Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP fields a strong team in the contentious financial services space, representing investment banks, private equity funds and asset management firms in a variety of high-profile disputes. The team remains highly focused on antitrust litigation, where its work includes defending clients accused of anti-competitive practices and the manipulation of rates and markets. The practice is also active in the fintech space, handling high-profile litigation such as the defense of Robinhood in claims stemming from the retail broker-dealer’s actions to restrict trading in volatile securities, such as shares in Gamestop and AMC. Daniel Slifkin is a key figure to note in the team; he is a long-standing figure in the space with deep experience across antitrust and securities litigation. Michael Paskin is another name to note in the antitrust space, while Lauren Moskowitz is noted for her work in RMBS disputes as well as in lawsuits alleging fraud and breach of contract. Elsewhere, Timothy Cameron is recognized for his experience in taking securities disputes to trial. All named lawyers are based in New York.

The team at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is widely recognized in the market for its ability to represent prominent clients in high-profile disputes and investigations. In 2021, the practice acted in litigation before state and federal courts, including appearing before the Supreme Court, and was also engaged to handle enforcement proceedings and internal investigations. The team’s sizeable client base includes prominent banks, hedge funds, and private equity funds, and it advises these clients in cases involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, fraud, and market manipulation. The practice is jointly led by Brad Karp, Susanna M. Buergel, Jessica Carey, Andrew J. Ehrlich, Kenneth A. Gallo, Audra J. Soloway and Theodore Wells. Karp serves as chairman of the firm and is amongst the most respected lawyers in this sector, while Buergel, Ehrlich and Soloway co-chair the firm’s securities litigation practice. Daniel Kramer is another key figure in the team, with deep experience in securities litigation including handling antitrust and securities fraud claims. All named lawyers are based in New York with the exception of Gallo, who is based out of the firm’s Washington DC office.

At Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, the financial service team is noted for its expertise in securities and derivatives litigation, where the practice represents prominent clients in a varied range of disputes. In 2021, the practice was highly active in defending banks in litigation related to their roles as underwriters of initial public offerings. The team has also recently handled a number of cases involving special purpose acquisition companies; a particular specialism of Jonathan Youngwood, who is regularly involved in cases relating to the Investment Company Act. Youngwood co-heads the practice and the firm’s global litigation department alongside Lynn Neuner. Elsewhere, the practice continues to represent prominent banks in antitrust cases, with a particular focus on rate and market manipulation claims, and the team’s work in enforcement and prosecutions includes representing clients facing investigations from the SEC and CFTC. Youngwood and Neuner are both based in New York, where Joseph McLaughlin and Craig Waldman are also names to note in securities litigation. The firm also boasts a strong presence on the West Coast, with James Kreissman a key figure in the Palo Alto office. The team brought on Marc Berger and Martin Bell in New York in June and July 2021, respectively; both partners have substantial governmental experience, with Berger joining from the SEC and Bell from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of NY.

The financial services litigation practice at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP specializes in acting for clients facing investigations and prosecutions by regulators. The team’s work encompasses matters involving both wholesale banking and consumer finance, acting in cases brought by regulators including the CFPB, SEC, CFTC and FTC, as well as the DOJ and state-level prosecutors. The practice counts prominent banks and asset managers amongst its clients, and also acts for fintech and cryptocurrency companies in novel disputes with regulators. Stephanie Brooker and Kendall Day jointly lead the team, with Brooker based in New York and Day working out of the firm’s Washington DC office. Brooker and Day previously worked as prosecutors and lead the team’s cases involving alleged Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering violations. Arthur Long is another name to note in the New York office; he has deep experience in financial services regulation and provides advice both on compliance and enforcement. Former practice co-head Matthew Biben left the firm in August 2022.

Latham & Watkins LLP has a varied financial services litigation practice, encompassing securities disputes, allegations of anti-competitive behaviour and market manipulation, and investigations by regulators including the SEC and CFTC as well as the DOJ. The team’s securities litigation work includes handling securities fraud claims related to IPOs and direct listings as well as RMBS litigation. In the antitrust space, the practice acts in claims of rate and market manipulation; in one prominent case, the team is representing the Saudi National Bank in litigation alleging that the bank attempted to manipulate the Qatari Riyal as a part of ongoing diplomatic tensions between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The team is led by Andrew Clubok, who works across the firm’s New York and Washington DC office, and Douglas Yatter and Joseph Serino, who are both based in New York. Clubok leads on securities litigation, with long-standing expertise in the space, while Yatter focuses on derivatives regulation and previously worked as an trial attorney at the CFTC. Serino is a highly experienced trial lawyer with expertise across corporate and commercial litigation. Richard Owens is also based in New York and is recognized for his work in investigations and white-collar crime prosecutions.

Mayer Brown is well-regarded for its work in cross-border financial services litigation, handling derivatives and securities litigation as well as disputes in the consumer lending space. Anti-money laundering and Anti-Terrorism Act disputes are a particular focus for the team, which represents prominent banks in civil claims and regulatory enforcement proceedings in this space. The firm’s work in this area includes Mark Hanchet‘s defense of HSBC in two high-profile ATA claims related to allegedly providing banking services to groups and individuals with links to Mexican drug cartels and Islamist terrorist organizations. Elsewhere, Lucia Nale and Debra Bogo-Ernst handle consumer finance class actions in state and federal court, including matters related to mortgage lending. Christopher Houpt focuses on litigation involving structured finance and leads the team’s work on RMBS disputes, with Matthew Ingber another name to note in this area. Hanchet, Ingber and Houpt are based in New York, while Nale and Bogo-Ernst work out of the Chicago office.

Arnold & Porter’s financial services litigation team handles securities and consumer lending class actions, internal investigations, and enforcement proceedings brought by a range of regulators. The team’s work in securities and derivatives is led out of the firm’s New York office by Veronica Callahan, Aaron Miner and Kathleen Reilly, who represent clients in civil litigation and SEC proceedings. The team’s consumer lending work includes acting for Visa in a number of antitrust lawsuits brought by merchants and consumers related to ATM and interchange fees. In addition to its specialist financial services litigators, the firm’s white-collar crime practice is regularly engaged on government investigations in this space. The overall practice is led by David Freeman, who serves as head of financial services, and complex litigation co-chairs James Herschlein and Kenneth Chernof . Chernof and Freeman are based in New York, while Herschlein is based in Washington DC.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has a varied practice in the contentious financial services space. The practice is adept at handling investigatons and prosecutions by a range of regulators, including the DOJ, OFAC, Federal Reserve, SEC, and state-level regulators. The team is also frequently engaged on class actions related to consumer lending practices, as well as securities litigation. The practice’s securities litigation work includes handling high-profile cases, such as representing Robinhood in a class action lawsuit arising from its payment for order flow practices, as well as novel cases involving the issue of whether cryptocurrencies are securities under US law. Mary Beth Hogan and Andrew Ceresney co-chair the overall litigation department; Hogan is frequently engaged on a wide range of sensitive investigations, while Ceresney has past experience serving in-house at the SEC and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and is well-regarded for his securities litigation expertise. Maeve O’Connor is another highly-regarded securities litigator, and Bruce Yannett focuses on white-collar crime and regulatory enforcement. All named lawyers are based in New York.

Goodwin‘s financial services litigation team handles a range of disputes in the consumer lending space, including acting in investigations by federal and state regulators. The team is particularly active in the mortgage space, where it represents clients facing allegations of violating the Fair Housing Act, the False Claims Act and CFPB regulations. Key figures in the practice include Thomas Hefferon, who has deep experience in this space, and Brooks Brown, who works on a wide variety of consumer finance matters including alleged breaches of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The team was bolstered in January 2021 by the addition of Allison Schoenthal from Hogan Lovells US LLP. Schoenthal now leads the consumer finance practice in New York and acts for a number of prominent banks in this space, with a focus on mortgage-related cases. Schoenthal and Hefferon co-lead the team alongside James McGarry and Matthew Sheldon, who has a sizeable client base of mortgage lenders. Hefferon, Brown and Sheldon are based in Washington DC, while Schoenthal and McGarry are based in New York and Boston, respectively.

At Kirkland & Ellis LLP, the financial services litigation practice handles a range of complex disputes in the area, from market manipulation and fraud investigations to litigation related to M&A. The team represents clients facing investigations across consumer finance, securities and derivatives, with experience in cases involving the SEC, CFTC, DOJ and CFPB. The practice’s governmental relations expertise is further demonstrated by its recent work for a number of CEOs of prominent banks in helping them to prepare for congressional oversight hearings. Mark Filip is a former federal judge and offers deep experience in defending clients in government enforcement proceedings, while Sandra Goldstein and Zachary Brez are noted for their work in securities and M&A litigation. Goldstein and Brez are based in New York, while Filip works across the Chicago and Washington DC offices; Reginald Brown is another name to note in DC and further bolsters the firm’s expertise in regulatory enforcement proceedings.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is highly active in representing banks in class actions, including defending clients accused of involvement in fraud and ponzi schemes as well as violations of consumer finance law. The mortgage sector is a particular focus for the team, as it handles securities and consumer class actions in this area; it has also recently been engaged on a number of cases related to COVID-19 relief programs. Michael Kraut and Susan DiCicco lead the team, with Elaine McChesney another name to note; all three are based in New York and have broad contentious financial services experience. In Chicago, Kenneth Kliebard is recognized for his work on consumer class actions.

Paul Hastings LLP stands out for its work in complex, high-profile international financial services disputes. The team is very active in prosecutions and follow-on class action lawsuits related to market manipulation, including representing both banks and individual traders in cases related to the alleged manipulation of LIBOR. The practice is also engaged to handle regulatory investigations into claims of ‘spoofing’ in the derivatives market. The team frequently acts in disputes with international elements, such as representing the ad-hoc board of PDVSA appointed by the Venezuelan opposition in litigation related to PDVSA’s bond offering. The New York-based practice is led by Barry Sher, the firm’s global head of litigation, who focuses on antitrust and securities disputes. Anthony Antonelli is another name to note in the antitrust space, while Kenneth Breen and John Nowak lead on investigations and prosecutions involving alleged white-collar crime.

Shearman & Sterling LLP‘s financial services litigation practice is highly active in a range of disputes in this space, with a particular focus on antitrust and securities class actions as well as investigations by FINRA and government regulators. The team’s work in securities disputes includes defending banks facing claims for their roles as the underwriters of IPOs and debt offerings. The practice additionally acts for major banks in antitrust actions involving allegations of manipulation of markets in securities as well as rates. In the governmental relations space, the practice handles investigations and prosecutions for banks, broker-dealers and individuals in the financial services sector, providing counsel to clients on investigations by FINRA, SEC, CFTC, and DOJ. The team is led by Adam Hakki and Richard Schwed in New York alongside Patrick Robbins in San Francisco. Hakki handles the firm’s antitrust cases and is also active on investigations, while Daniel Lewis focuses on securities class actions; Grace Lee is another name to note in this area, with both lawyers also based in New York.

Ballard Spahr LLP is widely recognized by peers for its expertise in the consumer lending space. The practice is highly active in government relations matters, representing clients facing investigations by federal regulators as well as by state-level attorneys general and regulators across the country. The team is also regularly engaged by clients to handle class actions, with particular focuses on student lending matters and alleged breaches of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The firm’s compliance and litigation practices are integrated, with Christopher Willis, Mark Furletti and Daniel McKenna leading the combined consumer financial services group. Alan Kaplinsky and Stefanie Jackman are also key figures in the team, with Jackman focused on debt collection and Kaplinsky specialising in matters involving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Kaplinsky, Furtelli and McKenna are based in Philadelphia, while Jackman and Willis are based in Atlanta.

Jones Day is well-regarded in the market for its work in RMBS litigation, where it represents a number of prominent banks, as well as for handling antitrust suits involving manipulation of markets in rates, securities and derivatives. Jayant Tambe and Brett Barragate lead the team from the firm’s New York office. Tambe is noted for his work in the derivatives space, where he previously handled a large number of disputes for major financial institutions. Howard Sidman is also based in New York and has considerable experience in the RMBS space.

Katten represents both national and regional banks as well as credit unions in consumer lending disputes, including acting in cases challenging fees practices and alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The team handles cases for clients in both state and federal courts, and also acts in the defence of banks facing allegations of aiding and abetting fraud, including ponzi schemes. Gregory Korman leads the team and is noted for his work in class actions, with Stuart Richter also recognized for his work representing a range of financial institutions in litigation. All named lawyers are based in Los Angeles.

Morrison Foerster is particularly focused on class actions in the consumer payments space, where it represents prominent payment providers facing allegations such as anti-competitive behaviour. The team’s work elsewhere in consumer finance litigation includes handling claims alleging violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and state-level limits on interest rates. David Fioccola leads the team and also serves as co-chair of the firm’s class actions and mass tort practice group, with deep experience in these areas. Nancy Thomas, Michael Miller and Grant Esposito are other key partners in the practice. Fioccola, Esposito, and Miller are based in New York, and Thomas is based in Los Angeles.

With offices on both coasts, O’Melveny & Myers has a broad consumer finance litigation practice capable of representing established lenders and fintech startups in disputes involving both state and federal legislation. In Newport Beach, Elizabeth McKeen handles litigation alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act related to the CARES Act, as well as a number of claims made involving the FHA-Home Affordable Modification Program. McKeen is also active in discrimination claims, representing lenders accused of race and age discrimination. Elsewhere, New York-based Pamela Miller represents banks accused of fraud and breach of contract. In addition to acting in class actions, the practice is also engaged by clients to represent them in regulatory investigations and enforcement.

Williams & Connolly LLP has a broad contentious financial services practice, with experience across consumer finance and securities law. The practice’s work in consumer finance disputes includes handling class actions, such as disputes related to COVID-19 relief programs, and litigation brought by the CFPB. Elsewhere, the team represents financial institutions and individuals in enforcement proceedings related to alleged fraud and violations of anti-money laundering laws. Dane Butswinkas and John Villa jointly lead the team, with Enu Mainigi and Ryan Scarborough also names to note. All named lawyers are based in Washington DC.

WilmerHale‘s financial services litigation practice is adept at representing clients in consumer class actions, including in litigation alleging fraud and violations of the Truth in Lending Act and state-level consumer protection laws. Beyond its work in the consumer lending space, the practice also defends banks accused of wrongdoing in securities and derivatives markets such as spoofing. New York-based Noah Levine is the key figure in the team, while Franca Harris Gutierrez chairs the overall financial institutions practice from Washington DC. David Lesser departed the firm in June 2021 and and Jamie Dycus in August 2022.