Established 1879
Tel: +1 212-558-4000
Website: www.sullcrom.com
Contact: Richard C. Pepperman II, Tracy Richelle High
Number of partners: 170
Number of attorneys: 875
Office Locations: Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Palo Alto, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, D.C.
Sullivan & Cromwell’s reputation stems from more than a century representing clients in a broad range of matters, including landmark cases that have shaped the development of U.S. law. The Litigation Group draws upon S&C’s rich expertise in corporate, financial and transactional law, forming seamlessly integrated teams that handle any related or follow-on matters that arise. The Firm manages every stage of the litigation life cycle, before any court, arbitration panel or regulatory agency. Lawyers at S&C are international practitioners who represent a cross-section of prominent U.S. and non-U.S. companies in their critical investigations, regulatory matters, trials and arbitrations.
Antitrust: S&C’s antitrust lawyers are seasoned litigators who bring their insight to antitrust counseling, merger clearances, criminal antitrust investigations and trials, and private, government and class action litigation. This serves clients’ needs efficiently by enabling the same team to handle all aspects of an antitrust problem, even when counseling, merger clearances or preliminary investigations evolve into full scale litigation.
Appellate: With 13 former U.S. Supreme Court law clerks and a large number of other former appellate law clerks, S&C provides the highest quality representation for the Firm’s clients in appellate matters. S&C’s trial and appellate capabilities allow the Firm’s interdisciplinary teams to mold effective legal strategies from the beginning of cases to their successful resolution.
Arbitration: S&C’s international arbitration practice is recognized as one of the leading international dispute resolution practices worldwide. The Firm has more than a century of unparalleled expertise and experience in this area, particularly in international commercial arbitration.
Bankruptcy: S&C’s Bankruptcy Litigation Group represents debtors, creditors, financial institutions, agents and trustees, directors, owners and purchasers in significant disputes. The Firm has prosecuted and defended large contested claims, challenged and defended plans of reorganizations and bankruptcy settlements, defended major avoidance actions, and protected acquirors from challenges to bankruptcy purchases, among other disputes.
Congressional Investigations: S&C’s long history of advising clients on important congressional investigations provides clients with invaluable insights into how to best navigate the unpredictable course congressional investigations often take.
Criminal Defense and Investigations: S&C’s Criminal Defense and Investigations Group (CDIG), widely recognized as one of the preeminent white-collar criminal defense practices in the U.S., comprises eight former federal and state prosecutors who have collectively handled more than 125 U.S. criminal trials. The Firm represents individuals and institutions around the world in the most significant white-collar criminal defense matters, regulatory enforcement matters and internal investigations. S&C responds to matters handled by virtually every enforcement agency, with particular expertise in handling cross-border investigations for clients worldwide.
EU Competition: European Union (EU) competition law has a major impact on businesses operating in the EU and, for that reason, is one of S&C’s core practice areas. S&C advises clients from around the world on the competition law implications of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, long term supply agreements and other business arrangements. The Firm also represents the targets of competition law investigations by the European Commission and national authorities.
FCPA & Anti-Corruption: S&C is a leader in advising clients around the world on issues arising under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the U.K. Bribery Act and related international laws. The Firm has been involved with some of the most significant FCPA matters to date, including obtaining the first deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Financial Services Investigations and Litigation: Coordinating efforts with other members of the financial services team, S&C’s litigation and investi¬gations lawyers regularly advise clients in regulatory, legislative and criminal inquiries; investigations and enforcement actions; and related shareholder derivative litigations and securities class actions.
Intellectual Property and Technology Litigation: S&C’s Intellectual Property Group brings together lawyers from across the Firm’s practices to assist clients with the full spectrum of intellectual property and technology issues that confront today’s businesses. S&C IP litigators are not solely “patent counsel” who handle only technical and scientific cases; their wide range of experience enables S&C to communicate effectively with judges and juries regardless of the com¬plexity of the technology involved.
International Trade and Investment/CFIUS: S&C is a leader in matters related to international trade and investment, backed by many years of experience and a record of success. The Firm advises U.S.-based clients making or receiving non-U.S. investment and works closely with U.S. and non-U.S. financial institutions with regard to their international activities.
Labor and Employment: The Firm’s Labor and Employment practice was established over 50 years ago and has an impressive record handling all manner of labor and employment claims, including illegal discrimination, breach of contract, and tort and labor unfair practice charges in a broad variety of industries and geographic areas.
M&A Litigation: S&C has represented clients in every type of litigation arising out of M&A transactions, from hostile takeover litigation to shareholder class and derivative actions, including actions related to disclosure, defensive-measure and going private transactions. S&C has also defended special committees and handled regulatory matters relating to M&A transactions involving antitrust, insider trading and disclosure issues.
Securities Litigation: The Firm’s securities litigation practice is renowned for providing superior legal representation in the highest-profile, most complex cases. The group’s litigators have a proven track record of successfully resolving bet-the-company matters, including playing a leading role in actions arising out of the financial crisis.
Other offices: Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Palo Alto, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, D.C.
Last Updated October 2018
National Editorial
Founded in 1879, Sullivan & Cromwell has grown from a small firm in New York’s Financial District to a 12-office international powerhouse routinely sought by clients for their most complex and pressing cases. Peers address the firm in tones of reverence. “Sullivan & Cromwell is where the biggest companies in the world look to when they need their biggest problems solved - not garden-variety headaches but literal bet-the-company issues.” A client cheers, “S&C simply has the best bench strength of any law firm supporting financial institutions in the myriad matters in which they become involved, and this has been the case for a long time. The level of service, in terms of expertise, efficient use of partner/associate/other professionals for tasks, cost, responsiveness and client management is unparalleled in my 35 years of litigation management.”
Lending support to this claim, Sullivan & Cromwell, and specifically New York’s Robert Giuffra and Sharon Nelles, served as National Coordinating Counsel for German automaker Volkswagen Group in connection with an unprecedented agreements in principle with the US DoJ, US EPA, the US FTC, the California Air Resources Board and the Plaintiffs Steering Committee, to resolve a significant portion of the massive multidistrict litigation arising from the company’s recent emissions scandal. A settlement was reached in April 2016, and it includes offering to almost 500,000 US owners of certain Volkswagen vehicles buybacks, repairs, compensation and environmental remediation. The overall value of the settlement is estimated at over $14 billion. Since the initial global settlement, the team has guided Volkswagen to reaching multiple other settlements arising out of the litigation, including a $1.2 billion settlement of consumer and environmental claims; a $4.3 billion settlement with the DoJ, EPA and Customs & Border Patrol at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security resolving claims for criminal penalties, civil penalties and injunctive relief; a second settlement with CARB totaling $153.8 million in civil penalties and reimbursement of certification costs; and a $1.2 billion settlement with 652 Volkswagen franchise dealers. “This is just huge, historic,” marvels a peer. “Bob and Sharon have literally saved that company from being brought to its knees.”
The S&C team continues to serve as national coordinating counsel for Volkswagen in multinational litigation and investigations stemming from “clean-diesel”-related developments. In August 2017, the pair obtained the dismissal of all claims brought by the state of Wyoming against clients Volkswagen and Audi. Wyoming alleged that emissions “defeat devices” in new diesel vehicles violated Wyoming environmental laws, and sought potentially billions of dollars in penalties beyond those already imposed by federal regulators. The court held that Wyoming’s claims were preempted by Section 209(a) of the federal Clean Air Act. Volkswagen and Audi are seeking dismissal of the other states’ and counties’ actions. In December 2017, the S&C team successfully obtained the dismissal of a related action brought by the state of Alabama, and in April 2018 obtained dismissal of all claims brought by Salt Lake County, Utah, and Hillsborough County, Florida. The S&C team continues to serve as liaison with VW’s court-appointed monitor and is also defending Volkswagen against the claims of roughly 4,000 car owners and lessees who opted out of the class actions settlements and are suing the company in federal and state courts across the country. While the firm’s team on these matters most prominently features Giuffra and Nelles, it also includes future star Matthew Schwartz, who is seeing his profile buoyed on the strength of vibrant peer review.
Nelles meanwhile continues to enjoy an uninterrupted ascent in market recognition. She represented Moody’s Corporation, Moody’s Investors Service and Moody’s Analytics in securing an $864 million FIRREA settlement with the DoJ and 21 states regarding Moody’s financial crisis-era ratings of residential mortgage backed securities and collateralized debt obligations, ending a multi-year government investigation. The overall payment by Moody’s was markedly less than competitors, and the client was not compelled to admit liability. “In the securities capacity, Sharon is really coming into her own, becoming one of ‘the Street’s’ most sought-after saviors.”
Peers also insist, “Richard Pepperman is really becoming a force at that firm.” One peer quips, “Richard is burying me in depositions at the moment so I wish I could ignore him, but I have to put in a good word for him. He is excellent in both securities and antitrust.” The latter practice is one in which S&C has doubled down, earning numerous plaudits from peers in this capacity. Two partners in the DC office, Daryl Libow and Amanda Davidoff, obtained dismissals in full of two putative class actions against BP and several other oil producers. The plaintiffs brought claims under the Commodity Exchange Act, Sherman Act and state law alleging that defendants engaged in manipulative trades of physical Brent crude oil, which allegedly were incorporated into a benchmark reported by price reporting agency Platts. A team including Libow and Davidoff also obtained the dismissal—for the second time—of an antitrust class action alleging multiple financial institutions, including four defendants represented by the firm, conspired to manipulate the Singapore Interbank Offered Rate and the Singapore Swap Offer Rate. The team on this matter also included Matthew Porpora, another future star making his mark in the eyes of several peers.
Another area in which the firm has quickly developed a stronghold is intellectual property, In this capacity, Garrard Beeney successfully obtained an $814.9 million arbitration award on behalf of BlackBerry Limited in a binding arbitration against Qualcomm Incorporated. The award—one of the biggest commercial arbitration awards on record—represents royalty payments made to Qualcomm in excess of those required under Qualcomm’s royalty cap program.
Sullivan & Cromwell
Sullivan & Cromwell is a full-service law firm with an established labor and employment practice that routinely advises and represents a wide array of employers. The practice is largely located in New York with a presence in the District of Columbia as well. Theodore Rogers and Julia Jordan actively represent employers facing complex and significant matters. Rogers hails from the New York office and has recently defended Goldman Sachs in a nationwide class action with significant allegations of gender discrimination against the client. In early 2018, Rogers led the team in narrowing the claims that the plaintiff can bring on behalf of the class.
Earlier in 2017, Rogers led a team in representing a FinTech company that was facing disreputable allegations of a toxic environment due to sexual harassment and widespread sexual misconduct. The team conducted an internal investigation into the company’s culture and provided substantive advice and strategic crisis management. In the DC office, Jordan actively leads a team in representing Fiat in individual and class actions alleging that the FCA and a labor union violated the Labor Management Relations Act.
Sullivan & Cromwell
Sullivan & Cromwell is a full-service law firm with an established labor and employment practice that routinely advises and represents a wide array of employers. The practice is largely located in New York with a presence in the District of Columbia as well. Theodore Rogers and Julia Jordan actively represent employers facing complex and significant matters. Rogers hails from the New York office and has recently defended Goldman Sachs in a nationwide class action with significant allegations of gender discrimination against the client. In early 2018, Rogers led the team in narrowing the claims that the plaintiff can bring on behalf of the class.
Earlier in 2017, Rogers led a team in representing a FinTech company that was facing disreputable allegations of a toxic environment due to sexual harassment and widespread sexual misconduct. The team conducted an internal investigation into the company’s culture and provided substantive advice and strategic crisis management. In the DC office, Jordan actively leads a team in representing Fiat in individual and class actions alleging that the FCA and a labor union violated the Labor Management Relations Act.
United Kingdom
Sullivan & Cromwell has an impressive corporate practice and is often mandated on large scale UK and EU competition cases. Juan Rodriguez is a notable figure within the UK team and focuses on competition matters. The firm also picks up work relating to white-collar crime and regulatory disputes.
During the research period, the competition team advised Fiat Chrysler Finance Europe on an EU state aid decision regarding tax rulings. The firm also represented pharmaceutics company Bayer on the competition elements of its proposed acquisition of Monsanto for $66 billion.
District of Columbia
Benchmark Rankings
Labor and Employment - District of Columbia
Labor and Employment
Tier 1 |
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Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
Cohen Milstein |
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher |
Hunton Andrews Kurth |
Katz Marshall & Banks |
Morgan Lewis & Bockius |
Paul Hastings |
Labor and Employment - New York
Labor and Employment
Tier 1 |
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Kraus & Zuchlewski |
Morgan Lewis & Bockius |
Outten & Golden |
Proskauer |
Sanford Heisler Sharp |
Seyfarth Shaw |
Vladeck Raskin & Clark |
Weil Gotshal & Manges |
New York
Benchmark Rankings
United States
Antitrust
General Commercial
International Arbitration
Tier 1 |
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Debevoise & Plimpton |
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer |
King & Spalding |
Sidley Austin |
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
White & Case |
Securities
White Collar Crime
Attorney | Ranking | Practice Area |
---|---|---|
Beeney, Garrard | National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | Intellectual Property |
Bourtin, Nicolas | Future Star | |
Braff, David | National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | Intellectual Property, Securities |
Davidoff, Amanda | 40 & Under Hot List, Future Star | Antitrust, Appellate, General Commercial, Securities |
Giuffra, Robert | Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | Antitrust, General Commercial, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Securities |
Glueckstein, Brian | 40 & Under Hot List | Bankruptcy, General Commercial |
Hesse, Renata | 2018 Top 250 Women in Litigation | Antitrust |
Holley, Steven | National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | Antitrust, General Commercial, Intellectual Property, Securities |
Jordan, Julia | Labor & Employment Star - Northeast | Labor and Employment |
Kabler Oswell, Laura | 40 & Under Hot List | FCPA and Enforcement, General Commercial, Intellectual Property, Product Liability, Securities, White Collar Crime |
Matelis, Joseph | Future Star | |
Monahan, William | 40 & Under Hot List | Bankruptcy, General Commercial, Product Liability, Securities |
Nelles, Sharon | 2018 Top 250 Women in Litigation, National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | Antitrust |
Neuhaus, Joseph | National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | International Arbitration |
Pepperman, Richard | National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | Antitrust, General Commercial, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Securities |
Porpora, Matthew | Future Star | |
Quinn, Yvonne | 2018 Top 250 Women in Litigation, National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | Antitrust, General Commercial |
Rodriguez, Juan | Dispute Resolution Star | Competition/Antitrust |
Rogers, Theodore | Labor & Employment Star - Northeast | Labor and Employment |
Sacks, Robert | National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star, Benchmark California Star - 2019 | General Commercial, White Collar Crime |
Schwartz, Matthew | Future Star | Securities |
Seymour, Sam | National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | White Collar Crime |
Shane, Penny | 2018 Top 250 Women in Litigation, National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | General Commercial, Securities |
Tomaino, Michael | National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star | General Commercial, Securities |
Willscher, Alexander | Future Star | |
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