Based in New York, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s financial services litigation team has cross-border capabilities in an array of criminal, civil, and regulatory matters Defense-side counsel in investigations and litigation against federal regulatory bodies is a main area of focus for the practice, and prominent digital asset and cryptocurrency firms rely on the practice in securities class actions and commercial disputes. Asset management, consumer finance and insurance are other sectors in which the group has a presence acting in litigation. Department head Andrew Ceresney leads for banks, directors, and fintech companies on SEC and state-level regulatory investigations and AML advisory mandates, while Maeve O’Connor acts on securities and consumer finance class action disputes and Susan Reagan Gittes specialises in commercial litigation and regulatory inquiries.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Key clients
- American Express Company
- Ripple Labs, Inc.
- Universal Navigation Inc.
- Tether and Bitfinex
- Robinhood Markets Inc.
- Symetra Life Ins. Co.
- Symetra Assigned Benefits Service Co.
- BMO Bank, N.A
- James River Group Holdings
- The Vanguard Group, Inc.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
- RSC Insurance Brokerage
- MetLife, Inc.
- New York Life Insurance Company
- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
- Prudential Financial, Inc.
- TIAA,
- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.)
- John Hancock
- AXA Financial, Inc.
Work highlights
Advised American Express in an extensive investigation into several of the bank’s sales practices by the Department of Justice.
Successfully defended its client Uniswap Labs, along with its CEO and several venture capital firms, securing dismissal of a putative securities class action
Achieved a highly favourable settlement for Symetra Life Insurance Company and Symetra Assigned Benefits Service Company in a putative consumer class action concerning factoring transactions approved by state courts.
Practice head
Andrew J. Ceresney