WLRK Litigation Practice Forum

[Anonymous User]

I know they're Band One Chambers, but any sense of how diverse the work WLRK litigators do/how important they are in the firm hierarchy?

We all know that if you want to do M & A work WLRK is unmatched, but if you're set on litigation, are the insane hours worth it?

Just haven't heard/seen much about that side of the firm and would be interested in any information, anecdotal or otherwise

[tengorazon]

I talked with a former WLRK litigator the other weekend and asked him about that (I considered doing litigation there and knew someone else currently considering it, so I was curious). He said that although the money was nice, litigation clearly plays second fiddle to the transactional side and most of the litigation they do arises from the transactional work. My impression was that if you wanted to do anything other than financial-type litigation, you should look elsewhere.

[Anonymous User]

That's what I feared. Thanks

[Anonymous User]

That's what I feared. Thanks

Actually, the Wachtell litigation practice is pretty amazing. Check out this story:

http://www.americanlawyer.com/PubArticl ... 0811232939

[Bronte]

That's what I feared. Thanks

Yeah, I would not just go with the second hand information of one poster on TLS. The litigation group at Wachtell is pretty damn well-regarded.

[Old Gregg]

That's what I feared. Thanks

Actually, the Wachtell litigation practice is pretty amazing. Check out this story:

http://www.americanlawyer.com/PubArticl ... 0811232939

Doesn't really negate the point that this all arises from their corporate work. Not that that's bad in this case, as they obviously shaped delaware merger law in a very significant way.

[Anonymous User]

Right, I know they're well regarded (Band 1, and the WLRK name surely brings in business)

but it seems quite clear that the corporate practice is the king there.

i mean, even the TLS writeup doesn't mention the litigation practice at all..

[Anonymous User]

OP Bumping one more time for other thoughts.

[Anonymous User]

OP Bumping one more time for other thoughts.

http://www.chambersandpartners.com/glob ... 4210-37453

A National Litigation Practice: Wachtell Lipton’s litigation practice is consistently at the cutting edge of the leading commercial and corporate litigation battles dominating the headlines. Wachtell Lipton’s clients are in diverse industries, including finance, media, high-tech, energy, retail and real estate. With a tight-knit group of approximately 80 lawyers, the firm’s impact far exceeds those of much larger litigation departments. The firm approaches each matter with intensity, thoroughness and creativity and builds teams appropriate to the circumstances. It prizes great legal writing and oral advocacy and innovative legal thinking. Its practice is national in scope, with appearances in state and federal courts throughout the country at both trial and appellate levels, as well as in arbitrations and mediations.The firm has a leading practice representing corporations or other entities in state and federal regulatory and criminal investigations. Many of its litigators served as law clerks in federal or state courts, and several distinguished themselves as trial lawyers in US Attorneys’ Offices or as enforcement attorneys at the SEC.

Takeover & Merger Litigation: The firm is considered one of the leading transaction and takeover litigation firms in the country, having handled many of the seminal cases – including Moran v Household Int’l Inc.; Revlon Inc. v MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, Inc.; Paramount Communications, Inc. v Time, Inc; Paramount Communications, Inc. v QVC Network, Inc.; and IBP, Inc. v Tyson Foods – establishing US takeover law. Recent representations have included Airgas in its landmark takeover defence against Air Products and Lions Gate Entertainment in its closely watched takeover battle.

Complex Commercial & Securities Litigation: The firm consistently handles some of the nation’s leading commercial disputes.
Recent representations have included:

• National Australia Bank in the landmark case of Morrison v.National Australia Bank Ltd., 130 S. Ct. 2869 (2010), in which the Supreme Court held that Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5 apply only to purchases and sales of securities in the United States. The decision overturned 40 years of lower-court precedent and eradicated what had become a burgeoning species of securities litigation (so-called “foreign-cubed” and “foreign-squared” class actions) along with billions of dollars in potential liability for foreign securities issuers

• JPMorgan Chase in the US$19 billion litigation brought against it by Irving Picard, the trustee for the liquidation of Bernard Madoff ’s failed firm, and recently won major victories in that case by successfully having it removed from bankruptcy court to federal district court

• Philip Morris USA in the multi-billion dollar arbitration that has arisen under the landmark 1998 settlement between the major tobacco companies and 52 states and territories. The firm had previously structured and implemented this more than US$200 billion settlement

• Grupo Televisa, the leading Mexican media company, in licensing disputes in state and federal courts against Univision, the largest Spanish-language television network in the United States

White-Collar & Regulatory Enforcement: The firm has a leading White-Collar Criminal and Regulatory Practice. It has represented major financial institutions and multinational corporations, as well as their boards of directors and senior executives, in a broad range of the most complex and typically high profile white-collar criminal and regulatory enforcement matters, both nationally and internationally. In the past few years alone, the group has handled an enormous variety of matters including both US and foreign governmental investigations focusing on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, criminal tax evasion, criminal transfer pricing, False Claims Act, insider trading, securities fraud, accounting fraud, healthcare fraud, defence contracting, criminal antitrust and export control violations. In addition, the firm regularly represents boards, audit committees and special committees charged with conducting special investigations in response to whistleblowers or governmental inquiries.

[anon168]

OP Bumping one more time for other thoughts.

http://www.chambersandpartners.com/glob ... 4210-37453

A National Litigation Practice: Wachtell Lipton’s litigation practice is consistently at the cutting edge of the leading commercial and corporate litigation battles dominating the headlines. Wachtell Lipton’s clients are in diverse industries, including finance, media, high-tech, energy, retail and real estate. With a tight-knit group of approximately 80 lawyers, the firm’s impact far exceeds those of much larger litigation departments. The firm approaches each matter with intensity, thoroughness and creativity and builds teams appropriate to the circumstances. It prizes great legal writing and oral advocacy and innovative legal thinking. Its practice is national in scope, with appearances in state and federal courts throughout the country at both trial and appellate levels, as well as in arbitrations and mediations.The firm has a leading practice representing corporations or other entities in state and federal regulatory and criminal investigations. Many of its litigators served as law clerks in federal or state courts, and several distinguished themselves as trial lawyers in US Attorneys’ Offices or as enforcement attorneys at the SEC.

Takeover & Merger Litigation: The firm is considered one of the leading transaction and takeover litigation firms in the country, having handled many of the seminal cases – including Moran v Household Int’l Inc.; Revlon Inc. v MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, Inc.; Paramount Communications, Inc. v Time, Inc; Paramount Communications, Inc. v QVC Network, Inc.; and IBP, Inc. v Tyson Foods – establishing US takeover law. Recent representations have included Airgas in its landmark takeover defence against Air Products and Lions Gate Entertainment in its closely watched takeover battle.

Complex Commercial & Securities Litigation: The firm consistently handles some of the nation’s leading commercial disputes.
Recent representations have included:

• National Australia Bank in the landmark case of Morrison v.National Australia Bank Ltd., 130 S. Ct. 2869 (2010), in which the Supreme Court held that Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5 apply only to purchases and sales of securities in the United States. The decision overturned 40 years of lower-court precedent and eradicated what had become a burgeoning species of securities litigation (so-called “foreign-cubed” and “foreign-squared” class actions) along with billions of dollars in potential liability for foreign securities issuers

• JPMorgan Chase in the US$19 billion litigation brought against it by Irving Picard, the trustee for the liquidation of Bernard Madoff ’s failed firm, and recently won major victories in that case by successfully having it removed from bankruptcy court to federal district court

• Philip Morris USA in the multi-billion dollar arbitration that has arisen under the landmark 1998 settlement between the major tobacco companies and 52 states and territories. The firm had previously structured and implemented this more than US$200 billion settlement

• Grupo Televisa, the leading Mexican media company, in licensing disputes in state and federal courts against Univision, the largest Spanish-language television network in the United States

White-Collar & Regulatory Enforcement: The firm has a leading White-Collar Criminal and Regulatory Practice. It has represented major financial institutions and multinational corporations, as well as their boards of directors and senior executives, in a broad range of the most complex and typically high profile white-collar criminal and regulatory enforcement matters, both nationally and internationally. In the past few years alone, the group has handled an enormous variety of matters including both US and foreign governmental investigations focusing on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, criminal tax evasion, criminal transfer pricing, False Claims Act, insider trading, securities fraud, accounting fraud, healthcare fraud, defence contracting, criminal antitrust and export control violations. In addition, the firm regularly represents boards, audit committees and special committees charged with conducting special investigations in response to whistleblowers or governmental inquiries.

You realize much of the Chambers & Partners profile is submitted and written by the firms themselves, right? It should really be part of the firm's website if you want to be real about it.