Litigation

SRZ’s litigation group serves a wide range of local, national and international clients, including public and private corporations and their officers and directors, investment banking firms, brokerage firms, commercial banks, investment advisers, public accounting firms, insurance companies, law firms, partnerships, individuals and public interest organizations. Our clients benefit from our extensive trial experience and proven track record of success in complex civil and criminal matters, as well as our negotiation and dispute resolution expertise.

There are more than 100 litigators in the firm, some in general litigation and others in highly specialized areas, including antitrust, securities law, internal investigations, complex corporate litigation, trust and estates litigation, real estate litigation, white collar criminal defense/regulatory enforcement, and bankruptcy, reorganization and creditors' rights litigation. Among our litigators are numerous former assistant U.S. attorneys, state prosecutors and senior members of the Enforcement Division of the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Representative Experience 

• Won jury verdict in Manhattan federal court for former Vivendi CFO after four-month trial in landmark securities class action.
• Negotiated $7.2 billion settlement for the Estate of Jeffry M. Picower with Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office and SIPC trustee stemming from the Madoff Ponzi scheme.
• Won dismissal of federal securities claims against Goldman Sachs Execution & Clearing LP and SLK-Hull Derivatives LLC in Chicago federal court in options specialists case.
• Won acquittal on eight of 11 counts for former in-house attorney at Hollinger International, after four-month trial in Chicago federal court on “theft of honest services” charges. Conviction on remaining three counts reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court. 
• Represent and advise numerous fund managers in insider trading investigations by the SEC and other government agencies into the use of expert networks.
• Won $100 million award for ABN AMRO and defeated counterclaim for $260 million purchase price reduction in arbitration stemming from ABN AMRO’s sale of LaSalle Bank, its U.S. subsidiary, to a top-tier U.S. bank.
• Successfully represented major worldwide sporting brand in international arbitration with European licensee involving issues of interface between U.S. and EU law.
• Won acquittal for president of former Congressman Rick Renzi’s family insurance firm on conspiracy and insurance fraud charges after month-long jury trial in Arizona federal court.
• Represent several hedge funds in connection with SEC investigations under Rule 105 of Regulation M.
• On behalf of private equity firm Pouschine Cook Capital Partners LP, won Connecticut Supreme Court’s unanimous affirmance of trial court’s dismissal of all claims brought by two minority shareholders of Latex Foam International Holdings Inc. against Pouschine Cook, Latex Foam’s Board and certain shareholders of the company.
• Represent the former President of Merck Research Laboratories in Vioxx-related securities and ERISA class actions in New Jersey federal court.
• Won dismissal of “failure to supervise” charges against former CEO and chairman of Knight Trading Group, on appeal to FINRA’s National Adjudicatory Council.
• Successfully represented numerous hedge fund managers in connection with investigations by the SEC and other regulators relating to Private Investments in Public Equity Securities (“PIPEs”).
• Represent bank in antitrust class actions and individual actions in Manhattan federal court alleging bid-rigging conspiracy involving sale of municipal derivative products to state and local bond issuers.
• Awarded summary judgment on behalf of the Creditors' Committee in the Colonial BancGroup bankruptcy in Alabama, defeating the FDIC's $1 billion claim. 
• Represented large U.S. commercial bank in DOJ proceeding stemming from foreign criminal investigation into alleged money laundering, bribery and other crimes by one of the bank’s foreign clients.
• Won dismissals of two securities class actions in Los Angeles federal court relating to public company client’s stock options grants and its descriptions of relationship with a major new distributor.
• Represented several major securities firms in FINRA investigations into the firms’ anti-money laundering programs, resulting in favorable settlements.
• Won historic ruling from New York State’s highest court reinstating lawsuit filed by SRZ and the NY Civil Liberties Union that challenges the state’s public defender system.
• Represented The Blackstone Group and Cerberus Capital Management affiliates in New York state and federal bankruptcy courts in dispute with U.S. Shipping Partners LP over control of joint venture for construction of five oil tankers. 
• Defeated CSX Corporation’s efforts in Manhattan federal court to prevent The Children’s Investment Fund from voting its shares in midst of bitter proxy contest.
• Represented major brokerage firm in investigations by the SEC, the New York Attorney General and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania relating to sale of auction rate securities.
• Advised former managing director of Goldman Sachs Structured Products Group Trading in U.S. Senate investigation into causes and consequences of the 2008 financial crisis.
• On behalf of a global, publicly-traded telecom, conducted internal investigation into possible FCPA violations by a reseller.
• Defended former student loan executive in investigations by Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, the New York Attorney General and various other state attorneys general into student lending practices.
• Won jury verdict after trial in Manhattan federal court absolving Bear Stearns of liability as clearing broker in connection with fraud by principal of Manhattan Investment Fund. Also obtained dismissal of Bear Stearns from class actions and individual action brought by that fund’s investors.
• Negotiated favorable plea agreement for U.S. taxpayer who had maintained a Swiss securities account, resulting in no prison time.
• Conducted internal investigation on behalf of the Audit Committee of Penn Traffic Company, a major supermarket chain, into alleged accounting fraud involving promotional allowances.