Caroline Pizano is a litigation and trial associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice.

Caroline represents clients in a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters, including multi-jurisdictional and cross-border disputes. She regularly practices in both state and federal court, as well as in arbitration proceedings, where she manages cases at all stages, from early fact investigation, motion practice, and discovery to mediations, hearings, and trial. 

Caroline maintains an active pro bono practice representing survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking in immigration and criminal record clearing cases. 

Prior to joining Latham, Caroline clerked in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York and served as a litigation associate at another leading global law firm. Caroline has also served as an adjunct professor of law at St. John’s University School of Law, where she taught international and comparative law courses, including transnational legal practice, international and foreign legal research and writing, human trafficking law, and international human rights advocacy. 

Caroline earned her JD magna cum laude from St. John’s University School of Law, where she served as a member of the St. John’s Law Review and an executive articles editor of the New York International Law Review.

Caroline’s experience includes representing: 

  • A US technology company at trial in a breach of contract dispute, winning a jury verdict of US$26.2 million in damages
  • Underwriter banks in a securities litigation against financial technology company, winning dismissal of the entire case against the underwriters 
  • Various companies in supply agreement disputes related to global economic disruptions, including a renewable energy company, a fitness company, and electronics manufacturer
  • Brokerage firms and their employees in FINRA arbitrations 
  • A finance corporation in a complex dispute involving insolvency proceedings and litigation in multiple jurisdictions 
  • Numerous foreign commercial banks in lawsuits arising from Lebanese financial crisis, achieving dismissal of claims against the banks* 

On pro bono matters, Caroline’s wins include: 

  • Winning affirmative asylum for a woman and her children fleeing gender-based violence and persecution* 
  • Winning defensive asylum claims at trial for a woman and her children fleeing gender-based violence and persecution*
  • Vacating over 30+ criminal convictions under state criminal record clearing laws for human trafficking survivors*
  • Quashing a third-party subpoena against a non-profit agency that serves human trafficking survivors, preventing confidential client records from being used by human trafficker against his victim at trial*

* Matter handled prior to joining Latham

Bar Qualification

  • District of Columbia
  • New York

Education

  • JD, St. John’s University School of Law, 2018
    magna cum laude
  • MSW in International Development & Global Issues, Washington University in St. Louis, 2014
  • BA in Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2011
    with highest distinction

Languages Spoken

  • English
  • French