Jeff Wall, the head of Sullivan & Cromwell’s Supreme Court and Appellate Practice, was named a “Litigator of the Week” by the Am Law Litigation Daily for delivering a major win for Walgreens Boots Alliance in a bellwether case in the national opioid multidistrict litigation. On certification from the Sixth Circuit, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a ruling that eliminates a $650 million public nuisance award against Walgreens and two other national pharmacy chains.
Jeff, who was brought in for the appeal by Walgreens, delivered the oral argument before the Ohio Supreme Court on behalf of Walgreens and the other two pharmacies, Walmart and CVS. Morgan Ratner, a partner in the Firm’s Supreme Court and Appellate Practice, played a critical role in the appeal before the Sixth Circuit and the Ohio Supreme Court.
A former Acting Solicitor General of the United States, Jeff has argued more than 30 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court spanning diverse areas, including securities, class actions, arbitration, intellectual property and taxation. He recently won a unanimous reversal from the Supreme Court in Great Lakes Insurance SE v. Raiders Retreat Realty Co., LLC in a case involving maritime insurance.
Jeff is also at the forefront of challenges to agency rulemaking, delivering wins for industry groups in several of the most consequential controversies of our day. On behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups, he helped secure the first decision vacating the FTC’s noncompete rule, which would have banned virtually all noncompete agreements across the country. On behalf of internet industry groups, he obtained a stay of the FCC’s net-neutrality rule from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The rule would treat Internet service providers like common carriers and subject them to a new and massive regime of public-utility-style regulation. He also obtained a summary judgment decision vacating the SEC’s rules expanding the definition of “dealers” that must register under the Securities Exchange Act.