Greenberg Traurig Expands Litigation Practice

NEW YORK – March 17, 2016 – Highly respected litigators Louis M. Solomon, Hal S. Shaftel, Colin A. Underwood, and Michael S. Lazaroff have joined global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP’s 600-member Litigation Practice as shareholders in New York. Solomon, who is internationally recognized on litigation issues affecting multi-national companies operating across the globe, will serve as Global Co-Head of Greenberg Traurig’s International Litigation Practice. The team joins from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where Solomon served as co-chair of the Litigation Department and chair of the Commercial and International Litigation groups.

Solomon has tried over 50 complex commercial cases before judges, juries, and arbitral or governmental bodies. His extensive international litigation experience has included litigations and arbitrations involving numerous areas across the globe, including European Union countries, Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, as well as Russia and other former Soviet countries. He has served as lead counsel for his clients in private and class action cases, as well as government and regulatory proceedings and internal investigations.

"We formed our 'Independence Day' strategy several years ago. At its heart is the delivery to our clients of a world-class level of service and quality in the core areas on which we focus. Also, the extraordinary value through our uniquely large and deep, unified geographic and practice platform; our meritocracy based on values of respect, trust, empowerment, flexibility, and collaboration; our cost and business management; and our deep industry relationships. This is value that traditional elite firms cannot hope to match, it is simply a different business model," said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurig's Executive Chairman.

"As we continue our intense focus on such areas as real estate, M&A, private equity, various litigation areas, technology, media & entertainment, cybersecurity, white collar, investigations, and our growing top tier presence in Florida, Texas, Chicago, California, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Israel, and beyond, New York is naturally an important, if not key, business and litigation center. Bringing top-level trial lawyers like Lou, Hal, Colin, and Michael to our New York office, with Lou playing an important leadership role, is the kind of move we are making that is the result of the intense execution of this multi-year strategy. This strategy has created a firm with the highest levels of quality and service, indeed by many of the same people as other elite firms, but with a more diverse set of practices and people and a much stronger and more flexible value proposition in an empowered and collaborative culture."

Said Solomon: “I have yet to fully grasp the vision and energy of Greenberg Traurig management, who have brought under one global roof 600-plus litigators and  a dazzling array of an additional 1,300 best-in-class lawyers in over a dozen other practice sectors. At the same time, they have built a law firm recognized by objective third-party organizations as among the most diverse and inclusive firms in the world as well as among the most charitable firms in its public service and commitment to clients, to the public, and to the Bar. However Richard Rosenbaum, Brian Duffy, Rich Edlin, and many others, have achieved it, I am thrilled to be a part of it along with Hal, Colin, and Michael, trial lawyers of extraordinary distinction and truly exceptional colleagues. From our base in New York City, we now have colleagues who, like us, try complex cases and can resolve any complex litigation controversy both in the U.S. and internationally, from internal investigations to international arbitrations, from regulatory proceedings to individual and class actions, in federal, state, and international tribunals the world over. And that’s just the litigators! We feel both humbled and privileged to be able to bring this depth and scope of talent to our clients.”

“At Greenberg Traurig, Lou and this team join a powerhouse litigation team of experienced trial lawyers across 36 of the firm’s offices recognized by Chambers, Legal 500, and BTI surveys of general counsel as among the very elite litigation brands. Few, if any, comparably ranked firms match our heft with more than 40 litigation attorneys recognized by Chambers and 60 litigators recognized by Legal 500. The group’s experience representing financial service clients complements Greenberg Traurig’s handling of major litigation matters for many of the world’s largest investment banks and funds,” said Richard A. Edlin, shareholder and chair of the firm’s New York Litigation Practice and the Business & Regulatory Financial Services Litigation Practice.

“We are excited and honored that Lou and his team of globally recognized leaders in international litigation selected Greenberg Traurig for the next phase of their successful careers. Our great litigation practice has been made even better with their presence,” said Brian L. Duffy, Chief Executive Officer of Greenberg Traurig.

Solomon regularly represents leading companies in diverse industry sectors, including pharma/biotech; consumer products, including beverage and distribution; financial; manufacturing/industrial; media/telecom/IT; real estate; and sports/broadcasting. Practice areas within litigation where Solomon and his colleagues have tried 9-10 figure matters include antitrust; commercial, including contract and business fraud; corporate governance/business valuation; financial and securities; insurance/reinsurance; the entire area of international litigation as covered in Solomon’s renown e-book on International Practice; IP/patent/technology; pharma; financial restructuring; and real estate.

National and international broadcast and print media, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, and National Public Radio, often quote or feature Solomon. He is listed in Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America (Bet-The-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Antitrust Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation); Benchmark Litigation (Commercial Litigation);LawDragon (500 Leading Lawyers in America, New Stars, New Worlds and Leading Lawyers in America); New York Super Lawyers magazine; and Best of The U.S. Legal Directory (Best of Class: Commercial Litigation). Solomon is a member of the Lawyers Committee of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). Solomon received his  B.A., summa cum laude, from Yeshiva University and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Shaftel is an experienced trial lawyer who has handled a broad range of complex commercial cases, both at the trial and appeal stages, and in domestic and international arbitrations. His practice has focused on financial regulation and securities law, corporate governance, antitrust, joint ventures/partnership disputes, and insurance/reinsurance. His clients include, in particular, major, innovative companies and individuals in the financial services and funds, biotechnology, media and “new economy,” and real estate/infrastructure industries. Shaftel is a frequent commentator at conferences and in the media on general business litigation and trial practice topics. Shaftel earned his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, and his J.D. from Yale.

Underwood is a litigator with extensive experience in intellectual property and antitrust law. He also advises clients on antitrust compliance issues and in connection with merger analyses, and has represented clients before the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, and the Federal Trade Commission. His clients have included major pharmaceutical and biotech companies, mobile phone providers, and electronics manufacturers. Underwood earned his B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science with highest distinction and Phi Beta Kappa, as well as his M.S. in Computer Science, from the University of Michigan. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School.

Lazaroff is a litigator with extensive experience in complex commercial litigation, including international litigation, multidistrict actions, class actions, partnership disputes, private and governmental antitrust litigation and counseling, copyright litigation, and representing corporations and individuals in both civil and criminal government investigations. He has represented clients in numerous industries, including the beverage, pharmaceutical, medical device, waste management, securities, and airline industries. Lazaroff earned his A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard University and received his J.D., with distinction, from Stanford Law School.

Greenberg Traurig’s Litigation Department assists clients in navigating international conflicts, whether conducting high-stakes litigation or transnational arbitration, enforcing foreign judgments and arbitral awards, or designing creative procedures and contract provisions to avoid disputes or resolve them efficiently. The team has wide reaching experience with all of the major international arbitration bodies, including the ICC, LCIA, ICDR, ICSID, UNCITRAL, CPR, NAFTA, and CAFTA, as well as ad hoc proceedings.

The new team follows on the heels of the firm adding former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, a litigation shareholder who leads the firm’s Cybersecurity and Crisis Management Practice; new Co-Chair of the White Collar Criminal Defense Practice, Marc Mukasey; Litigation Shareholder Robert Frenchman; and former Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Susan Phillips Read, who also joined the firm’s New York office in 2016. Greenberg Traurig is the only law firm in New York State with two former New York Court of Appeals judges.

About Greenberg Traurig's Litigation Practice

Greenberg Traurig’s Litigation Practice comprises more than 600 litigators across a global platform. The exceptionally broad practice serves both domestic and international clients in the following areas: antitrust and competition, appellate, commercial litigation, class actions, construction, eDiscovery and eRetention, environmental, FCPA and global anti-corruption, fiduciary litigation, financial services, IP litigation, international dispute resolution, labor and employment, media and entertainment, products liability including pharmaceutical and medical device and health care litigation, real estate litigation, securities and shareholder litigation, technology, trial practice, and white collar criminal defense.

About Greenberg Traurig’s Trial Practice

Greenberg Traurig's Trial Practice is a multi-disciplinary group of experienced trial attorneys who regularly try complex cases in nearly every state and federal court throughout the country. At times, members of the Trial Practice are also called on to step in at the last minute in complex, risky trials in which the litigation was previously handled by prior counsel. They have the in-house technological capabilities to swiftly and efficiently prepare for and handle multiple trials simultaneously and can transition seamlessly from one trial to the next if necessary. The Trial Practice is an integral part of the firm’s Litigation Practice, comprised of more than 600 litigators across the U.S. and abroad. 

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 1900 attorneys serving clients from 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm is No 1. on the 2015 Law360 Most Charitable Firms list, third largest in the U.S. on the 2015 Law360 400, Top 20 on the 2015 Am Law Global 100, and among the 2015 BTI Brand Elite.More information at: http://www.gtlaw.com/.