Veteran Attorney Peter Obstler Joins Arnold & Porter

SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, 2013 -- Arnold & Porter LLP announced today that Peter Obstler has joined the firm's San Francisco office as a partner in the Litigation, Financial Services, and Securities and Enforcement practices. Also joining the firm with Mr. Obstler as counsel are Jee Young You and Marjory Gentry. 

Over the last 15 years, Mr. Obstler has defended clients in mass tort, class action, IP-related contract, corporate governance, and complex civil rights matters in trial, appellate, and alternative dispute resolution proceedings.  His representation of clients in state and federal courts has included arguing matters before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Second Circuits, and the California Courts of Appeal.  Mr. Obstler has experience in a range of industries, including consumer banking and financial services, electronic design automation, telecommunications, life sciences, homebuilding, home garden, entertainment, and toy manufacturing.

Mr. Obstler currently serves as a lead defense counsel for some of the world’s largest financial institutions.  This work has included many class action matters related to consumer lending and home mortgage loan servicing practices.  He has also served as a bank’s lead counsel in connection with the successful defense of consolidated trade secret actions, and presently advises the bank in connection with a series of regulatory proceedings involving the escheatment of trust property under the unclaimed property laws of a number of states, including California and Delaware.

"Peter, Jee Young, and Marjory have significant experience and a well-earned reputation for handling sophisticated litigation and class action matters,” said Thomas H. Milch, Chair of Arnold & Porter.  Their proven track record for handling the type of financial services disputes that have roiled the industry in recent years will undoubtedly enhance our premier national practice.”

Added Douglas A. Winthrop, Head of Arnold & Porter's San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices: "Peter is well known for his work on complex class actions and ‘bet-the-company’ matters.  Bringing in this team on the heels of last year’s Howard Rice combination continues Arnold & Porter’s significant expansion and investment in the Bay Area.”

Mr. Obstler received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was awarded the Robbins Prize for the most outstanding student article published in a law school journal. From 1991 to 1993, he served as law clerk to the Hon. Alan H. Nevas of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.  In 1993 and 1994, he served as a law clerk to the Hon. Thomas Meskill, former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He obtained his B.A. from Haverford College.

Ms. You received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she was Executive Editor of the Harvard Human Rights Journal.  Ms. You also graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from Columbia College, Columbia University.

Ms. Gentry received her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles; and earned her B.S. from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

“Arnold & Porter has long been recognized for having a first-rate litigation practice and significant experience handling financial services matters and class action cases. The firm’s strength in these areas will be of great benefit to my practice and we look forward to working with our new colleagues at Arnold & Porter, both in the Bay Area and throughout the firm," said Mr. Obstler.

Arnold & Porter LLP is an international law firm of more than 800 lawyers with offices in Brussels, Denver, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D. C.  The firm, founded in 1946, maintains more than 26 practice areas spanning a broad spectrum of the law, with a primary focus on litigation, transactional matters, and regulatory issues.