The Legal 500 > United States > United States > International litigation

The international litigation group at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is jointly led by Andrew Ceresney and Mary Beth Hogan, bringing together expertise in white collar and regulatory defense, and commercial litigation. For criminal investigations and disputes with a political flavor, Washington-based David O’Neil is the name to note. In New York, regulatory defense specialist Bruce Yannett is a key contact for fraud- and bribery-related claims and stands out for his experience acting for corporations and individuals outside the US. Indeed, the group’s visibility internationally is not to be questioned — in one recent highlight of many, the team successfully represented the Government of Qatar in a dispute concerning coercive measure brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Donald Donovan and Catherine Amirfar jointly led the matter for Qatar and are highly regarded for their work on contentious issues involving a public international law (PIL) element; former president of the International Bar Association David W. Rivkin has also made a name for himself in the PIL space. The group’s strong suit in high-stakes commercial litigation is also noted, with particular expertise held in the areas of insurance, private equity and healthcare, among others.

White & Case LLP is regularly engaged in commercial disputes, securities litigation and white-collar crime investigations. Clients show appreciation for the firm’s geographical reach, with the team being able to call upon experts spread across 44 offices worldwide. The global practice group is led by New York-based Glenn Kurtz, who stands out for his trial career spanning three decades. Contacts in DC include Christopher Curran (a stalwart in the DC litigation market) and Nicole Erb, who act for foreign sovereign clients in complex contentious issues involving sovereign immunity, extraterritorial jurisdiction, and acts of terrorism. Elsewhere, the Los Angeles-based team is renowned for its technology sector work, and area where Aalok Sharma is a name to note. Other areas strength include pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

The team at Hogan Lovells US LLP is led out of New York by Dennis Tracey, who also oversees the group's work across the Americas. Other contacts include Bruce Oakley in Houston and Daniel González in Miami.

Led out of Orange County by global chair Michele Johnson, Latham & Watkins LLP‘s litigation and trial department acts for an impressive mix of high-profile corporate clients and private individuals, financial institutions, and government entities. Among its core strengths are general commercial litigation, antitrust, and white-collar defense and investigations. The practice group is also noted for its ability to draw on the capabilities of the firm’s global network, and indeed a number of its recent highlights see the team act in conjunction with the firm’s offices in Brussels and London, among others. Global vice-chair Brian Kowalski is based in Washington DC and focuses on securities litigation.

Praised by its clients as a ‘go-to firm for rapid responses’, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP is a prominent player in the multi-jurisdictional litigation space, where it represents large corporations and financial institutions. The group specializes in cross-border securities litigation, and thanks in part to its integration in the firm's global litigation network, the team is well positioned to handle parallel securities proceedings instituted in multiple countries. The team is also strong in investigations, and recently enhanced its capabilities in this space with the appointment of Sam Ramer, who served as senior associate counsel to the US President before joining the Washington office in March 2019. Also recommended in this space are recently promoted litigation co-head Bill Leone (New York) and disputes group co-head Matthew Kirtland in Washington DC, both of whom have expertise in white-collar crime enforcement. The wider dispute resolution group is led by Richard Krumholz and Gerard Pecht, in Dallas and Houston, respectively. Reflective of the group’s geographic reach, the team’s client roster is varied and includes clients in the energy, mining, financial services, technology, and healthcare sectors.

Shearman & Sterling LLP has a reputation for representing corporations and financial institutions in bet-the-company litigation around the world. The department also specializes in investigation and enforcement issues, where it benefits from the experience of several team members who have formerly served as government prosecutors and regulators. The group prides itself on handling high-profile securities and trading market cases. New York-based Adam Hakki is the name to note in this space; Hakki serves as global managing partner and jointly leads the litigation group with Patrick Robbins and Richard Schwed, in San Francisco and New York, respectively.

Based in Washington DC, Williams & Connolly LLP has core strengths in high-profile criminal investigations and related civil litigation, with recent work highlighting the team's capabilities in federal and state courts at trial and appellate levels, as well as its regular appearances before federal agencies. In addition to her admission to the US bar, Ana Reyes is also admitted as a solicitor in the UK. Among her recent highlights, Reyes has been especially standout in the  representation of former Bolivian president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada and his defense minister; she also has market-leading expertise in asylum law. Reyes co-chairs the international disputes practice with Jonathan Landy, who has had recent strong showings in patent-licensing disputes. Of particular note in the IP space, the team made history by securing the largest-ever photograph copyright infringement judgment, in a case arising out of Xceligent’s international misconduct throughout the US, India and the Philippines. Commercial litigator Nicholas Boyle joined Latham & Watkins LLP in April 2020.

Arnold & Porter is noted for its defense work for national and international companies in high-profile criminal investigations, though its client roster also includes individuals and sovereign states. The team’s workload illustrates its strength in cross-practice cooperation, with multiple highlights involving IP, financial services, torts and competition aspects. Among its sector strengths, the team is especially active in the areas of energy, technology, healthcare and aviation. Kenneth Chernoff heads the department in Washington DC, though key matters are also led by litigators in Houston, New York, Denver, and Los Angeles. The group is also well placed to handle transnational work, with offices in London, Brussels and Shanghai. 

Baker & Hostetler LLP has a track record in cross-border fraud and corruption investigations, as well as in asset tracing and recovery matters. Mark Cymrot leads the department from Washington DC, while Gonzalo Zeballos and Oren Warshavsky are contacts in New York specializing in asset recovery.

Baker McKenzie LLP‘s litigation and government enforcement practice has a significant strength in enforcement matters and complex commercial litigation. The group’s investigations-related practice in Washington DC was somewhat weakened with the departure of Edward Baldwin to Steptoe & Johnson LLP in March 2019; however, DC-based practice head Jennifer Semko remains a key contact for cross-border litigation. Also recommended is former prosecutor Colin Murray, a standout trial litigator based in San Francisco.

Dechert LLP’s international litigation group is led out of New York by Gary Mennitt, and is renowned for its work in multi-jurisdictional insolvency litigation. Splitting his time between Philadelphia and Washington, Michael McGinley is a contact for issues involving federal jurisdiction and foreign sovereign immunity. Former practice co-head Dennis Hranitzky left the firm for Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP.

At Miami-based boutique Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance, Michael Diaz, Jr., Gary Davidson and Brant Hadaway jointly lead the ‘deeply analytical’ and multilingual team, which acts for a mix of financial institutions, multinational companies, high-net-worth individuals, and public officials. While the group is perhaps best known for handing financial fraud allegations, it is also well versed in tort claims, shareholder disputes, sovereign immunity issues, IP litigation, and claims arising out of breaches of contract. Furthering its ability to act in cross-border mandates, the team has continued to expand its international reach through its alliance of firm-owned and independent law firms.

The global litigation practice at Greenberg Traurig LLP has extensive experience in cross-border work, particularly in the context of securities fraud, product liability, antitrust and financial services litigation. Los Angeles-based Jeffrey Scott and Atlanta-based Lori Cohen jointly chair the group.

The trial and global disputes group at King & Spalding LLP is headed by Andrew Bayman in  Atlanta, and is well placed to handle complex cross-border litigation thanks in part to its cooperation with experts from across the firm's 17 offices worldwide. Active from filing through to appeal, the team routinely handles complex commercial litigation for clients in the healthcare and life sciences, automotive and energy sectors. Energy disputes specialist Reginald Smith is also recommended; he divides time between Houston and New York, and is noted for his recent work involving foreign sovereign immunity issues.

Winston & Strawn LLP acts for large financial institutions and companies in cross-border commercial litigation and regulatory enforcement actions. In New York, the group has notable experience in representing Latin American clients, as well as in complex antitrust and IP litigation. Julissa Reynoso is a name to note for the former area, while Jeffrey Kessler is the key contact for the latter. The team also added depth to its white-collar criminal defense offering with the hire of standout trial lawyer Abbe Lowell, who joined from Norton Rose Fulbright. Chicago-based Steven D’Amore and George Lombardi jointly lead the litigation group.