New York

Clients turn to Latham for its global perspective, its domestic and international resources, and its ability to meet client needs worldwide. The New York office is particularly known for its connection to nearly every investment bank on Wall Street, and its unparalleled understanding of the world’s financial markets. In an article entitled “New York Giants,” The American Lawyer highlighted the stature of the New York office and its elite clientele, noting that Latham New York “serves a client list that reads like a Wall Street directory.”    

Practice areas in the New York office set industry standards by consistently ranking at the top of their field. In The American Lawyer 2012 Corporate Scorecard, Latham received nearly 30 Top 10 rankings – more than any other law firm worldwide. Latham also received more 1st and 2nd place rankings combined than any other law firm. 

As home to more than 300 lawyers, New York is Latham’s largest office, and includes some of the most highly ranked and recognized lawyers in the world.

Comprehensive Expertise

The New York office handles capital markets, M&A, public offerings, private placements, high yield finance, restructurings, recapitalizations, divestitures, and technology transactions. The department includes leading practitioners in derivatives and other sophisticated financial products.  Our New York-based Latin America Practice has advised on hundreds of transactions. 

Latham lawyers in New York represents financial institutions, borrowers, sponsors and developers on transactions including leveraged acquisition finance and working capital financings, asset and real estate securitizations, structured finance bank acquisitions, leveraged leasing, and restructuring transactions. The New York Project Finance group delivers unique expertise for all aspects of financing and developing large-scale projects throughout the world.

The New York Litigation team minimizes litigation risks through counseling on defensive business strategies.  When litigation is necessary, our litigators work to identify and leverage opportunities for early and efficient resolution.  They are deeply experienced in complex trials, appeals, arbitrations, and regulatory and enforcement matters, and have successfully handled bench and jury trials in nearly every circuit, including the Federal Circuit, and in state courts around the US, including all courts in New York. 

The New York Tax Department has a highly sophisticated and diverse practice, which counsels corporations, LLCs, partnerships, REITs, banks, venture capital and financial advisory firms on US federal income tax and employee benefits issues. 

The New York Environmental, Land & Resources Department specializes in legal matters arising under federal, state and international environmental law.  The group also handles other complex environmental issues, including compliance with regulatory requirements, insurance coverage, site remediation, and allocation of environmental liabilities. 

Transactional lawyers in the New York office rank among the best in the world, most recently earning 28 Top 10 rankings, the most of any law firm, in The American Lawyer 2012 Corporate Scorecard.

Latham’s New York office has a long history of pro bono participation and public service. Representative matters include:

• Immigrant victims of domestic violence
• Refugees in asylum and human rights matters
• Tenants fighting housing discrimination

Since 2007, hundreds of lawyers and professional staff from Latham & Watkins’ US and German offices have been working with Holocaust survivors applying for two reparations programs available to them through the German government. The project is run in conjunction with Bet Zedek, an organization that provides free legal services to those in need. Because the metro New York area is home to the largest population of Holocaust survivors in the United States, Latham’s New York office has handled a majority of these matters within the firm, assisting nearly 300 clients since 2007.

The firm’s New York-based lawyers and staff assisted with New York City's 2012 Olympic bid, have advised on nonprofit incorporations and refinancings and freed an innocent man from death row. The firm’s lawyers have received pro bono awards from Sanctuary for Families and The Legal Aid Society.