Corporate and commercial litigation

A&O Shearman’s global corporate and commercial litigation practice has deep expertise in handling high-stakes, complex and business-critical matters that are frequently cross-border in nature. 

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Our goal is to provide our clients with holistic, practical advice and innovative solutions to their most challenging problems.

Our team has extensive knowledge and experience representing financial institutions, multinational corporates, partnerships, joint ventures, private capital firms and individuals before civil and criminal courts across the globe.

A true global powerhouse

We have one of the largest footprints of any litigation practice in the world, and our attorneys are deeply familiar with the legal and procedural landscape in each jurisdiction.

We represent clients across a broad array of industries, including automotive, aviation, chemicals, healthcare, medical devices, media and entertainment, consumer and retail, industrials and manufacturing, mining and metals, real estate, energy, and technology, in addition to our market-leading expertise in complex financial products disputes. 

Whatever the industry or type of dispute, we provide our clients with pre-litigation counseling and litigation strategies that help them achieve their commercial goals.

Trial-ready and trial-tested 

We support our clients through every stage of a dispute, from assessing their position to formulating legal strategy and tactics, discovery, resolution negotiation, court proceedings, and, where strategically advantageous, settlement. We are trial-ready and trial-tested. 

We handle the full range of corporate and commercial disputes including contractual claims, breach of fiduciary duty, antitrust litigation, M&A litigation, and bankruptcy and insolvency disputes.

We also have extensive experience in class actions and group litigation, business torts, malpractice claims, insurance coverage litigation, securities litigation, fraud and asset tracing litigation, product liability, false advertising and other disputes arising from corporate transactions, alongside our significant white collar criminal defense capabilities. 

Delivering successful outcomes 

Success in litigation can take many forms, and our priority is to resolve disputes quickly and effectively with as little disruption to our client’s business as possible. 

We can handle any contentious issue, wherever in the world it occurs. Our attorneys are recognized for the breadth and depth of their experience, having represented many of the world’s leading organizations in some of their most challenging, high-profile and sensitive disputes. 

Representative matters

  • SS&C Technologies Inc. in a trade secrets claim against Clearwater Analytics. We obtained a $44 million plaintiff’s verdict after a two-week jury trial in Cook County, Illinois. 
  • WPP on major corporate and shareholder litigation in Hong Kong, including liaising with the client and its English solicitors in relation to parallel English proceedings. 
  • A subsidiary of a global financial institution and Securitized Products Funds, LP as lenders in connection with tortious interference with contract and prospective contract, and civil conspiracy claims brought against them by Coit Capital in a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Delaware. Obtained summary judgment on all claims. 
  • Scania on the European Commission heavy trucks investigation and on Scania’s defence strategy in follow-on private damages claims across the EEA and beyond. 
  • 1-800 Contacts in an action by the FTC alleging improper agreements with competitors to refrain from certain types of paid internet search advertising, and a parallel consumer class action. Obtained reversal and dismissal of the adverse FTC judgment by the Second Circuit. 
  • A global oil and gas company on the first major climate litigation in France, in relation to its obligation to set up a vigilance plan under French corporate law. 
  • Uniper in a EUR1 billion damages claim against the Dutch government for expropriation of a coal-fired power plant which would be forced to close by 2030 under a 2019 law banning the use of coal in electricity generation. 
  • A multinational listed company on significant long-running claims in the English High Court for breaches of warranty following its acquisition of a competitor’s business for GBP1.4bn. 

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