US litigation

Our litigation group comprises sophisticated civil litigation, white collar defense and international arbitration practices. Our lawyers have an outstanding depth and variety of experience and a uniquely multijurisdictional perspective.

We represent public companies, financial institutions, foreign governments and other entities — as well as corporate executives and directors — in grand jury and regulatory enforcement investigations and in complex civil litigation and arbitrations. In 2010, our group was highly ranked by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation, and PLC Which Lawyer?, and our arbitration group has been recognized by Chambers USA as the top arbitration practice in the US with the Award for Excellence in International Arbitration. Many of our lawyers are recognized as leaders in their field by Best Lawyers in America.

Please follow these links for more information about our US civil litigation, white collar defense and arbitration practices.

Profiles of our more senior US litigation team members follow:


Aaron Marcu Partner, New York	Aaron has more than twenty years of experience as a white-collar defense lawyer. Prior to going into private practice, he served for seven years as a federal prosecutor, investigating and trying complex criminal cases in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. In addition to his work as a trial lawyer, Aaron served as Chief of Appeals, Chief of Major Crimes and as the Associate United States Attorney. He is the global head of Freshfields' Financial Institutions Litigation Practice, and has handled investigations for key institutions in the financial services and health care sectors, including Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Société Générale, JPMorgan Chase, Bear Stearns, UnitedHealth, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Goodyear, and Adelphia.

Nigel Blackaby Partner, Washington, DC	Nigel is a partner in our international arbitration group and is head of both our US and Latin America international arbitration groups. He has acted as counsel and arbitrator in over 80 ad hoc and institutional arbitrations, both commercial and investor-state under bilateral investment treaties, with a focus on Latin America. He was recently named as one of the world's 20 most prominent arbitration specialists by "Who's Who of Commercial Arbitration."

Timothy Coleman Partner, Washington, DC	Tim leads the white collar practice in Washington, D.C., and has over ten years of experience representing clients in fraud and corruption investigations. Prior to entering private practice, he prosecuted the Adelphia and Datek cases as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York and oversaw the Enron prosecutions while at Main Justice in Washington, where he was also a member of the President's Corporate Fraud Task Force.

Marshall Fishman Partner, New York	Marshall has represented the world's largest financial institutions, major corporations and individuals in lawsuits in federal and state courts, as well as arbitrations and regulatory proceedings. His representations have involved 10b-5, RICO, derivatives, swaps, repos, mortgage backed securities, CDOs, commodity futures, options, proxy contests, tender offers, fraud and breach of contract. He was selected by Best Lawyers in America as one of the leading commercial litigators in the United States, and is also recognized in New York Super Lawyers, Who's Who in American Law, Benchmark Litigation and LawDragon.

Tim Harkness Partner, New York	Tim is a partner in our litigation practice group, based in New York. Tim represents clients in complex commercial litigation matters including class actions, securities fraud matters, bankruptcy litigation, and matters pertaining to the liability of accounting firms in federal and state courts throughout the US, in arbitrations and in regulatory proceedings. He has served a prominent role in major cases including In re Parmalat Securities Litigation, New York v. Grasso, and litigation arising from tax shelter investigations and fraud related to the Bernard L. Madoff Ponzi scheme.

Brian King Partner, New York	Brian is a partner in our New York office, where he is a member of the arbitration team. His practice centers on acting as counsel or arbitrator in investment and international commercial arbitrations under the ICSID, ICC, NAI, UNCITRAL and other sets of rules. Matters that Brian is handling or has recently handled include advising ConocoPhillips on multi-billion dollar claims arising out of an asset expropriation; the Government of Turkey in three arbitrations under the Energy Charter Treaty, in which the alleged claims exceed $20 billion; European and Caribbean states in three ICSID arbitrations; a State entity in substantial construction arbitrations involving road projects; and French energy company Total S.A. in two arbitral proceedings involving multi-billion Euro claims.

David Onorato Partner, New York	David has handled significant class actions and other litigation involving federal and state securities laws, state consumer protection laws, and M&A transactions. David also has represented financial institutions in inquiries by banking and securities regulators including the SEC, State Attorneys General, the Fed and the OCC. David has significant experience in assessing legal and reputational risk and in developing proactive approaches to successfully manage and resolve litigation and regulatory crises. Prior to joining Freshfields, David was deputy general counsel and director of litigation at Bank of America Corporation.

Lucy Reed Partner, New York	Lucy is co-head of our global international arbitration group. A specialist in international commercial arbitration and particularly in investment treaty disputes, she advises private and public clients and serves as arbitrator in arbitrations under the AAA, ICC, ICSID, LCIA, UNCITRAL and other rules. Lucy was an arbitrator on the Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission, and served as a co-director of the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Dormant Accounts in Switzerland (the Holocaust tribunal). She chairs the Institute for Transnational Arbitration (ITA) and will serve on the LCIA Court as of January 2011. She is co-author of the Guide to ICSID Arbitration and The Freshfields Guide to Arbitration and ADR (both published by Kluwer) and a frequent writer and speaker on international arbitration.

Benito Romano Partner, New York	Benito joined Freshfields after over twenty years of experience in white collar defense and service as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. His recent matters include investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice into alleged price fixing in the airline industry and by the Securities and Exchange Commission into alleged options backdating, fraud in the auctions rate market and the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers.

Adam B. Siegel Partner, New York	Adam is the co-head of Freshfields' Global Investigations Practice, has over ten years of experience in white collar defense, and previously served as the Chief Appellate Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He has defended clients in a broad range of investigations involving, among other charges, allegations of violations of the FCPA, insider trading, stock options backdating, and the off-label promotion of pharmaceutical products.

Walter Stuart Partner, New York	Walter is an active and accomplished practitioner in the United States and abroad, focusing his practice on securities and complex financial litigation. His trial, advocacy and negotiating skills have been praised in The Best Lawyers in America in business litigation, commercial litigation, corporate law, and banking law and the Legal 500 US: Volume III (Litigation) in securities: shareholder litigation.

Alexander Yanos Partner, New York	Alex has acted as arbitration counsel in matters before the ICJ, ICSID, the ICC, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, the AAA, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center, the Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission and the LCIA. He has specialised in disputes involving sovereigns, handling arbitrations on behalf of claimants in disputes against Argentina, Venezuela, Russia and the US before the ICC, ICSID and the ICJ, while representing Lithuania and Pakistan in ICSID arbitrations and Paraguay in the US courts.

Gabrielle Gould Counsel, New York	Gabrielle represents financial institutions and major corporations in a wide variety of securities and commercial matters in federal and state courts as well as in arbitrations before various tribunals. Gabrielle handles inquiries and investigations by regulatory authorities including NYSE and NASD (now FINRA), the SEC, and others.

Noiana Paula Marigo Counsel, New York	Noiana has an extensive experience acting as counsel in a variety of commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, with a particular focus on Latin American disputes. Noiana has represented Latin American corporations and foreign investors in the region in institutional and ad hoc arbitrations involving sectors as diverse as gas, oil, electricity generation and transportation, water and wastewater concessions, steel, telecommunications, airport fuel supply services and pipeline construction. Noiana received her Law Degree with Honors from Buenos Aires University in 1997 and her Masters with Honors from the Université Paris I Panthéon - Sorbonne in 2002.

Daniel Cendan Associate, New York	Daniel represents clients in federal and state criminal and civil government investigations, False Claims Act cases and product liability litigation. He also has been involved in a wide variety of civil litigation, including cases alleging securities fraud, unfair trade practices and consumer fraud. Daniel earned his AB from Harvard University, magna cum laude, in 2000 and his JD from New York University School of Law in 2003, where he was Notes Editor of the New York University Law Review.

Jeffery Commission Associate, New York	Jeffery has particular expertise in matters of international dispute settlement, including international commercial arbitration and international investment disputes arising out of bilateral investment treaties. Jeffery received his BA from York University in 1997, degrees in common law (LLB) and civil law (BCL) from McGill University in 2001 and an LLM in international dispute settlement from University College London in 2006.

Jean-Paul Dechamps Associate, Washington DC	Jean-Paul is a member of our international arbitration group and specialises in investment and commercial disputes in Latin America. He has acted in several international arbitrations under the ICSID and UNCITRAL rules, with a particular focus in the oil, gas and electricity sectors. His recent experience includes advising clients with investments in the Ecuadorian, Bolivian and Venezuelan oil sectors on their claims arising out of unilateral changes to the hydrocarbon regimes in those countries.

Elliot Friedman Associate, New York	Elliot specializes in international arbitration and commercial litigation and has represented clients in a wide variety of commercial disputes. He has acted as arbitration counsel in matters before ICSID, AAA, ICDR and ad hoc tribunals. His experience includes disputes involving natural resources, financial services and medical products. Elliot received his LLB and BCom from the University of Melbourne in 2002 and his LLM from Harvard Law School in 2005.

Matthew Haggans Associate, New York	Matt is an associate in our white collar and complex litigation practice group; he is based in New York. Matt received his JD, magna cum laude, from the New York University School of Law in 2008, where he served as Chair of the NYU Moot Court Board. In 2009-10, Matt was a law clerk to the Honorable Frederic Block, Senior District Judge for the Eastern District of New York. Matt is admitted to practice in New York.

Susan Amble Higgins Associate, New York	Susan's practice includes representing clients in US DOJ investigations, State Attorneys General investigations and commercial disputes. She has advised individuals and corporations on a range of issues including those relating to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, consumer protection statutes and products liability. Susan earned her AB from Princeton University, summa cum laude, in 2003 and her JD from Harvard Law School in 2006.

Giorgio Mandelli Associate, New York	Giorgio is a member of our Latin America Arbitration Group and has acted in disputes under the rules of ICSID, ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL as well as in ad hoc arbitrations in the areas of oil and gas, telecommunications, joint ventures and insurance. Giorgio earned his BA, cum laude, from Princeton University in 1995, his law degree from the University of Oxford in 1997, his LPC from The College of Law of England and Wales in 1998 and his LLM in International Legal Studies from New York University School of Law in 2007.

Lucy Martinez Associate, New York	Lucy advises both private and public clients in arbitrations under the AAA, ICC, ICSID, LCIA and UNCITRAL rules. She has worked on cases under bilateral and multilateral investment treaties and under contracts involving oil and gas, electricity, waste processing, satellite technology, pharmaceutical patents, Mexican rum, aluminum and rock concerts in various regions of the world including Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America. Lucy received her BA/LLB with First Class Honours from the University of Queensland in 1998 and her LLM from Columbia Law School in 2003.

Viren Mascarenhas Associate, New York	Viren has worked on several matters involving international arbitration and public international law. His recent experience includes advising clients on an ICSID proceeding relating to an oil and gas dispute, defending a sovereign State in a dispute brought under the Energy Charter Treaty, advising on several ICC proceedings involving New York law and an ICJ proceeding relating to maritime boundaries and maritime delimitation. Viren also has experience as a commercial litigator, having assisted in matters before New York and Delaware courts. Viren received his BA with Honors from the University of Richmond in 2002 and his JD from Columbia Law School in 2005 where he was a Kent Scholar. Viren is a Lecturer-in-Law at Columbia Law School.

Robert McCallum Associate, New York	Rob focuses his practice on securities litigation and white collar criminal defense. His recent experience includes advising a pharmaceuticals company in connection with an investigation by the US DOJ, advising a retail bank in connection with an investigation by the UK Financial Services Authority regarding the sale of Payment Protection Insurance and advising various financial institutions in connection with securities litigation before English and US courts. Rob earned his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Newcastle in 1998 and his Bachelor of Laws, with first-class honors, from the same university in 2000. Rob earned his Master of Laws, with first-class honors, from Cambridge University in 2001.

Patrick Oh Associate, New York	Patrick is an associate in our litigation practice group in New York. He has represented financial institutions, other companies and individuals in a broad array of litigation areas including complex commercial disputes, criminal and civil securities fraud actions, regulatory investigations, commercial arbitrations and litigation in bankruptcy. He has experience in all stages of litigation, from initial investigations to trial. He also has significant experience representing disadvantaged individuals on a pro bono basis.

Dana Post Associate, New York	Dana is an associate in our litigation group based in New York. She handles commercial litigation matters involving the securities laws, including broker dealer issues, class action lawsuits, and regulatory investigations initiated by FINRA and the SEC. She also focuses on general commercial litigation matters involving breach of contract, bankruptcy, employment, and business torts.

Olivia Radin Associate, New York	Olivia's practice includes US DOJ and SEC investigations, civil securities fraud actions and commercial disputes. She has represented individuals and corporations at all stages of the litigation process, from initial factual investigation and development through trial. Olivia earned her BA, cum laude, from Harvard University in 1996 and her JD from Columbia Law School in 2004, where she was a Kent Scholar and a Managing Editor of the Columbia Law Review. From 2004 to 2005, Olivia was a law clerk for the Honorable Robert D. Sack of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Caroline Richard Associate, Washington DC	Caroline is a member of our International Arbitration Group. She has represented corporate clients in several international commercial and investor-state arbitrations, under the auspices of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Samuel J Rubin Associate, New York	Samuel is an associate in our litigation practice group in New York. His practice includes representing financial institutions and other companies in a wide variety of securities and other complex commercial disputes in federal and state courts.

Jessica Simonoff Associate, New York	Jess is an associate in our complex litigation practice group based in New York. Jess' practice has focused primarily on bankruptcy litigation and general commercial litigation. In the bankruptcy litigation field, Jess has worked on matters such as Chapter 11 proceedings for a major airline, where she was one of the primary associates responsible for the resolution of aircraft financing claims, including the litigation of hundreds of millions of dollars of disputed �tax indemnity� claims in leveraged lease deals. Jess has also worked with a number of foreign investment funds who incurred losses and faced �clawback� claims as a result of the collapse of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities. Jess' experience in general commercial litigation includes a wide variety of disputes relating to real estate developments, international joint ventures and false advertising.

Ruth Teitelbaum Associate, New York	Ruth specializes in international dispute settlement, including international commercial arbitration and investment treaty arbitration as well as inter-State dispute settlement. She has recently advised clients in investment disputes involving hydrocarbons and mining in Latin America. Ruth received her BA from the University of Virginia in 1996, her JD from George Mason University in 1999 and her LLM from the University of California, Berkeley in 2001. Prior to joining Freshfields, Ruth served as a law clerk at the International Court of Justice and as an assistant counsel at ICSID of the World Bank Group.

Jonathan Ware Associate, Washington DC	Jonathan is an associate in our litigation group, based in Washington, DC. He represents corporations and individuals in civil, criminal and regulatory investigations, and litigation involving fraud, antitrust violations, anti-bribery measures and other areas of law. Jonathan earned his BA from the University of Virginia and his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as an editor of the Virginia Journal of International Law and a justice on the Moot Court Board. In 2008, Jonathan earned honors as a Noted Oralist and for the Third Best Brief of the Jessup Moot Court Competition International Round and as a quarterfinalist in the Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. He also won the Barnett Moot Court Competition and the Merhige Environmental Negotiation Competition in 2006.

John K. Warren Associate, Washington DC	John's practice is devoted to complex litigation, particularly in the areas of white-collar criminal defense and global investigations, securities regulation, antitrust, and intellectual property. John has significant experience in all aspects and phases of litigation, from pre-complaint investigation through discovery, motions practice, trial, and appeal. John also has significant experience representing clients in criminal and regulatory investigations and related civil proceedings, particularly investigations alleging violations of fraud, securities, and other criminal statutes. He also has experience counseling public companies on securities law, US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance, and other regulatory issues. John received his JD from William and Mary School of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif honor society and served as a Graduate Research Fellow. He received his BA from Duke University.

Alex Wilbraham Associate, Washington DC	Alex is a member of the Latin American Arbitration Group and has extensive experience in arbitrations relating to Latin America, advising on disputes concerning energy, telecommunications, insurance, banking and international trade. His recent experience includes acting as counsel in an ICC arbitration concerning one of the largest corporate disputes in Brazilian history, representing the buyers in a major gas pricing dispute and advising oil and gas companies and other investors in relation to investment treaty disputes with Bolivia, Ecuador and various countries in the former Soviet Union.

Kimberly Zelnick Associate, New York	Kimberly's practice focuses on white collar and complex litigation. Kimberly's recent experience includes advising a special committee of a corporation's Board of Directors formed to investigate and address concerns raised in a shareholder demand letter, an Audit Committee member in a civil enforcement action before the SEC and UBS Financial Services of Puerto Rico in connection with a securities class action concerning a preferred stock offering underwritten by UBS. Kimberly received her JD from the Yale Law School in 2003, where she was an Essays Editor for the Yale Law Journal and National Champion of the ABA Appellate Advocacy Competition. From 2004 to 2005, she was a law clerk to the Honorable José A. Cabranes of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She received her BA, magna cum laude, in 2000 from Williams College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.