Shearman & Sterling has been designated a top-tier national litigation firm in Benchmark Litigation 2010. A publication of Euromoney/Legal Media Group, the guide focuses exclusively on leading US law firms and attorneys.
Two Shearman & Sterling litigation practice areas were ranked in the top tier nationally: General Commercial and Securities. Shearman & Sterling's litigation practice was also ranked "Highly Recommended" in New York. Seven Shearman & Sterling litigators were ranked: Stephen Fishbein, Stuart Baskin, Herbert Washer, John Nathanson, Adam Hakki, Richard Schwed and Brian Polovoy.
Benchmark Litigation 2010 notes that "[p]eers praise Litigation Group leader Stephen Fishbein for his focus on internal investigations, criminal defense, antitrust and commercial litigation." Mentioned were Stephen Fishbein's FCPA-related work, his representation of Nokia and appointment as Monitor for Baker Hughes, following its prosecution, to advise on SEC compliance issues. Also noted were Stephen Fishbein's and Richard Schwed's successful representation of Continental AG in an arbitration filed before the American Arbitration Association (AAA) against Motorola Inc. arising out of Continental's $1 billion purchase of Motorola's automotive electronics business. The AAA group awarded Continental the full amount of its claim after five days of hearings.
Stuart Baskin is praised for his, "extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions litigation, securities litigation, bank regulatory and antitrust matters." He plays a major role, "in litigation surrounding Merrill Lynch's acquisition [by Bank of America]; he is dealing with putative class claims filed in the Southern District of New York, New York Supreme Court, and the Delaware Chancery Court."
Herbert Washer is distinguished for his work in the defense of matters involving complex securities, derivatives and commodities. It was noted that his "complex securities defense practice has stepped into the limelight recently. Additionally, he represents major financial institutions like Credit Suisse and Citigroup."
Adam Hakki is "singled out by peers, for his notable securities work, handling high-profile cases on behalf of financial companies and hedge fund operators."
John Nathanson, who joined the firm in 2009, is lauded for, "his significant trial experience having served for five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York. In his previous position, he was assigned to Securities and Business Fraud Unit where he prosecuted two managers of Bear Stearns hedge funds that collapsed in 2007."
Brian Polovoy was named a Future Star in New York.
Also noted in Benchmark Litigation 2010 were: Shearman & Sterling's victory for Huntsman Corporation in the hotly contested $10 billion merger dispute with Hexion in which "Alan Goudiss played a significant role, handling both cross and direct examinations of key plaintiff and defense witnesses;" Stuart Baskin, along with John Gueli and Kirsten Nelson Cunha, for Shearman & Sterling's representation of Viacom in its copyright infringement action against YouTube and its parent, Google; and Shearman & Sterling's representation of Bank of America in an adversary proceeding in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to defend its right to set-off nearly $2 billion in derivatives claims against Lehman Brothers.
Benchmark Litigation Litigation 2010 Summary
National Rankings
General Commercial - Tier 2
General Commercial Stars: Stuart J. Baskin; Stephen Fishbein; Herbert S. Washer
Securities - Tier 2
Securities Stars: Stuart J. Baskin; John Nathanson
New York: Highly Recommended
New York Litigation Stars: Stuart J. Baskin; Stephen Fishbein; John Nathanson; Herbert S. Washer
New York: Future Stars: Adam Hakki; Brian Polovoy; Richard Schwed