The Legal 500

United States: Dispute resolution

International litigation

Within: International litigation

Latham & Watkins LLP is ‘a terrific firm - top notch’, according to one client. Another remarks that its US-based lawyers ‘connect well with overseas offices and the teams work seamlessly together’. Jamie Wine in New York is global chair of the firm’s litigation and trial department, which has more than 600 litigators across its offices in the US, Europe and Asia, and which handles high-value and cross-border white-collar crime matters, antitrust cases and general commercial litigation. The US-based vice chairs are Mary Rose Alexander in Chicago, Douglas Lumish in Silicon Valley and Al Pfeiffer in San Francisco. Experienced trial lawyer Sean Berkowitz assisted General Electric in several lawsuits arising from Thomas Petters’ multibillion-dollar fraud scheme. Another highlight for the firm was litigation arising from one of the largest hostile takeover bids in history, in which it helped Allergan obtain a ruling that Valeant Pharmaceuticals attempted to buy the company at less than market value.

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Product liability, mass tort and class action: consumer products (including tobacco)

Within: Product liability, mass tort and class action: consumer products (including tobacco)

The product liability, mass torts and consumer class action practice at Latham & Watkins LLP is co-headed by Chicago-based Thomas Heiden and Gwyn Williams in Boston. The team is particularly active in the tobacco and sports sectors, as evidenced by its continued representation of longstanding clients Philip Morris, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges and National Collegiate Athletic Association in several class actions. Together with Chicago-based environmental litigation practice head Mary Rose Alexander, Heiden represents Chevron in a series of class actions in the high-profile Hot Fuels litigation and obtained dismissal of the three lead California cases, in which plaintiffs alleged that, due to gasoline expanding in warm weather conditions, they received less BTUs and MPG for the same price. Kenneth Parsigian in Boston is recommended for his extensive expertise in class actions and mass torts in the tobacco sector and Chicago-based Mark Mester is another key figure. Andrew Clubok joined the Washington DC office in December 2017 from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

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Product liability, mass tort and class action: toxic tort - defense

Within: Product liability, mass tort and class action: toxic tort - defense

Latham & Watkins LLP’s sizeable product liability, mass tort and consumer class actions practice is jointly headed by Thomas Heiden in Chicago and Gwyn Williams in Boston. Recent work includes representing Chevron in tort litigation involving a C-137 release contamination case, arising from a broken generator at the University of Tulsa, where the client has a research & development program. In other work, the team continues to advise Southern California Gas Company on regulatory agency matters involving the natural gas leak at the Aliso Canyon underground storage facility. The firm’s client base also includes Campbell, Monsanto and Nalco. Kelly Richardson and Robert Howard are the key contacts in San Diego and Chicago-based Mary Rose Alexander is another name to note. Andrew Clubok joined the Washington DC office in December 2017 from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

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United States: Industry focus

Environment: litigation

Within: Leading lawyers

Mary Rose Alexander - Latham & Watkins LLP

Within: Environment: litigation

Latham & Watkins LLP ‘is a strong firm that frequently delivers exceptional results’. In Washington DC, the practice hired Janice Schneider, the former US Senate-confirmed assistant secretary for land and minerals management at the Department of the Interior (DOI); former DOI chief of staff, Tommy Beaudreau; Steven Croley, who was previously confirmed as GC for the Department of Energy; and Joel Beauvais, former deputy assistant administrator for water at the EPA. The practice’s scope includes climate change, air quality, toxic tort and water quality. Other areas of strength are insurance coverage, policyholder disputes, and energy and natural resources projects. Highlights included acting for Newhall Land & Farming in brokering a landmark settlement that allows one of California’s largest master-planned communities to proceed; the legal work included successful negotiations with leading environmental groups and an unprecedented greenhouse gas emission plan. Chicago-based Mary Rose Alexander is global environment litigation practice chair; New York-based Kegan Brown ‘achieves goals’; Robert Howard chairs the San Diego environment, land and resources department; and Andrea Hogan chairs the firm’s San Francisco-based team. Other key advisers include Los Angeles’ Michael Romey; Chicago-based Thomas Heiden; Robert Wyman, who divides his time between Los Angeles and Washington DC; as well as Julia Hatcher and Christine Rolph in Washington DC.

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