Jeff Wall was named The National Law Journal’s “Appellate Attorney of the Year” for his run of victories in more than a dozen major appeals, including before the U.S. Supreme Court and several federal and state appellate courts. A former Acting Solicitor General, Jeff leads our Supreme Court and Appellate team, which has become one of the most sought-after in the country.
S&C’s recent appellate record includes victories for:
- A Valero subsidiary, persuading the U.S. Supreme Court in Diamond Alternative Energy v. EPA to reverse in an important standing case that will allow affected parties to challenge government rules.
- Walgreens, obtaining a victory in a landmark bellwether case in the national opioid multidistrict litigation, with the Ohio Supreme Court and Sixth Circuit invalidating a $650 million judgment obtained by two Ohio counties.
- NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, USTelecom – The Broadband Association, and Ohio Telecom Association, ending two decades of fighting and uncertainty over broadband regulation by persuading a unanimous Sixth Circuit to strike down the FCC’s controversial net-neutrality rules.
- The Republic of Argentina in persuading the Second Circuit to stay a U.S. district court order requiring it to turn over its 51 percent stake in YPF, the largest Argentine energy company, to partially satisfy a $16.1 billion judgment; and in obtaining a Second Circuit ruling affirming the dismissal of claims that the country owes more than $650 million to hedge funds that had speculated on certain of its securities.
- FirstEnergy, obtaining two critical rulings in the space of one week that defused massive securities litigation, ending with a Sixth Circuit ruling that vacated the certification of that class of investors.
- Standard Chartered Bank and Danske Banke, persuading the Second Circuit that the banks are not liable under the Anti-Terrorism Act for allegedly aiding and abetting terrorist organizations.
- CPI Security Systems, Inc., defending a $189.7 million verdict, including $140 million in punitive damages, that it won against a much larger competitor, Vivint, for unfair and deceptive business practices.
- The National Association of Private Fund Managers, Managed Funds Association and Alternative Investment Management Association in a successful Fifth Circuit challenge to two SEC rules requiring public disclosure of short-sale activity and securities loans.
- Canadian Pacific, winning a pair of multibillion-dollar appeals: one rejecting a challenge to the company’s $31 billion merger with Kansas City Southern, and another affirming the dismissal of a bondholder redemption suit.
- Allianz SE, obtaining a Ninth Circuit ruling affirming the dismissal with prejudice of all claims brought against the company and a U.S. subsidiary by a putative class of ADR holders that sued after the collapse of the Structured Alpha Funds.
- Spirit AeroSystems in a second appellate victory in the Tenth Circuit in a case involving compensation for the company’s former CEO.
- Sumitomo entities, obtaining a reversal from a New York appellate court in litigation over a contractual tax-allocation provision in a $2.2 billion M&A deal.
- Great Lakes Insurance, obtaining a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court reversal in Great Lakes Insurance v. Raiders Retreat Realty, an important case for the maritime insurance industry.
S&C also won NLJ’s award for “Crisis Management and Government Oversight”.