Drew D. Hansen

Drew Hansen is an experienced trial lawyer, recognized on Lawdragon’s list of the 500 Leading Litigators in America [2022, 2023, 2024] and on its list of Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers (2023, 2024), who has tried complex, high-stakes cases in state and federal courts across the country.

Significant trials include:

• American Association of Justice v. Wachovia Bank, N.A. (D.D.C.) Represented the nation’s trial lawyers’ trade association in the highest-stakes commercial litigation in its history. Hansen and Steve Susman split the closing argument after a two-week trial. The case has settled on confidential terms.
• Applications of Las Brisas Energy Center, LLC (Tex. State Office of Admin. Hearings) Represented over 30 Texas cities arguing that the proposed construction of a power plant did not comply with environmental law.  The plant owner withdrew its application after judges in two separate trials found in favor of Hansen’s clients.  The judge’s decisions specifically cited Hansen’s cross-examinations of key witnesses.
• Peña v. GBS Financial Corp. (Nat’l Ass’n of Securities Dealers) Represented musician and entrepreneur Alfonso Peña in an arbitration with his former investment advisers. After a two-week hearing, the arbitrators awarded Peña a full refund of excessive investment management fees.
• Jacobs v. National Drug Intelligence Center (S.D. Tex.) Represented a bank president in a suit alleging harm from a false publication. After a bench trial, the defendant agreed to pay attorney fees but reserved appeal on a separate issue, which Hansen argued and won before the Fifth Circuit.

Hansen has represented clients in some of the highest-profile litigation matters of the past decade, with a particular focus on small businesses, nonprofits, and consumers injured by financial fraud. These include:

• In re LIBOR-Based Financial Instruments Antitrust Litigation (S.D.N.Y.) Hansen and other Susman Godfrey attorneys are currently co-lead counsel to the pension funds, cities, and others claiming that some of the largest banks in the world colluded during the financial crisis to fix LIBOR, sometimes called the “world’s most important number” because of its key role in financial transactions. The court has certified the class, the only class certified in this massive MDL. Substantial settlements have been reached.
• Enron Corp. v. Citigroup et al. (Bankr. S.D.N.Y.) Hansen and other Susman Godfrey attorneys brought claims against banks and investment banks for aiding and abetting the breaches of fiduciary duty and fraud of Enron’s top officers. Witnesses for a large international bank started pleading the Fifth Amendment after Hansen’s first few depositions. A substantial settlement was reached.
• Clark v. AdvanceMe, Inc., (C.D. Cal.) Secured a $19 million net settlement on behalf of businesses in a class action alleging they had been injured by financial arrangements in violation of the usury laws.
• McGuire v. Dendreon (W.D. Wash.) Secured a $16.5 million settlement one month before trial (net settlement of $11.7 million) in a securities fraud class action arising from alleged misrepresentations by a biotechnology executive in a conference call with investors.
• Holber v. GBS (FINRA) Obtained a settlement of 90% of the estimated damages in a compensation dispute between a financial adviser and his former broker-dealer.

Hansen has a long record of public and community service in addition to his law practice. The Washington State Bar Association has awarded Hansen several commendations for his pro bono work; and his peers have recognized him as a “Super Lawyer” from 2013 to the present (Thomson Reuters). In 2022, Lawdragon named Hansen among their 500 Leading Litigators.

Hansen currently serves in the Washington State Senate. He served in the Washington State House of Representatives from 2011-2023, where he chaired the Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee (2020-2023) and the Higher Education Committee (2014-2020). He has won several awards for his public service, including “Legislative Partner of the Year” (Association of College Trustees), “Legislative Champion” (Washington Public Utility Districts Association), “Nursing Champion” (Washington State Association of Nurses), and “Legislator of the Year” (Washington Student Association). In addition, Hansen’s legislative accomplishments have received national recognition. For example:

• The New York Times hailed Hansen’s bill to crack down on illegal firearms purchases as a national model, saying: “This is how it should work everywhere.”  You can read that article here.
• The New York Times highlighted Hansen’s bill to provide free or reduced-tuition college and apprenticeships to thousands of Washington families, calling it “a move that is being applauded by policy analysts for its innovation and reach.” Click here to read that story.

Hansen is also the author of a book, The Dream: Martin Luther King and the Speech That Inspired A Nation (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2003), which U.S. Representative John Lewis called “a great contribution to the history of the movement.”  Hansen has discussed Dr. King and the civil rights movement on ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS’s Early Show, CSPAN’s Book TV, CNNfn, and on the BBC, NPR, and elsewhere.  Hansen’s editorials have appeared in publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, and USA TODAY,  and his essay on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s theological education will appear in the forthcoming Cambridge Companion to Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Hansen graduated from Yale Law School and Harvard University. He studied Theology at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He began practicing at Susman Godfrey after serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Pierre N. Leval, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He lives with his family on Bainbridge Island, Washington.