James Smith > Winston & Strawn LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Winston & Strawn LLP has a skilled securities litigation practice in which partners frequently handle high-stakes M&A-related cases. The standout lawyer is practice head James Smith in New York who has ‘great judgment and unmatched experience over many decades‘. Also highly active are fellow practice head William O’Neill in Chicago, who is ‘an exceptional commercial litigator‘. Chair of firm’s Los Angeles litigation practice John Schreiber also plays a pivotal role in high-value cases, a recent example being the defense of Oaktree Capital Management in a cross-border dispute concerning an alleged breach of an asset purchase agreement. Matthew DiRisio in New York, who is representing REIT Jernigan Capital, Inc. in a matter concerning its $900m merger with NexPoint Advisers, is also highly regarded.

Winston & Strawn LLP has an ‘extremely collaborative‘ securities litigation that operates from key centers across the US. James Smith in New York, John Schreiber in Los Angeles, and William O’Neil in Chicago jointly oversee the national securities litigation practice. Schreiber and up-and-coming partner Kerry Donovan in New York are ‘very adept litigators and outstanding communicators’. They acted for Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation in a federal securities class action stemming from a $2bn stock drop in 2018, which is currently on appeal. Key partner Matthew DiRisio‘s on-going work with Smith to defend Becton, Dickinson and Company in a complex case is a major highlight of the firm’s work. The firm is also involved in key matters in the cryptocurrency space, including the defense of private equity firm Vahill Capital in Securities and Exchange Commission v. Ripple Labs, Inc. et al.