MoloLamken LLP is a national litigation boutique that handles a broad range of complex litigation, ranging from securities fraud cases to white-collar defense matters. Steven Molo in New York leads the practice and is known as a compelling courtroom advocate, which helps him to reach significant settlements, often on the eve of trial. He recently achieved a $14m settlement in a long-running 10b-5 securities fraud stockholder class action against Dakota Plains, which transported oil developed from fracking in North Dakota to the coasts. Molo and Washington DC-based partners Robert Kry  and Lauren Weinstein are currently representing Deutsche Bank National Trust Company in one of more than a dozen suits that the firm is handling for securitization trustees against sponsors and originators of defective subprime mortgage loan securitizations in federal and state courts. In this case, investors lost more than $495m. New York-based Justin Ellis worked with Molo to assist Contrarian Capital Management LLC with its breach of contract actions arising out of the failure by Venezuela and its state-owned oil company, PDVSA, to pay principal and interest on debt in excess of $1bn.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Had a great experience on a tough litigation, where effective conflicts counsel was needed.’

Key clients

  • Jon Gruber as class representative
  • Contrarian Capital Management LLC
  • Special Litigation Committee for Twitter’s Board of Directors
  • Ad Hoc Group of Convertible Avaya Noteholders (Angelo Gordon, Canyon Capital Advisors, Mariner Investment Group, Silverback Asset Management, Owl Creek Asset Management, A6 Capital Management, Aviva Investors, and Capital Four)
  • Ad Hoc Group of Convertible Amyris, Inc. Noteholders
  • Co-founder of a successful biotechnology startup
  • Axonic Capital LLC
  • Nadia Shash and Amjad Khan as class representatives
  • Marc S. Kirschner, as Trustee
  • Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, James McRitchie, and As You Sow
  • Deutsche Bank National Trust Company as Trustee for the MSAC 2007-NC4 Trust
  • Deutsche Bank National Trust Company as Trustee for the MSAC 2007-NC1 and -NC3 Trusts

Work highlights

  • Represented the plaintiff class of investors in Dakota Plains Holdings Inc. in a rare securities class action trial in the Southern District of New York, winning a jury verdict worth over $28 million before settlement offsets.

  • Represented Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. and U.S. Bank as trustees of a series of residential mortgage-backed securitization (RMBS) trusts in New York Supreme Court against various sponsors and responsible parties of mortgage-backed securitizations.
  • Represent Contrarian Capital Management in its high-stakes suit against Venezuela over defaulted sovereign debt.

Lawyers

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Steven Molo

Other key lawyers

Justin Ellis, Robert Kry, Lauren Weinstein