Steven F. Molo

Steven Molo, one of the country’s leading courtroom advocates, is a founding partner of the national litigation boutique MoloLamken LLP. He represents corporations, boards, funds, investors, inventors, and individuals in complex business litigation, white collar criminal matters, and IP litigation. His client base is international.

Chambers and Partners calls him “fantastic in the courtroom,” a “fabulous courtroom litigator who lights up the room with his presence,” “very bright, imaginative, and creative in his approach to problems,” and “one of the most talented lawyers in the (New York) city.” He’s one of 34 individuals named to their National Trial Lawyers listing; they say, “he’s amazing in court,” “a very creative trial lawyer with lots of charisma,” who “brings a lot of credibility to a case.”

Benchmark Litigation—which named him one of the top 100 Trial Lawyers in America—calls him “revered,” “an outstanding advocate and fearless in court,” who “delivers the goods.”

Legal 500 includes Mr. Molo on its elite list of Leading Trial Lawyers and calls him “a force to be reckoned with,” “a rockstar litigator; a great lawyer,” with “terrific knowledge of the courts and the law,” who “really excels in the courtroom.”  It says he is “smart, creative, responsive, knowledgeable, and engaging; he has an excellent mix of traits that set him apart from his peers.” For the past fourteen years he has been named to Lawdragon’s list of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America.

Mr. Molo began his career as a prosecutor in Chicago, and then practiced with Winston & Strawn, where he was a senior litigator and member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He spent five years as a litigation partner with the Wall Street firm Shearman & Sterling before founding MoloLamken in October 2009. He is a solicitor on the Roll of Attorneys of the Law Society of England and Wales. He is also an Honorary Bencher of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. 

Representative Matters

• The class of stockholder plaintiffs in a federal civil jury trial alleging securities fraud
• The former Speaker of the New York Assembly in a federal criminal jury trial on charges of public corruption
• A major retailer in litigation concerning its flagship Times Square lease and its Michigan Avenue lease
• A private Silicon Valley technology company in a bench trial against one of the world’s largest banks based on events arising from an M&A transaction
• A leading cosmetics manufacturer in litigation related to its Chapter 11 filing in New York bankruptcy court
• A company that converts passenger jets to cargo jets in trade secret litigation
• A private equity firm in litigation against a bulge-bracket bank alleging the bank's breach of a distribution agreement
• A developer of electric power plants in a trial in New York Supreme Court concerning theft of trade secrets
• The nation's largest owner of residential real estate brokerage brands in defending a federal antitrust class action
• A global specialty chemicals manufacturer in an accounting malpractice action against its auditor 
• A special committee of the board of a leading social media company in investigating allegations of breach of fiduciary duty relating to a $1 billion convertible debt transaction brought in the Delaware Court of Chancery
• A medical device manufacturer in defending a breach of contract action following an M&A transaction in the Delaware Court of Chancery
• The plaintiff purchaser class in a federal antitrust class action against the world's largest provider of credit scores
• The former CFO of a publicly traded technology company in a federal criminal jury trial and regulatory and civil proceedings based on alleged securities and accounting fraud
• Directors of a consumer products company in defending a challenge to a $900 million dividend paid to a private equity investor
• An activist investor in a bench trial in Delaware bankruptcy court concerning equity rights
• Investors in residential mortgage-backed securities trusts in proceedings to determine the distribution of a $9 billion settlement among various classes of bondholders
• A prominent doctor in a federal criminal jury trial on charges of health care fraud
• Several former NFL players in objecting to the fairness of the class action settlement of the “Concussion Litigation”
• A former Foreign Service Officer and West Point graduate in a federal criminal jury trial on charges of bribery and conspiracy to facilitate the issuance of visas in violation of State Department policies
• A major broker-dealer in a civil jury trial in which a hedge fund claimed fraud in the sale of collateralized mortgage obligations
• Several trustees and investors in residential mortgage-backed securities trusts in a series of suits to recover for the diminution in the value of the trust as a result of the conduct of the parties originating the mortgage loans
• The former CEO of a European auto manufacturer in connection with a DOJ investigation and criminal charges of violating U.S. environmental laws
• A senior financial services executive in a federal criminal jury trial on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice 
• An activist investor in connection with a challenge to the corporate governance of one of the largest transportation companies in the United States
• An Israeli pharmaceutical manufacturer in prosecuting a $4+ billion claim for fraud and breach of contract based on its acquisition of a Mexican company
• A publicly traded media company in litigation relating to a $1.8 billion debt restructuring
• An investor seeking recovery of $800 million in losses on a “holder claim” based on decline in stock value of one of the world’s largest banks during the financial crisis
• A former CEO and private equity firm partner in obtaining dismissal of a federal indictment charging securities and bank fraud as well as obstruction of agency proceedings
• A Tokyo private equity firm in a dispute with the former employer of the firm’s founders concerning competitive restrictions
• The holder of several patents relating to website construction in a series of cases against infringers
• A private equity firm in challenging an injunction limiting competitive activity of a portfolio company and its key executives
• An Asian government in litigation in the United States and United Kingdom relating to an arbitral award based on a dispute concerning the construction of a power plant and development of a mine
• A licensor of agribusiness technology in a trial concerning a patent licensing agreement
• Several groups in successfully challenging New York City’s ban on super-sized sugary drinks
• A former pharmaceutical executive in prosecuting a whistle-blower claim
• A former CEO of a publicly traded retailer in defending criminal securities fraud charges
• A former managing director of a leading investment bank in defending criminal securities fraud charges related to the sale of derivatives
• A global consulting firm in investigating a senior executive’s misconduct
• An institutional bond holder in a trial in Delaware bankruptcy court and defending tort and contract claims in New York Supreme Court arising from the purchase of $250 million in second lien notes of a distressed media company
• A CEO of a leading financial services firm in a dispute with a former firm member concerning investments
• A private equity firm in a lawsuit over post-closing purchase price adjustments in connection with the sale of a portfolio company
• Health care providers in a nationwide Sherman Act Section One class action against the dominant manufacturers and distributors of syringes and catheters
• A leading insurance company in investigating fraud by a major vendor and related civil litigation
• A Fortune 500 company in prosecuting a legal malpractice case against an Am Law 50 firm
• A senior executive of a Japanese manufacturing company in a price-fixing investigation conducted jointly by USDOJ and the JFTC
• A CDO management firm in connection with civil litigation and regulatory matters emanating from the global financial crisis
• An investment bank in obtaining judgment in its favor and the reversal of a $1.6 billion jury verdict in a suit alleging fraud in connection with its role in a corporate acquisition
• A hedge fund in a suit in the Delaware Chancery Court challenging a gate and proposed restructuring of another fund in which it invested 
• An entertainment company in a lengthy arbitration involving allegations of 10b-5 violations and other claims following an acquisition
• The world’s largest insurance broker in a civil jury trial concerning senior executive compensation
• A leading real estate developer and its lender in a bench trial relating to a dispute with a major tenant
• A lending syndicate in defending multi-billion dollar tort claims and in prosecuting a personal guaranty action against a prominent real estate developer (and reality TV show host) relating to financing of a 92-story building in Chicago
• Two non-U.S. financial institutions in connection with recovery actions and the defense of claims relating to Madoff
• The Illinois Senate relating to procedures for the impeachment trial of the Governor
• A non-U.S.-based insurance holding company in SEC and DOJ investigations into balance sheet fraud through finite reinsurance
• A New York real estate developer in investigating and reporting a Ponzi scheme fraud perpetrated by the client’s former lawyer, the name partner of a prominent New York firm
• A senior mutual fund executive in an investigation by the SEC and New York Attorney General
• A midwest manufacturing company in an internal investigation and defense of an SEC investigation relating to insider trading
• A CEO in numerous shareholder and derivative actions, parallel SEC proceedings, and a trial before the bankruptcy court relating to allegations of fraud and breach of fiduciary duties following the discovery of accounting irregularities
• The nation’s largest bar review course provider in a civil antitrust class action alleging a price-fixing and market allocation conspiracy and a separate civil antitrust class action alleging product tying
• A national insurance company in defending a federal grand jury investigation, state regulatory inquiries, consumer class actions, whistle-blower allegations, and media scrutiny emanating from claims handling practices following a major natural disaster
• A midwest manufacturing company in a DOJ grand jury investigation into price-fixing in the market for certain building supplies
• A publicly traded insurance broker in multiple consumer class actions alleging civil antitrust and RICO violations, as well as Attorney General and insurance regulatory investigations
• A national retailer in attempted nationwide consumer fraud class actions in multiple forums and Attorney General investigations
• A national publisher and sweepstakes company in an appeal of a class certification order in an attempted consumer class action
• A group of mortgage lenders in an appeal of an order challenging certain lending restrictions
• A major broker-dealer in an appeal relating to sales practices that resulted in a challenge to certain whistle-blower laws
• A majority shareholder of a public company in shareholder derivative litigation relating to Revlon duties and change of control
• An investment advisor and mutual fund company in a derivative suit alleging breaches of fiduciary duty relating to fund management
• A global pharmaceutical manufacturer in a federal grand jury investigation and civil litigation emanating from a foreign subsidiary’s falsification of information to the FDA
• A holder of patents related to web design technology in multiple patent infringement suits against major tech companies
• A manufacturer of laundry soap delivery technology in patent infringement litigation in the trial court and the Federal Circuit
• An internet telephone services provider in patent infringement litigation relating to the company’s core technology
• A food manufacturer in an ICC arbitration concerning a technology licensing dispute
• A holder of patents related to the manufacture of clothing in an ITC action to block importation of infringing products
• A gaming company in defending allegations of trademark and trade dress infringement
• A manufacturer of batteries in pursuing copyright, trademark, and trade dress claims relating to a well-known advertising campaign
• A licensor of an agribusiness technology in patent infringement litigation
• A rock star in defending copyright infringement allegations in the trial court and court of appeals
• A major political party in a trial before a three-judge federal district court relating to voter rights and legislative reapportionment issues

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