Mr Robert Houck > Clifford Chance > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

The New York office of Clifford Chance has a small but active group of securities litigators led by the head of the US litigation practice Robert Houck. Experienced in complex cross-border securities and commercial litigation, including class actions and investigations, Houck frequently acts for large companies, underwriters, corporate officers, and outside directors in class actions. His recent work includes the successful defense of ICBC Standard Bank in a class action alleging manipulation of platinum and palladium benchmarks in London. All claims were dismissed. On that matter, Houck worked closely with John Friel, who focuses on securities, derivatives, and antitrust matters, and senior counsel David Yeres. Partner Anthony Candido is also active in federal and state courts at the trial and appellate level, and he recently worked with Houck to advise a major US financial institution on SEC and DOJ investigations, which also involved key team members in the firm’s Washington DC office.

Clifford Chance draws considerable praise from clients, who turn to the team for its ability to ‘see across a multi-jurisdictional chessboard.’ The firm adeptly handles cross-border merger clearances, DOJ and FTC investigations, with notable expertise in facilitating approvals in healthcare and life sciences transactions. The team is led by Timothy Cornell, a prolific merger counsel noted for his expertise in multijurisdictional clearance processes and investigations, and Sharis Pozen, who has deep agency experience and specializes in merger litigation, both in the US and against global enforcement bodies. Brian Concklin handles DOJ and FTC approvals for deals, as well as advising on transactions requiring multijurisdictional approvals, while Robert Houck represents clients in complex commercial litigation. The team’s litigation capabilities have been bolstered by the 2023 arrival of William Lavery and Joseph Ostoyich from Baker Botts L.L.P., as well as the 2024 arrival of counsel Lauren Rackow in New York from Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP. Attorneys mentioned are based in Washington DC unless otherwise stated.