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    Home /  Lawyers /  Judson O. Littleton

    Judson O. Littleton

    Partner

    Judson O. Littleton Headshot Photo Portrait backdrop

    Washington, D.C.

    +1-202-956-7500

    |

    littletonj@sullcrom.com

    Email vCard

    Judd Littleton is a partner in Sullivan & Cromwell’s Litigation Group and Co-Head of the Firm’s Supreme Court & Appellate Practice. He represents clients in high-stakes appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal and state appellate courts across the country, as well as in litigation challenging federal agency action under the Administrative Procedure Act. Mr. Littleton also regularly advises clients on complex, strategic legal issues arising from litigation, new laws or regulations, or government investigations.

    In addition to his Supreme Court and appellate work, Mr. Littleton has experience in a wide range of complex commercial litigation and criminal defense and investigations. He has also represented individuals accused of crimes or other serious wrongdoing in high-profile matters.

    Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Littleton served as a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he litigated cases involving a wide range of constitutional and statutory issues and received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, the Department’s second-highest award for employee performance. Mr. Littleton also served as a Bristow Fellow in the Office of the Solicitor General, where he worked on numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals.

    After law school, Mr. Littleton clerked for Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. of the U.S. Supreme Court and for Judge A. Raymond Randolph of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

    Mr. Littleton is a member of the Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court and the Supreme Court Historical Society. He’s been recognized by Lawdragon as a “Leading Litigator in America” (Appellate/Supreme Court) since 2023 and by The National Law Journal as one of its 2019 D.C. Rising Stars. Mr. Littleton is a frequent speaker at Supreme Court and appellate forums. He has been a member of Law360’s Appellate Editorial Advisory Board since 2023 and is one of the creators and editors of S&C’s annual Supreme Court Business Review.

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    Spotlight

    A Spotlight on S&C’s Rising Litigators

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    Judd Littleton Discusses Continued Court Challenges to Agency Rulemaking with Law360

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    S&C Supreme Court Business Review – October Term 2023

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    supremecourtbusinessreview_spotlight

    Judd Littleton Discusses Top Appellate Issues for 2024 with The National Law Journal

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    Jeff Wall, Judd Littleton, Dustin Guzior and Matt Hurd Discuss Collaboration in Bayer Win with Delaware Business Court Insider

    Read More
    • Experience
    • News
    • Publications, Videos and Podcasts
    • Credentials
    • Related Practices
    Experience

    Experience

    • U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, Texas Association of Business, and Longview Chamber of Commerce in their challenge to the FTC’s rule banning noncompete agreements, securing the first nationwide decision declaring the rule unlawful.
    • Bayer in obtaining the dismissal—affirmed on appeal by the Delaware Supreme Court sitting en banc—of a lawsuit brought by Merck & Co. alleging M&A-related contract claims.
    • Blockchain Association and the Crypto Freedom Alliance of Texas in obtaining a judgment vacating an SEC rule that sought to substantially expand the definition of who must register as a “dealer” under the Securities Exchange Act. Judd was named runner-up “Litigator of the Week” by The Am Law Litigation Daily for this result.

    • Boeing and certain of its current and former officers in a securities fraud class action in the Eastern District of Virginia.
    • Bank Policy Institute in a challenge to the CFPB’s open-banking rule, pending in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
    • CPI Security in an appeal before the Fourth Circuit defending a $180 million jury award in a dispute with competitor Vivint Smart Home Security.
    • Danske Bank and Standard Chartered Bank in a civil Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) case before the Second Circuit.
    • National Association of Private Fund Managers, Managed Funds Association, and Alternative Investment Management Association in their challenge to the SEC’s Securities Loan Report and Short Position Reporting rules, pending in the Fifth Circuit.
    • Volkswagen and Audi in an affirmative countersuit against the State of Texas alleging the state failed to comply with mandatory rule review procedures under the Texas Administrative Procedure Act for the rule it sought to enforce against our clients.
    • Ericsson in an Anti-Terrorism Act litigation concerning allegations of improper payments made in Iraq and other countries.
    • BP p.l.c., in numerous Fifth Circuit appeals stemming from the Deepwater Horizon Economic and Property Damages Settlement.
    • Fiserv and First Data Merchant Services, in an agreed resolution with the Federal Trade Commission in connection with allegations regarding insufficient controls and transaction monitoring of a wholesale independent sales organization (ISO) and its downstream merchants and affiliates.
    • Former president of a major U.S. university, in convincing a state appellate court to reverse the trial court and dismiss criminal charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy based on violations of attorney-client privilege by his counsel in connection with the grand jury investigation.
    • HSBC Holdings plc, in the successful resolution with the DOJ related to OFAC sanctions and anti-money laundering compliance.
    • HSBC Holdings plc, in negotiating the settlement of a shareholder derivative lawsuit arising out of HSBC’s 2012 resolutions with the DOJ and other agencies.
    • ING Group, in obtaining dismissal and affirmance on appeal of a $4.9 billion federal RICO and fraudulent conveyance claim filed in the Southern District of New York in connection with ING’s conduct that was the subject of a $619 million criminal sanctions settlement that S&C had previously negotiated for ING.
    • JPMorgan Chase, in securities fraud, shareholder derivative, and ERISA litigation in trial and appellate courts arising out of the bank’s 2012 so-called “London Whale” trading losses.
    • MUFG Bank, Ltd, in successfully quashing a post-judgment citation and subpoenas that sought to require MUFG to search for and freeze any Iranian assets held by any of its hundreds of branches in more than 40 countries around the world, including on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
    • Volkswagen and Audi, in numerous consumer and environmental enforcement actions brought by state attorneys general and counties in connection with emissions “defeat devices” in diesel vehicles. Obtained full or partial dismissal of claims in numerous cases at the appellate and trial court levels.
    • Volkswagen, in securing a denial of class certification and full summary judgment against a putative nationwide class action alleging the unlawful sale of “pre-production” and other vehicles used internally by the company before being sold as certified pre-owned to consumers.

    Recent Publications

    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “SEC v. Cochran Supreme Court Argument Preview” (November 2022)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: Viking River Cruises v. Moriana and Southwest Airlines Co. v. Saxon” (September 2022)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: ZF Automotive v. Luxshare, Badgerow v. Walters and Morgan v. Sundance” (August 2022)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcasts “Supreme Court Business Review: Cassirer v. Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation” (August 2022)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: Introduction, NFIB v. OSHA and West Virginia v. EPA” (August 2022)
    • Supreme Court Business Review: October Term 2021 (July 2022) (Editor)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: United States v. Anthrex, Minerva Surgical v. Hologic and Google v. Oracle” (September 2021)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: NCAA v. Alston” (August 2021)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: Van Buren v. United States and Facebook v. Duguid” (August 2021)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: Federal Republic of Germany v. Philipp” (August 2021)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: Ford Motor Co. v. Montana and TransUnion v. Ramirez” (July 2021)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: Series Overview, Collins v. Yellen and California v. Texas” (July 2021)
    • Supreme Court Business Review: October Term 2020 (July 2021) (Editor)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Limits FTC’s Remedial Authority in AMG Capital Management v. FTC” (April 2021)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “FTC Authority To Obtain Monetary Relief May Be Under Threat” (January 2021)
    • “FTC Authority To Obtain Monetary Relief May Be Under Threat,” Law360 (January 2021)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: Criminal Defense and Investigations in Kelly and Liu” (August 2020)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: Labor & Employment in Bostock and Comcast” (August 2020)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: Arbitration in GE Energy and Schein II” (August 2020)
    • S&C Critical Insights ;podcast “Supreme Court Business Review: Series Overview and Seila Law v. CFPB” (August 2020)
    • S&C Critical Insights podcast “S&C Supreme Court Business Review – October Term 2019” (August 2020)
    • Supreme Court Business Review: October Term 2019 (July 2020) (Editor)
    • “INSIGHT: The SEC Survives Liu, but FTC Is on Deck,” Bloomberg Law (July 2020)
    • Supreme Court Business Review: October Term 2018 (July 2019) (Editor).
    • Supreme Court Business Review: October Term 2017 (July 2018) (Editor)
    • “Expert Q&A on Seeking or Opposing Certiorari in the US Supreme Court,” Practical Law (February 2018)
    • Supreme Court Business Review: October Term 2016 (July 2017) (Editor)
    • “Investment Trusts Must Trust Their Members’ Citizenships,” Law360 (March 2016)
    • “How Cybercriminal Are Targeting Corporate Transactions,” Law360 (May 2015)

    Speaking Engagements

    • “The Impact of Recent Judicial Decisions and Executive Orders on Regulatory Authority and Process,” ICI 2025 Investment Management Conference (March 17, 2025)
    • “Securities Law and Industry Litigation Outlook,” Blockchain Association 2024 Policy Summit (December 16, 2024)
    • “Shuffling the Deck: Loper Bright, Jarkesy, and Turning Defensive Wins into Offense,” U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform 2024 Summit (November 20, 2024)
    • “25th Annual Supreme Court Review: October 2022 Term,” Practising Law Institute (August 3, 2023)
    • “Federal Regulatory Power,” PLI/Touro Law Center’s 33rd Annual Supreme Court Review (November 4, 2022)
    • “Federal Governmental Power” and “Civil Litigation; Business Interests; Public Benefits,” PLI’s 24th Annual Supreme Court Review: October 2021 Term (August 4, 2022)
    • “The Roberts Court at Age 16,” Virginia Bar Association 132nd Summer Meeting (July 21, 2022)
    • “Civil Litigation and Business Interests,” PLI/Touro Law Center’s 32nd Annual Supreme Court Review (November 8, 2021)
    • “MFA Insights,” MFA Insights Webinar (February 25, 2021)
    • “Federal Executive Power (including Immigration),” “Criminal Procedure,” and “Civil Rights and Other Civil Litigation,” PLI’s 22nd Annual Supreme Court Review: October 2019 Term (August 3, 2020)
    • “SCOTUS: The October 2017 Term’s Impact on Business Interests,” LawLine SCOTUS’ October 2017 Term Discussion (November 30, 2018)
    • “Business Interests and Civil Litigation,” Touro Law Center’s 29th Annual Leon D. Lazer Supreme Court Review: October 2016 Term (October 27, 2017)
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    News

    News

    • Judd Littleton Discusses Continued Court Challenges to Agency Rulemaking with Law360

      January 8, 2025
    • S&C Obtains Ruling Vacating SEC’s Expanded ‘Dealer’ Definition on Behalf of Crypto Groups

      November 26, 2024
    • S&C Helps Secure First Nationwide Decision Declaring the FTC’s Noncompete Rule Unlawful

      August 26, 2024
    • Judd Littleton Discusses Top Appellate Issues for 2024 with The National Law Journal

      January 5, 2024
    • Jeff Wall, Judd Littleton, Dustin Guzior and Matt Hurd Discuss Collaboration in Bayer Win with Delaware Business Court Insider

      December 1, 2023
    • S&C Obtains Delaware Supreme Court Win for Bayer in Dispute with Merck Over Liability for Consumer Talc Product Claims

      November 20, 2023
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    Publications, Videos and Podcasts

    Publications, Videos and Podcasts

    • S&C Supreme Court Business Review –
      October Term 2022

      Emerging Issues July 12, 2023
    • S&C Critical Insights – SEC  v. Cochran Supreme Court Argument Preview

      Podcasts November 1, 2022
    • S&C Critical Insights – Supreme Court Business Review: Viking River Cruises v. Moriana and Southwest Airlines Co. v. Saxon

      Podcasts September 19, 2022
    • S&C Critical Insights – Supreme Court Business Review: ZF Automotive v. Luxshare, Badgerow v. Walters and Morgan v. Sundance

      Podcasts August 22, 2022
    • S&C Critical Insights – Supreme Court Business Review: Cassirer v. Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation

      Podcasts August 15, 2022
    • S&C Supreme Court Business Review – October Term 2021

      Emerging Issues August 3, 2022
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    Credentials

    Credentials

    Education

    • The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 2008
    • The University of Oklahoma, B.A., 2005

    Bar Admissions

    • New York
    • District of Columbia
    • Texas

    Clerkships

    • The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr., United States Supreme Court, 2013-2014
    • The Honorable A. Raymond Randolph, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, 2008-2009
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    Related Practices

    Related Practices

    • Litigation
    • Administrative Law
    • Cybersecurity
    • Supreme Court and Appellate
    • Transportation
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