Kannon K. Shanmugam > Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Offices
2001 K STREET, NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20006-1047
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
United States
Kannon K. Shanmugam

Work Department
Litigation, Supreme Court & Appellate Litigation
Position
Education
J.D., Harvard Law School magna cum laude
M. Litt., University of Oxford Marshall Scholar
A.B., Harvard University summa cum laude
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
(Hall of Fame)Kannon K. Shanmugam – Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP‘s team is skilled at delivering oral arguments before federal courts of appeals. Standout mandates of late have included securing an August 2023 Second Circuit victory on behalf of Goldman Sachs in a $13bn securities class action; and representing SAP in an appeal of antitrust and trade secrets claims brought by business analytics database provider Teradata. Kannon Shanmugam, who is lauded as ‘truly outstanding’ and a ‘world-class appellate litigator’, co-heads the group. Brad Karp and Jessica Carey co-lead alongside him. William Marks is an additional key contact; he specializes in civil and criminal appeals in federal and state courts and draws on experience representing clients in fifteen merits cases at the U.S. Supreme Court. Shanmugam and Marks recently won a notable appellate victory for Carnival Corporation when the Eleventh Circuit reversed a $440m judgment under the Helms-Burton Act for the allegedly improper use of docks in Havana that were seized by Fidel Castro’s government following the Cuban Revolution. Karen Dunn has departed the team.
United States > Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP boasts a stellar client roster for which it handles highly challenging regulatory investigations, enforcement proceedings and private actions. The team prides itself in tackling high-value securities and antitrust litigations arising from major financial crises and regulatory overhauls. Brad Karp, Jessica Carey and Ted Wells lead the practice from New York, whilst Kannon Shanmugam operates from Washington DC. Karp has an enviable record of success representing global financial institutions in high-value litigation and regulatory investigations. Carey is also a reputable litigator within the financial services industry, handling complex securities and commercial matters in federal and state courts. Other key players include Susanna Buergel, who co-chairs the securities defense practice, and prolific securities litigator Daniel Kramer, both based in New York.
United States > Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP handles the full spectrum of tech and life sciences patent disputes, spanning jury and bench trials as well as appeals at the Federal Circuit. The department is further distinguished by its ‘top-notch’ antitrust and trade secret offering. In New York, the team is co-chaired by Brad Karp, Jessica Carey and Catherine Nyarady. Nyarady is a prominent patent litigator with expertise in medical devices, semiconductors and pharma. In Washington DC, Kannon Shanmugam, a leading appellate litigator, chairs the team. Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser frequently takes on the role of lead counsel in high-stakes pharma and biotech patent disputes, while Katherine Forrest handles patent and antitrust litigation related to AI, cryptocurrency and blockchain. Crystal Parker brings valuable expertise in Hatch-Waxman litigation, biologics and medical devices. Additionally, Kripa Raman further strengthens the team’s capabilities with his experience in patent and trade secret litigation. Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, and Jeannie S. Rhee have departed the firm.
Lawyer Rankings
- Financial services litigation United States > Dispute resolution
- Hall of Fame United States > Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal) United States > Dispute resolution
- Patents: litigation (full coverage) United States > Intellectual property
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Investment fund formation and management > Alternative/hedge funds
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Industry focus > Sport
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
Firm Rankings
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Antitrust > Cartel
- Finance > Commercial lending > Advice to direct lenders/private credit
- Tax > International tax
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Real estate > Real estate
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism
- Finance > Structured finance: securitization
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Finance > Fintech
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: transactional
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort
- Finance > Structured finance: derivatives and structured products
- Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: transactions
- Finance > Capital markets: global offerings
- Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Labor and employment > ERISA litigation
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation
- International trade and national security > National Security
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense