Practices

In civil and criminal proceedings, in domestic and international fora, and before administrative, trial, and appellate bodies, our lawyers have advised clients on issues at the forefront of competition law for four decades. Clients in major litigation include Visa, Comcast, MacAndrews & Forbes, Raytheon, General Re, and Saudi Refining, Inc.

In appeals with critical questions of law at stake, there is no substitute for the judicial experience that Judge Holwell, former New York appellate judge James McGuire, our former U.S. Supreme Court clerks, and our many former federal and foreign supreme court clerks bring to appellate arguments.

Our extensive international backgrounds make us as comfortable litigating high-stakes matters in arbitrations and mediations held abroad as we are with those in the U.S. We have represented clients in arbitrations under the rules of the AAA, JAMS, FIDIC, ICC, ICSID, LCIA, UNCITRAL, and under various ad hoc arrangements.

From In re Enron to In re Northwest Airlines, the Lehman bankruptcy, and beyond, our lawyers have handled high-profile disputes in bankruptcy courts throughout the nation. For secured lenders, shareholders, committees, and debtors, our lawyers have aggressively contested bankruptcy litigation matters ranging from confirmation hearings to adversary proceedings and intercreditor disputes.

In commercial disputes involving high-value transactions, capital markets, fiduciary obligations, and other subject matters, HSG brings a unique blend of qualities: the sophistication required to handle the most valuable and complex matters, a size that leaves us largely unencumbered by conflicts, and equal degrees of comfort representing plaintiffs and defendants. 

In disputes involving holders of debt instruments, clients benefit from our intimate understanding of how hedge funds and private equity funds operate. Past wins include a Second Circuit victory for holders of Argentine debt and a successful resolution for PetSmart in a covenants dispute with lenders regarding $8 billion in debt obligations.

In patent, copyright, trademark, and IP litigation, we excel at making complex issues understandable to judges and juries. It’s a talent that serves us well in high-stakes matters before federal district and circuit courts, the International Trade Commission, and the new Inter Partes Review proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Securities litigation sits at the very center of our lawyers’ overlapping experience, which has included work on countless novel questions under the ‘33 and ‘34 Acts, numerous headline-making securities fraud and insider trading cases, and, as counsel to the defense, one of the rare securities class actions to result in a defense verdict. 

With two of our four founding partners having received legal educations outside the U.S., we bring a unique international perspective to our work. HSG has represented foreign sovereigns in U.S. court proceedings and frequently represents individuals and corporate parties in domestic litigation involving conduct occurring outside U.S. borders.

Bringing to bear the firm’s considerable judicial experience, HSG lawyers handle criminal and regulatory enforcement investigations, as well as independent monitorships brought about by consent decrees, settlements, or otherwise.