Nine Cadwalader partners have been selected for inclusion in the 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America. This annual list represents “the most elite distinction in the profession, covering the best of the best in all practice areas.”
In addition, Corporate senior counsel Christopher Cox has been inducted into the 2021 Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame, as one of only 34 distinguished lawyers who are “among the most acclaimed of their generation.”
Cadwalader’s 2021 Lawdragon 500 featured attorneys include:
- Jodi Avergun (Litigation, White Collar) is the chair of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Group. She is a noted expert in anti-money laundering, sanctions and regulated substances. Her practice focuses on representing corporations and individuals in criminal and regulatory matters involving, among other things, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, securities enforcement, DEA enforcement, and general white collar matters. She also advises clients in the legal cannabis space, particularly as it relates to banking.
- Richard Brand (Corporate) is co-chairman of the firm’s Corporate Group and a member of the firm's Management Committee. He is a leading advisor to public companies, hedge funds, private equity firms and investment banks. His experience includes mergers and acquisitions, takeover preparedness and defense, shareholder activism and defense, general corporate advisory work and securities offerings. He also advises clients on complex transactions involving distressed companies and assets, including mergers, acquisitions, investments and financings, as well as restructurings.
- Christopher Cox (Corporate) represents clients in a wide array of corporate and financial matters, with extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. Chris has represented public and private acquirors, targets, investment banks and private equity sponsors in connection with negotiated and contested mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, spin-offs, joint ventures, proxy contests and IP monetizations and other complex financings. Chris also counsels clients on a broad range of corporate, securities and business-related matters and on matters of corporate policy and strategy.
- Karen Dyer (Litigation) represents multimillion and multibillion dollar public and private companies alike in complex commercial litigation matters, including securities, antitrust, civil rico, trade secret matters and creditors rights. She has recently represented the likes of Nike, DuPont, Starr Companies, Mitsui Chemicals and The Related Companies on both the plaintiff and defendant side in cases pending in federal and state courts throughout the country. She was co-lead counsel in a case against Trinity Industries resulting in a $664 judgment – one of the largest FCA judgments without government intervention.
- Nicholas Gravante (Litigation) is the head of the firm’s Commercial Litigation practice. He is widely recognized as one of the top litigators in the country, with extensive trial experience focused on complex commercial, securities and antitrust litigation, as well as criminal cases and appeals. He has negotiated non-prosecution agreements for publicly traded companies and won exoneration of numerous individuals, non-profit entities, Fortune 500 companies and a major national university in federal and state grand jury and regulatory investigations.
- Ellen Holloman (Litigation) focuses her practice on representing financial institutions, corporations and individuals in civil litigation and at trial, and in related regulatory enforcement proceedings and corporate internal investigations. She has extensive experience in securities litigation, including derivative and class action litigation, in contract and post-acquisition disputes, and in employment-related claims, including for enforcement of non-compete, non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, and in #MeToo situations. She regularly advises companies, boards, special committees and investors in connection with corporate governance matters, including takeover defense and activist contests.
- Phil Iovieno (Litigation, Antitrust) is the co-head of Cadwalader’s Antitrust Litigation practice. He focuses on representing plaintiffs and defendants in antitrust and other complex commercial litigation, including having led or co-led multiple jury trials through verdict. He has built an undisputed track record of success for clients on both sides of the “v,” having recovered more than $800 million for corporate victims of various price-fixing cartels and obtained dismissals of a wide variety of antitrust and other claims brought against Fortune 500 and private corporations, as well as non-profit institutions.
- Pat Quinn (Capital Markets) is managing partner of the firm, responsible for both driving the strategic growth and direction of the firm as well as managing operations globally. Working with senior management, Pat oversees the development of Cadwalader’s client relationships and capabilities in key markets, and the firm's continued commitment to the highest levels of client service and attorney excellence. A 33-year veteran of Cadwalader, he has been integrally involved in the evolution of the firm into its position today as a trusted advisor to clients on their most complex legal and business challenges.
- Sean F. O’Shea (Litigation, White Collar) is the chair of the firm's Trial Practice Group. He focuses on complex business and white collar litigation. Sean has represented clients ranging from large corporations, to prominent private equity and hedge funds, to senior executives at major corporations. He has tried more than 85 cases to verdict, including federal and state jury and bench trials, arbitrations and administrative proceedings. Most recently, Sean won a resounding trial victory in the Southern District of Texas against global consulting giant McKinsey & Co in In re: Westmoreland Coal.
- Lary Stromfeld (Financial Services) is a member of the firm's Management Committee. He advises leading financial institutions and other participants in the global capital markets on transactions, disputes and advisory matters involving a wide variety of financial products and complex financings. Leader of the firm’s LIBOR Preparedness Team, he is currently representing the Federal Reserve’s Alternative Reference Rates Committee in navigating the cash markets through LIBOR transition and previously helped International Swaps and Derivatives Association steer the derivatives markets through global regulatory reform.
Selections to the Lawdragon 500 are made from a combination of editorial research, law firm nominations and online nominations, and are limited to no more than 500 lawyers in the country.
