Litigation and Arbitration

Recognized as one of the top litigation groups in the world, Cleary Gottlieb provides clients with creative and result-oriented litigation and arbitration counsel in matters ranging from major commercial disputes to sensitive internal, regulatory or criminal investigations. As a firm with established roots and experience worldwide, we handle local matters as well as multijurisdictional disputes. We are equally at home representing an African sovereign in an International Chamber of Commerce arbitration as we are defending a leading financial institution in U.S., U.K., French, German or Italian courts.

We have helped governments, industrial enterprises, financial institutions and individuals in many cases that have dominated world business and legal news. We handle litigation and arbitration involving a wide variety of issues, such as securities, derivatives, M&A, sovereign debt, investment treaties, antitrust, bankruptcy, white-collar crime, employment, executive compensation, intellectual property and general commercial disputes.

Our engagements frequently involve extremely complex legal issues, requiring novel solutions and cross-border coordination of the firm’s varied resources. To effectively and efficiently resolve these complicated matters, we pair our litigation prowess with our world-renowned corporate, regulatory and financial expertise. Our performance during the recent financial crisis has highlighted our great strength in working easily and effectively in cross-practice teams.

Our litigators have the confidence, experience and skills to advocate for clients successfully in the courtroom and in any other venue, whether domestic or international. We understand that our clients’ objective is often dispute avoidance. As circumstances dictate, we are prepared to and do litigate aggressively to achieve the best possible outcome, but also advise our clients candidly on the risks and potential rewards of litigation, arbitration and mediation. From the outset of each matter, our litigators counsel clients on the best course of action to achieve their legal and business goals.

We choose strategies that will help our clients obtain their desired results in an efficient, timely and cost-effective manner. 

Our litigation team brings together a wealth of government experience. Nine of our litigation and arbitration partners have served as Assistant United States Attorneys, including one who also served as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Our ability to seamlessly call upon leading regulatory experts for their counsel, including those who have served with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including three as General Counsel and two as Director of the Division of Corporation Finance), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (as General Counsel), the Solicitor General of the United States, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Bureau of Competition of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Air Force, distinguishes us from other firms and offers our clients great value. Many of our litigators have clerked for judges throughout the U.S. federal system, including the Supreme Court of the United States. In Europe, several of our lawyers were officials of various EC institutions, including the European Court of Justice, European Court of First Instance and the European Commission.

We work seamlessly together in aid of our clients thanks to the single, fully integrated nature of our firm. Cleary Gottlieb has no formal departments, and all clients worldwide are clients of the firm, not of an individual partner or group of partners. Our unique seniority-based lock-step compensation system for lawyers means that all lawyers are rewarded just as much for helping their colleagues as they are for helping themselves.


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Practice Highlights What Others Say About Our Practice

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 We are counsel in numerous matters arising from the global financial crisis, including advising HSBC, BNY Mellon, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole and Citigroup in connection with litigation arising from the Madoff fraud; advising more than 50 financial institutions in class and individual actions arising out of the collapse of Lehman Brothers; and in mortgage-backed securities litigation for Bank of America and Citibank.

Cleary Gottlieb Wins First Madoff Case in Italy

Merrill Lynch Receives Unanimous Reversal of Summary Judgment Decision

Tomskneft Prevails in France in Challenge of Exequatur of $140 Million Arbitral Award Obtained by Yukos Capital

SuperMedia Inc. in Prepackaged Bankruptcy

Fintech in Settlement Transactions with Vitro and Other Creditors; Financing Transactions

Over 40 Banks Settle Lehman Securities Class Action Litigation

Goldman Sachs and Other Derivative Creditors in Lehman Brothers Plan Settlement

National Westminster Bank Wins Summary Judgment in Anti-Terrorism Act Lawsuit

Underwriters Win Dismissal of Securities Class Action Suit

Financial Institution Clients Defeat Attempt to Enforce Broad Discovery Subpoenas

The Bank for International Settlements Wins Dismissal of Class Action

Citigroup Wins Dismissal of 9/11 Suit

Iraq Successfully Defends Sovereign Immunity in UK Supreme Court

SKY Italia Wins Important Victory Against RTI

Hall of Famer Mark Messier Wins $6.2 Million National Hockey League Arbitral Award

Recognized for general commercial, antitrust, bankruptcy, securities, appellate (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit) and white-collar crime litigation; international arbitration; and practices in New York and Washington, D.C.
Benchmark Litigation: The Definitive Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys (2013)
Standout Securities and Finance Litigation Firm
BTI Litigation Outlook (2013)
GAR100 Firm
Global Arbitration Review’s Top Arbitration Firms Worldwide (2013)

Standout Firm for Litigation
(Setting the strategy in Madoff-related cases)
Financial Times - U.S. Innovative Lawyers Report (2012)
Securities Group of the Year
Law360 (2012)

Italian Litigation Law Firm of the Year
TopLegal (2012)
Recognized for general commercial, antitrust, securities and white-collar crime litigation; international arbitration; and practices in New York and Washington, D.C.
Benchmark Litigation: The Definitive Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys (2012)
Go-To Law Firm for Litigation
Corporate Counsel (2012)

Restructuring Deal of the Year
(Lehman Brothers Chapter 11 proceedings)
International Financial Law Review (2012)
“This US firm has notable international strength in arbitration, with a particularly strong practice in Paris and a high level of expertise in disputes involving oil and gas issues, mining concessions, sovereign debt and financial services.”
Chambers Global (2013)
“This US powerhouse remains a go-to firm for complex international contentious issues, and is particularly noted for its strength in international arbitration. Recent highlights include advising on two of the first class actions in Italy following the adoption of a new class action law.”
Chambers Europe (2013)
“Cleary’s disputes practice is notable for its successful management of enormously complex cases, involving multiple litigations and arbitrations, often across many borders.”
Latin Lawyer 250 (2013)
“The firm's skill set is at the highest caliber among firms both in the US and internationally.”

“[Cleary] maintains a deep bench that clients have championed to handle their most complex matters.”
Benchmark Litigation: The Definitive Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys, (2013)
“Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has established itself as a top tier national firm and has grown into an international litigation leader over the past 63 years.”
Benchmark Litigation: The Definitive Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys (2012)  

“In addition to its very strong New York base, this group has significant disputes capacity in Paris, Rome and London, and also offers exceptional strength in antitrust cases via its Washington, DC office. The team counts a number of key financial institutions among its clients. According to sources: ‘A very good global disputes practice, with great strength in competition litigation.’”

“This firm’s arbitration expertise is chiefly concentrated in Paris, from where it acts on a variety of arbitrations including key cases involving sovereign states. Sources say: ‘Excellent in both Paris and the USA.’”
Chambers Global (2012)

“The strongly cohesive and integrated approach that Cleary offers is equally prevalent in the international arbitration practice group, and is highlighted by clients as being a distinct asset. The group is a recognized force in both investment treaty and commercial arbitration, and offers expertise across a wide range of industry sectors.” 
Chambers USA (2012)

“The large dispute resolution practice at this U.S. firm is perhaps best known for its international arbitration capacity, but is also well regarded in the litigation field. It handles commercial and investment treaty arbitration cases throughout the world, and is particularly active in the oil and gas, aerospace, telecoms and automotive sectors. Clients are full of praise for the high level of expertise and service provided by the group.”
Chambers Europe (2012)

“This firm has a strong presence in Latin America on the back of its corporate work in the region, and is particularly highlighted for its experience in sovereign debt and bondholders disputes. The team is primarily engaged in investment disputes and is well regarded for its expertise in both investor and sovereign state representation.”
Chambers Latin America (2012)

Cleary Gottlieb “represents sovereigns and investors in both treaty and commercial arbitration. … Clients praise the team as ‘responsive, capable, sophisticated, flexible and strong.’”
The Legal 500 U.S. (2012)
“Its ever-deepening commitment to the region has been underlined by the establishment of offices in Buenos Aires and São Paulo in 2009 and 2011, respectively…. ‘[The firm] demonstrates very high business acumen and an excellent capacity for problem solving.’”
The Legal 500 Latin America (2012)
“In addition to its very strong New York base, this group has significant disputes capacity in Paris, Rome and London, and also offers exceptional strength in antitrust cases via its Washington, DC office. The team counts a number of key financial institutions among its clients. According to sources: ‘A very good global disputes practice, with great strength in competition litigation.’”
Chambers Global (2011)