Shearman & Sterling has once again been ranked among the top law firms in the United States for national-scale, “bet-the company” litigation by Benchmark Litigation 2011.
Three Shearman & Sterling litigation practice areas were ranked top tier nationally: Securities Litigation (Tier 1), General Commercial (Tier 2) and International Arbitration (Tier 3). In New York, Shearman & Sterling’s litigation practice was ranked “Highly Recommended.” Six Shearman & Sterling litigators were singled out for mention: Stuart J.Baskin, James Donato, Stephen Fishbein, Adam S. Hakki, Richard F. Schwed and Herbert S. Washer. In Washington, DC, Shearman & Sterling's Scott Doyle was named a local litigation star. In New York, Brian H. Polovoy was named a New York Litigation Future Star.
Benchmark Litigation 2011 quotes a competitor as saying that “[t]his is a very deep team . . .[with] so many talented lawyers.” The guide notes that the litigation practice is most respected in the field of securities and white collar issues and has “been involved in navigating some of the most salient and newsworthy matters.” A peer calls Shearman & Sterling “your go-to securities shop.”
Litigation Group Leader Stephen Fishbein is praised by peers as "as very capable . . . in his practice focusing on internal investigations, criminal defense, antitrust, and commercial litigation.” Mentioned were Stephen Fishbein’s representation of Cargolux and Galleon.
Stuart J. Baskin is distinguished as someone who “elicits a considerable level of praise from peers.” He is “widely acknowledged as a foremost authority on securities issues.”
Herbert S. Washer is singled out for his securities defense work, as well as his criminal and regulatory investigations in the collateralized debt obligations and credit default swaps markets. Peers rave that he is “a very talented securities litigator.”
Adam S. Hakki is mentioned in connection with his work on the Galleon case. A competitor comments that he is“really impressed with the judgment he’s shown.”
James Donato is acknowledged for his broad representation on “class actions, antitrust disputes, unfair competition issues, False Claims Act cases, and other complex disputes,” including “cases ranging from actions by competitors to consumer class actions and alleged qui tam ‘whistleblower’ claimants.” Also noted is the bi-coastal team from three Shearman & Sterling domestic offices who represented Donato’s client Covidien (formerly Tyco Healthcare Group) in a 2010 13-day federal antitrust class action trial in the District of Massachusetts which settled on terms highly favorable to Covidien.
Richard F. Schwed is singled out for peer accolades, with one referring to him as a “fine representation of the younger talent there [at the firm], already displaying loads of ability.”
Benchmark Litigation 2011 Summary
National Rankings
Securities - Tier 1
Securities Stars: Stuart J. Baskin, Adam S. Hakki, Herbert S. Washer
General Commercial - Tier 2
General Commercial Stars: Stuart Baskin, Stephen Fishbein; Herbert S. Washer
New York: Highly Recommended
New York Litigation Stars: Stephen Fishbein, Adam S. Hakki, Herbert S. Washer, Richard Schwed
New York: Future Stars
New York Litigation Future Star: Brian H. Polovoy
International Arbitration - Tier 3
District of Columbia Litigation Star: Scott Doyle
Benchmark Litigation 2011 identifies the leading US trial attorneys and firms at the local and national levels. Focused exclusively on the US litigation market, the publication’s rankings and editorials are the result of extensive interviews with private practice lawyers and in-house counsel. Supplementary firm information is also submitted in the form of a questionnaire. The guide’s “local litigation stars” reflect lawyers who are recommended by peers and clients to have established consistent reputations as trial attorneys, while “future stars” are those litigators who are highlighted as likely to be become “local litigation stars” in coming editions. Benchmark’s independent research is conducted annually between February and June. Benchmark Litigation 2011 is a publication of Euromoney Institutional Investor.