The firm opened its New York office on October 1, 1993 with a group of lawyers who had practiced together in New York since the 1970s. Over the years, the New York office has grown from a boutique litigation practice to a multidisciplinary office that provides legal counsel in areas such as corporate and transactional, capital markets, investment management, finance, real estate, intellectual property, taxation, labor and employment, employee benefits, environmental law, and litigation, including bankruptcy/restructuring, securities enforcement, and white collar crime/criminal defense.

Our New York office was awarded three Tier 1 practice rankings by the 2011-2012 U.S. News-Best Lawyers® in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Corporate Law, and Environmental Law.

Our New York corporate group offers broad-based representation in corporate and securities matters from corporate finance (public, Rule 144A, and private), M&A, and international tax to structured finance, asset securitization, private equity and leveraged buyouts. Our lawyers have served as lead counsel to major U.S. and European investment and commercial banks, private equity funds, and investors in complex transactional finance and debt capital markets matters.  Additionally, one of our recent laterals is recognized among a handful of U.S. lawyers for pioneering the first covered-bond programs for issuers in the United States and Canada and advising on similar programs for potential Latin American issuers.

Our transactional experience includes representing a global manufacturer in the $485 million acquisition of a sulphuric acid technology and proprietary products company; a global manufacturer in the $200 million acquisition of a leading dental products company; a global media company in a $1 billion offering of senior notes under Rule 144A; a national bank in one of the first four TALF-eligible securitization transactions; a U.S.-based investment management company in a fund formation under the U.S. Treasury’s Public Private Investment program; a global mineral company in an underwritten public offering of 150 million shares of common stock; and a leading private equity firm in several leveraged buyouts, including a $100 million leveraged buyout of a major glass recycler and $75 million leveraged buyout of a curtain wall manufacturer.

Our restructuring and bankruptcy lawyers are experienced in insolvencies, distressed situations, asset-based lending, securitizations and derivatives, intellectual property, licensing, and corporate and real estate transactions, among others.  Clients include debtors, creditors, shareholders, asset purchasers, committees, and trustees in all manner of bankruptcy and creditors' rights-related matters. Our representations include a commercial bank in a rare dismissal in a Chapter 11 case involving a 55,000-acre development, considered by industry insiders to be among the largest real estate failures in the country (based on geographical size); a family of corporations in the publishing industry in connection with an attempted restructuring under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code; the creditors' committee in the Chapter 11 case of New York Racing Association, the owner of the Belmont, Saratoga, and Aqueduct racetracks in New York; the debtors in the Chapter 11 proceedings of Crucible Materials Corporation, a manufacturer of tool and alloy steel; and family members of a well-known retail chain in their successful effort to purchase intellectual property and related assets formerly used by the retail chain.

Our investment management lawyers advise clients in connection with the full range of investment company industry products and activities, including all types of open-end and closed-end investment companies, funds of funds, funds of hedge funds, ETFs, variable insurance products, private and offshore investment funds and unit investment trusts.  Our investment adviser practice includes advising on legal and regulatory issues affecting institutional and private advisory accounts, separately managed accounts/wrap fee programs, pension plan accounts, private investment funds, funds-of-funds, and registered funds. 

Our real estate lawyers represent domestic and international clients in commercial real estate, as well as lenders, borrowers, and special servicers in workouts, restructuring of all types of financing arrangements, and securitized products. Representations include LNR as a special servicer addressing distressed and defaulted loans in multiple states across the country, and a global real estate trust in a variety of acquisitions, financings and leasing matters, including a $310 million acquisition of two office buildings, $275 million unsecured credit facility, $516 million portfolio acquisition of 20 suburban office buildings, and a 550,000 square foot warehouse lease.

In the area of public-private partnerships/private finance initiatives, our experienced lawyers represent public and private entities in infrastructure project development, finance, contracting and procurement.

Our cross border practice comprises lawyers with in-depth, hands-on experience with matters relating to Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC ); Canada; Spain; Korea and Japan, among other countries. Areas of focus include energy, infrastructure, resources, contracting and procurement, insolvencies and distressed debt, corporate finance, private equity, real estate and M&A.

Representations include Odebrecht S.A. in connection with a $100 million regional surety bonding guarantee facility for infrastructure investment projects in Latin America and the Caribbean; a Spanish telecommunications company in connection with a $400 million acquisition of a landline and cellular telephone carrier in Central America; an Indian company in a $400 million asset acquisition from a Chapter 11 debtor; a major Indian investment bank in the asset sale of its investment advisor business in the United States; a sponsor/general partner in connection with the formation of a private equity fund investing in medium-size businesses in China; a Japanese financial institution and several commercial banks as lenders counsel in relation to a cogeneration project in the Philippines; a Japanese financial institution in connection with an export credit loan to the National Tunnel Authority of Egypt; a Canadian corporation and an independent power producer with operations in North America and Europe, in a $220 million takeover bid; a leading Korean refinery oil company in joint venture negotiations for oil-field exploration in Kazakhstan; a Korean bank in applications to the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC and the New York State Banking Department in connection with proposed establishment of a U.S. bank subsidiary; and a number of "firsts" in Russia, including advising on the first non-recourse loan in Russia by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Our intellectual property lawyers' experience encompasses patent and trademark litigation, technology licensing and procurement of patents, trademarks, and other rights in the United States and worldwide. Particular specialties include financial and media-related patents, transactional IP in support of M&A and bankruptcy, patent portfolio mining, and patent sales and purchases. Representations include a major win for an online music company in a patent litigation; patent portfolio optimization and sales for a global music group; trademark litigation, procurement, and licensing for a global beverage manufacturer; and a dismissal of a patent lawsuit against a company without payment to the patentee.

Our litigation lawyers represent individuals and corporations in complex commercial and criminal litigation, grand jury, and other government inquiries; internal corporate investigations; and appellate matters. Successful wins include a favorable decision in the Delaware Chancery Court where the judge affirmed a licensing agreement between our client and another biotechnology company for a smallpox drug, awarding the client 50% of all net profits (estimated to be more than $400 million); dismissal of fraud claims against a money manager arising out of the collapse of a municipal bond hedge fund; a $640 million award for a petroleum products company in an arbitration claim; and a ruling in favor of a camera manufacturer when the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey denied class certification in a case in which a nationwide class of camera purchasers alleged manufacturing flaws in the manufacturer's camera.  We also served as counsel to a former spokeswoman for the New York Governor in a domestic violence matter involving the governor and one of his aides.  Currently, we are representing one of New York's largest federal credit unions and the National Association of Federal Credit Unions in challenging the constitutionality of the state's mortgage recording tax, a case in which the U.S. Department of Justice has appeared on behalf of the United States as amicus curiae in support of our position.

Our environmental team counsels clients on issues ranging from air, water, waste, and CERCLA to noise, natural resources damages, and constitutional environmental litigation. Our environmental lawyers represented one of the world's largest oil refineries in a natural resources damages lawsuit brought by the Government for the Virgin Islands for alleged contamination; a construction company in a lawsuit for alleged violations of the PSD program under the Clean Air Act; and a group of industrial companies in bringing a contribution action under the federal Superfund statute against municipalities and other industrial companies.

Our toxic tort team has extensive experience defending middle market and Fortune 500 companies in local and national toxic tort cases. Our toxic tort lawyers are handling New York litigation matters for a global multibillion-dollar manufacturer and one of the world's leading coatings and specialty products companies.

Our labor and employment lawyers counsel clients on legal compliance and litigation issues, including wage and hour, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment and non-compete matters.  Our lawyers also advise clients on labor and employment issues that arise in mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, they provide clients with preventive litigation strategies through management training programs and compliance audits. When trial is inevitable, our labor and employment lawyers rely on their courtroom experience to help clients achieve the best possible outcome.