintiff focused, he also represents defendants.

Jim is a fellow of the American and Louisiana Bar Foundations and a member of the International Society of Barristers. He has been a regular faculty member of the Practicing Law Institute’s (PLI) annual program Securities Litigation: From Investigation to Trial. He has also taught at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and Tulane University Law School.

Jim is ranked Band 1 by Chambers and Partners in Litigation: Securities, Litigation: General Commercial, and Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs. Chambers praises Jim as “a terrific strategist” and "a strong, thoughtful, and tenacious trial lawyer," with clients noting that he is "top-notch" and a "pretty fierce adversary." He is also listed among Lawdragon’s 2025 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, 500 Leading Lawyers in America, and 500 Leading Litigators in America.