Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP  is well-versed in complex financial services litigation, frequently defending global financial institutions in high-profile compliance and enforcement matters as well as criminal regulatory inquiries from the SEC, DOJ and other government agencies. The firm also represents several clients in the cryptocurrency and fintech space. The team is led by New York-based Lev Dassin, an expert in handling government investigations and crisis management, alongside Robin Bergen, who focuses on internal investigations from Washington DC. Support is offered by Victor Hou, who holds a focus on white-collar criminal defense, and former Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Joon Kim, who has an enviable track record of representing renowned corporations in criminal and regulatory investigations and commercial disputes.

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP boasts a distinguished practice in financial services litigation, representing investment banks, asset management and consumer finance companies in high-profile cases stretching across a diverse range of legal issues, with particular activity in antitrust and class action. The New York-based team are adept at tackling complex matters, notably representing Morgan Stanley in multiple individual and class action lawsuits alleging collusion and other anticompetitive behavior. The experienced group includes Daniel Slifkin, who has extensive experience representing financial institutions in antitrust, shareholder derivatives, or general contract dispute claims. Michael Paskin tackles class action litigation involving complex financial products whilst Lauren Moskowitz is also an accomplished litigator in federal and state courts. Lauren Rosenberg has a broad focus in her litigation practice that includes securities, commercial and antitrust issues.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP boasts a stellar client roster for which it handles highly challenging regulatory investigations, enforcement proceedings and private actions. The team prides itself in tackling high-value securities and antitrust litigations arising from major financial crises and regulatory overhauls. Brad Karp, Jessica Carey and Ted Wells lead the practice from New York, whilst Kannon Shanmugam operates from Washington DC. Karp has an enviable record of success representing global financial institutions in high-value litigation and regulatory investigations. Carey is also a reputable litigator within the financial services industry, handling complex securities and commercial matters in federal and state courts. Other key players include Susanna Buergel, who co-chairs the securities defense practice, and prolific securities litigator Daniel Kramer, both based in New York.

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP is recognised for its representation of institutional plaintiffs against global banks and is particularly active within the field of securities litigation. The team is highly knowledgeable in both domestic and global financial markets, handling cross-border cases such as high-profile debt securities disputes in the Swiss courts. Jonathan Pickhardt and Daniel Brockett are practice heads based in New York, whilst Harry Olivar, Richard Schirtzer and Jeremy Andersen lead the team from Los Angeles. Brockett is a prolific trial lawyer who is highly active in securities, antitrust, structured finance, and derivatives litigation. Andersen represents institutional investors, insurance companies and bankrupt estates in a host of class actions. Ellison Merkel is also a key authority, experienced in tackling cases that involve structured financial products. The team grew in March 2025 with the addition of Michael Swartz, formerly of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP offers representation across a broad range of financial services issues, with particular proficiency in securities, bankruptcy and antitrust matters. The group is well-versed in litigating highly complex matters with examples including defending TD Bank through discovery, trial and settlement in litigation concerning the TelexFree Ponzi scheme. Lynn Neuner and Jonathan Youngwood are co-heads of the practice in New York – Neuner has a distinguished reputation as a trial lawyer in commercial and securities litigation, whilst Youngwood focuses on disputes concerning corporate control, EIRSA and antitrust. Craig Waldman broadens the firm’s expertise by representing private equity and corporate clients in transaction-related and corporate control litigation alongside corporate governance matters. Joseph McLaughlin and Steve Blake are also key strengths within the field.

A&O Shearman has a proficient litigation practice that handles a range of matters and investigations. The team operates with a broad focus encompassing securities, sanctions and antitrust matters as well as regulatory actions before global enforcement authorities. Adam Hakki and Richard Schwed are co-heads of the New York-based team. Hakki has an enviable success rate representing major financial institution clients in complex securities and antitrust matters and litigating for major banks in enforcement investigations. Grace Lee is also a team asset, handling a range of class actions related to bond financing and securities. Katherine Stoller is a white-collar lawyer tackling criminal and regulatory investigations, focusing on money laundering, sanction violations and fraud.

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP fields a team of seasoned litigators who are highly proficient in tackling complex commercial matters for high-profile financial institutions. The group is adept at representing clients in litigation pertaining to antitrust, securities, breach of contract and tort claims. The practice in New York is led by a trio of expert litigators: Paul Spagnoletti, Dana Seshens, and James Rouhandeh. Rouhandeh is a go-to securities litigator who regularly represents corporate issuers and investment banks. Brian Weinstein and Lara Buchwald bolster the team with focused practices on complex commercial litigation in the financial services arena.

Mayer Brown represents a broad array of clients in complex litigation matters and boasts cross-border strengths, with experience supporting financial institutions before foreign enforcement bodies. Mark Hanchet is a recognised force in the market, with a focused practice on commercial litigation, securities and bankruptcy matters and regulatory enforcement. Christopher Houpt is also a standout attorney operating in the fields of securitization, structured finance and derivatives disputes. Both as team leaders in New York, whilst Christopher Chapman and Ian McDonald spearhead from London. In Chicago, Lucia Nale is very active in consumer finance litigation and represents clients in the retail banking industry. Robert Hamburg is also an up-and-coming partner of note back in New York.

Arnold & Porter has extensive experience in class-action litigation, representing a host of banks, saving institutions, lenders and investors. The firm’s portfolio encompasses securitization, contract disputes and antitrust matters as well as additional expertise in handling SEC investigations. Veronica Callahan and James Herschlein lead the group in New York. Callahan has a focused practice on litigation and securities enforcement matters spanning class actions, fraud claims and shareholder disputes. Other notable mentions leading and supporting matters from this office are Kathleen Reilly and Aaron Miner. Kevin Toomey and Kenneth Chernof are practice heads in Washington. Toomey has broad experience representing clients in regulatory, enforcement, transactional and corporate governance matters. Scott Schreiber leads matters on securities fraud, fiduciary duty litigation and actions related to M&A and accounting disputes.

Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP has a strong bench of trial lawyers to represent clients in a range of high-stakes commercial matters in the financial services space, with notable victories for Credit Suisse in fiduciary breaches, securities and merger-related litigation. Herbert Washer and David Januszewski  lead the New York-based team. Washer is well-versed in representing major banks in high-stakes civil, regulatory and criminal matters whilst Januszewski is a sought-after securities litigator. Sheila Ramesh and Jason Hall are also active in the securities field, whilst Edward Moss handles complex antitrust matters.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has an experienced bench at handling government enforcement and investigative matters before various state and federal regulatory bodies including the DOJ and SEC. Additionally, the team are strong across antitrust, securities, contractual and employment disputes. Jyotin Hamid and Andrew Ceresney are practice heads of the department in New York. Ceresney has vast experience in both prosecuting and defending white-collar criminal and civil cases and offering representation before federal and state courts in government investigations. Maeve O’Connor is a very active partner in the securities field and has extensive expertise in federal securities laws. Susan Reagan Gittes is a key individual tackling complex civil litigation and regulatory inquiries.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP has a strong enforcement defense practice, with experience representing major banks and financial institutions in multi-agency and regulatory investigations. Stephanie Brooker and Kendall Day lead the Washington-based team. Brooker is a strong litigator in white-collar and criminal investigations with her practice encompassing corruption, employment issues, and crypto. Day boasts similar expertise in anti-money laundering and sanctions violations. Richard Grime has now retired from the firm.

Goodwin is well-established in the consumer finance and regulatory space, handling a range of complex class and enforcement actions. Allison Schoenthal leads the group in New York, with a favorable track record in litigation representation whilst Washington’s Matthew Sheldon focuses on aiding financial institutions facing government investigations. Also in Washington is Thomas Hefferon, a leading consumer finance litigator with experience handling MDLs, and federal and state appeals.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP assists various leading clients within the financial services sector with litigation involving shareholder derivative actions, ESG practices and M&A class actions. Mark Filip is a key authority operating between Chicago and Washington who has long-standing experience resolving disputes between financial institutions and government bodies. In New York, Sandra Goldstein is a strong litigator focusing on securities, M&A and commercial disputes whilst Zachary Brez defends securities matters and derivative financial products before the DOJ, SEC and CFTC. In Washington, Reginald Brown regularly counsels financial clients facing significant regulatory and enforcement issues. Jeremy Dresner is also an active partner involved in government and internal investigations. Nader Salehi splits his time between the two offices as a leading securities enforcement defense lawyer.

Latham & Watkins is adept in navigating complex litigation and government investigations for a host of clients ranging from commercial and investment banks to fintech and crypto companies. Based in Washington and New York, Andrew Clubok is a seasoned litigator with a strong track record securing dismissals in various class actions, derivative lawsuits and arbitrations. He leads the group alongside Douglas Yatter and Joseph Serino in New York. Yatter advises financial clients and fintech companies on enforcement, litigation, and regulatory matters, whilst Serino is an expert in commercial and securities litigation. John Sikora is also a recognized litigator from Chicago, with a focused practice in SEC investigations.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP regularly defends clients in high-stakes consumer financial services disputes that arise from a number of consumer lending products and involve issues of bankruptcy, debt collection and fraud allegations. Arjun Rao runs the team from Century City, holding a strong presence in consumer financial services, whilst in Miami Brian Frontino has a broad practice across litigation, regulation and enforcement matters in the financial sector. Marcos Sasso is another key contact, with experience defending clients in class actions cases and arbitrations.

Paul Hastings LLP represents a comprehensive range of financial services companies against multiple enforcement agencies at both federal and state levels. With specialist expertise in consumer financial services, the firm handles issues arising from credit cards, unfair lending and payment systems. Jonice Gray is the practice head of the Washington-based group, handling high-stakes litigation and enforcement proceedings. The team is bolstered by Allyson Baker and Aaron Mahler who aid clients with investigations instigated by a host of enforcement authorities. New York’s Matthew Previn also has an active regulatory practice alongside handling numerous consumer class actions.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is well-versed in handling enforcement actions and compliance matters within consumer financial services, aiding clients with matters of data privacy, disclosure laws and allegations of unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Anand Raman leads the Washington-based group and has a strong track record representing financial institutions in complex government investigations. Darren Welch has vast expertise in fair lending and compliance protocols within the consumer financial services space.

Ballard Spahr LLP is highly proficient in representing clients in high-stakes litigation as well as regulatory, supervisory and enforcement matters involving government agencies, with particular expertise in cases against CFPB. Daniel McKenna and John Socknat serve as co-heads of the practice, with McKenna leading the Philadephia-based team. McKenna’s expertise spans consumer financial services, privacy and data security, and mortgage banking. Thomas Burke is a distinguished litigator specializing in complex commercial issues including class actions, mass torts, and alternative dispute resolution in the space. Jenny Perkins is also active in defending clients in consumer protection issues, contractual breaches and professional negligence claims. Denver-based Mike Kilgarriff is a strong addition to the team, while John Grugan departed the firm in March 2024.

Dechert LLP boasts strong litigation expertise and regulatory knowledge to support asset management clients through complex disputes and enforcement actions. Joni Jacobsen leads the team in New York, whilst Michael McGinley  is based in Philadelphia and co-chair;s the firm's securities and complex litigation group. San Francisco’s Joshua Hess has a focused practice on the defense of asset managers in class actions, white-collar crime and shareholder litigation. David Kotler and David Kotler are also active partners in New York.

Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP has a talented pool of litigators to try high-stakes commercial cases and bet-the-company matters. Richard Holwell, Michael Shuster and Daniel Goldberg lead the group in New York. Shuster is a reputable trial lawyer, regularly trying cases involving allegations of antitrust violations, contractual breaches and fraud. Vincent Levy has tackled some high-profile cases for clients ranging from public and private businesses to foreign sovereigns and individuals. Jayme Jonat is another key litigator, comfortable with representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Priyanka Timblo and Scott Danner are also  partners to note.

Jones Day has a comprehensive financial services litigation team with extensive expertise to handle cases involving complex transactions and financial products. Beyond regular involvement in matters concerning RMBS, the firm is adept at handling ESG litigation and intense investigations before government enforcement bodies. Jayant Tambe and Brett Barragate lead the team from New York. Tambe is an active litigator with a varied caseload including securities, derivatives, credit default swaps and other financial products. The firm regularly handles litigation relating to RMBS, with Howard Sidman spearheading these matters. Lauri Sawyer is also an accomplished trial lawyer, handling disputes across federal and state courts and in domestic and international arbitral forums. Amanda Dollinger remains an active associate supporting complex disputes related to structured financial products.

Katten specializes in disputes over banking fees and overdrafts, with a particular following among credit unions. Stuart Richter  leads the team in Los Angeles as an accomplished commercial litigator, alongside Eric Hail in Dallas, who has extensive experience handling enforcement actions. Eric Werlinger is a skilled individual from Washington in the consumer finance space, defending class action litigations in state and federal courts. Ted Huffman is a valued addition to the team in Dallas.

The financial services litigation practice at King & Spalding LLP represents a host of clients in commercial disputes, internal investigations and enforcement actions before the DOJ, SEC and CFPB. Matthew Biben and Damien Marshall lead the team in New York, both having vast experience representing clients across the financial services and fintech industries in complex litigation. Other key individuals include Craig Carpenito who has specialized expertise in government investigations as a former SEC enforcement attorney. Jamie Dycus handles numerous class actions related to antitrust, securities and consumer protection laws.

 

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP boasts a comprehensive client base that includes hedge funds, private equity, and asset management firms, offering expert support in SEC investigations and commercial litigation in the space. The New York team is led by Craig Warkol and John Nowak whilst operations in Washington are overseen by Charles Clark. Warkol and Clark co-chair the firm’s SEC enforcement and white-collar defense group, both with respectable records defending clients in civil and criminal enforcement proceedings. Nowak also has a robust enforcement practice. Michael Swartz departed the practice in March 2025 for Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP.

Seward & Kissel LLP has a deep bench of expert litigators to aid clients in various securities disputes including individual and class actions, derivative claims and qui tam actions. Russell Johnston and Bruce Paulsen lead the team from New York. Paulsen has specialized expertise in financial and securities litigation and is supported by Jack Yoskowitz in representing financial services clients in securities regulatory matters and private litigation. Jaimie Nawaday is also a notable individual in the enforcement field.

Williams & Connolly LLP boasts a specialized litigation team in the financial services sector, with extensive trial experience and expertise to handle enforcement actions. Dane Butswinkas and John Villa are key partners who spearhead the group. Enu Mainigi is an accomplished trial lawyer and litigation, with a strong grasp of managing complex government investigations and civil disputes. Ryan Scarborough has an active enforcement practice alongside leading consumer finance litigation cases. All mentioned lawyers are based in Washington DC.

WilmerHale operates a focused practice on consumer class actions, defending clients at trial in a range of cases related to financial laws and deceptive trade practices. Franca Harris Gutierrez heads the team in Washington. New York’s Noah Levine is the firm’s go-to partner to handle consumer class actions relating to consumer protection laws, antitrust issues or data breaches.

Winston & Strawn LLP advises financial institutions on the full scope of litigation and regulatory matters, including enforcement actions, commercial class actions and complex IP disputes. Jack Knight and Kobi Brinson spearhead the team from Charlotte whilst Amanda Groves is based in Los Angeles. Knight is a reputable white-collar defense attorney working alongside Brinson in handling government investigatory and enforcement actions for clients facing significant economic and reputational risk. Groves’ practice is more closely focused on commercial litigation, routinely representing national retailers, banking institutions and technology companies.