Matthew L. Craner is a partner in the firm’s Litigation practice. Mr. Craner’s practice focuses on M&A, securities, accounting, and complex corporate and business matters, including enforcement actions and internal corporate investigations. He has extensive experience representing and counseling financial institutions, including investment banks, private equity funds and hedge funds, accounting firms, directors and senior management in shareholder class actions, derivative suits, partnership disputes, and other complex commercial litigation, as well as investigations and proceedings before the SEC and other government and self-regulatory agencies.

Current engagements include the following:

• Representing Barclays Capital in various litigations throughout the country in federal and state court, including with Cambridge Place Investment Management, Inc., the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, MassMutual, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, Prudential Insurance Company of America, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.
• Representing Nomura Holdings in numerous RMBS loan repurchase litigations in state and federal courts brought by trustees and monoline insurers.
• Representing Credit Suisse in a putative class action for alleged breaches of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with its underwriting of securities of Covisint.
• Representing a major investment bank in connection with its participation in alleged tax shelters.
• Representing the former CFO of a digital financial media company before the Securities and Exchange Commission.
• Representing a former senior employee of a major investment bank in a regulatory investigation.

Prior representations include the following:

• Represented Barclays Capital in litigation over Archstone Holdings, Inc. After an expedited trial in the Southern District of New York, the court found for Barclays on all issues, allowing Barclays and Bank of America Merrill Lynch to dispose of several billion dollars in disputed assets.
• Represented a Big Four accounting firm in defense of claims in MDL proceedings arising out of the failure of Refco, a provider of brokerage and clearing services in the derivatives, currency and future markets.
• Represented a CDO manager in federal securities fraud lawsuit brought by an investor in the Southern District of New York.
• Represented iVillage and Women.com in the IPO Securities Litigation, a consolidated class action lawsuit concerning allegations of fraud in connection with initial public offerings of securities.
• Represented a senior officer of Kmart in connection with a securities class action lawsuit alleging claims under Section 10(b)(5) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act. Plaintiffs’ claims were dismissed with prejudice, a result that was affirmed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Represented Aquila, Inc. in connection with a $430 million lawsuit concerning prepayment obligations of a syndicated loan. All claims were dismissed with prejudice.
• Represented a Big Four accounting firm in connection with its audit of a large agricultural cooperative that filed for bankruptcy. Plaintiffs’ securities and consumer fraud claims were dismissed with prejudice, a result that was affirmed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Represented Performance Technologies and five of its officers and directors in a securities class action lawsuit concerning allegations of insider trading and improper revenue recognition. The case was settled favorably.
• Represented various private equity funds in numerous litigations and arbitrations in connection with post-closing disputes as well as corporate and employment matters involving the funds’ portfolio companies.
• Handled internal investigations on behalf of companies, their boards of directors and audit committees in connection with allegations of accounting irregularities, insider trading and breach of fiduciary duties.

Selected Speeches

• “Recent Trends in Mortgage Backed Securities Litigation: Investor Claims & Defenses,” Faculty member at New York City Bar Association program, April 2013.
• “Privilege Issues in Internal Investigations,” Pro Bono Legal Training to Goldman Sachs, October 2010.
• “Securities Litigation: Stoneridge, Tellabs – Recent Developments and Decisions,” Faculty member at New York City Bar Association program, July 2008.