Windels, James H.R. | Lawyers | Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

James H.R. Windels

Partner

james.windels@davispolk.com

Mr. Windels is a member and co-practice group coordinator of our Litigation Department. He has experience in a wide variety of federal and state court commercial litigation matters, regulatory enforcement proceedings and internal investigations.

His matters include securities cases relating to public offerings and underwritings, sales and trading, asset management, mutual funds, private equity transactions and accounting matters. He has represented companies, boards of directors and accounting firms in internal investigations, bidders and targets in mergers and acquisitions litigation, and financial institutions and manufacturers in federal and state antitrust actions. Mr. Windels has also represented financial institutions and accounting firms in investigations conducted by federal, state and foreign regulators.

Contact

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New York
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
P: 212-450-4978
F: 212-701-5978

Related Practices

Bar Admissions

State of New York
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court, S.D. Illinois
U.S. District Court, E.D. New York
U.S. District Court, S.D. New York

Education

B.A., Princeton University, 1986
- magna cum laude
J.D., Harvard Law School, 1989
- cum laude

Work Highlights

Represented a leading investment bank in an action brought by the State of West Virginia relating to trading in U.S. government securities, culminating in a two-month jury trial in West Virginia state court and a judgment for our client on appeal; see 459 S.E.2d 906 (1995)
Represented a major airline in an action for breach of contract brought by the bankruptcy estate and creditors committee of a competing airline, culminating in a two-month trial in federal court in New York and judgment for our client; see 175 Bankr. 438 (1994); 155 Bankr. 327 (1993)
Lead trial counsel for an investment adviser as claimant in a six-party NYSE arbitration arising from stock lending transactions, culminating in an arbitration hearing and an award for our client
Co-lead trial counsel for a health care and assisted living company in an action against a takeover target in California state court, culminating in a trial and judgment for our client
Represented a commercial bank in connection with antitrust and RICO lawsuits arising from commodities transactions with a Japanese trading company, winning dismissal and defeating class certification on a number of claims; see 306 F.3d 469 (2002); 113 Cal. App. 4th 195 (2003)
Won dismissal of several class action and shareholder derivative lawsuits against a major U.S. mutual fund adviser at the district court level and on appeal; see 1999 U.S. App. LEXIS 20213; 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19964
Represented a U.S. investment bank in connection with fraud claims brought by a government-sponsored Middle Eastern bank relating to management of a bond portfolio; see 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15921
Won dismissal on behalf of underwriters in a securities fraud action arising from a public offering of shares by a vitamin company; see 186 F.3d 338 (1999)
Defeated class certification on behalf of a large European bank in a securities class action arising from stock lending transactions and one of the largest-ever SIPC liquidations; see 2009 WL 2245223
Won dismissals on behalf of a Big Four accounting firm of two stock options backdating litigations; see 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88045; 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 100319
Represented hedge funds in connection with investor and partner disputes
Represented investment banks, investment advisers, hedge funds, accounting firms and manufacturing companies in investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, the Manhattan District Attorney, the Federal Reserve Bank, the New York State Banking Department, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and foreign regulators in Japan, the United Kingdom and Canada
Argued appeals in the Second, Seventh and Ninth Circuits and appellate courts in New York and California; argued numerous motions in federal and state courts in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin
Representative clients over the last 20 years include ABN AMRO, Alliance Capital Management, Banco Santander, Delta Air Lines, Deutsche Bank, Highbridge Capital Management, J.P. Morgan & Co., Metalmark Capital Partners, Morgan Stanley & Co. and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Of Note

Current Memberships

Director, 2002-present; Vice Chair of Board, 2006-present, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A
Director, 2004-present; Vice President of Board, 2007-present, Volunteers of Legal Services
Trustee, 2007-present; Member, Audit Committee, 2007-present, Groton School

Past Memberships

Chair, 2004-2007, Legal Services Awards Committee, New York City Bar
Member, 1997-2003; Chair, 2000-2003, Pro Bono and Legal Services Committee, New York City Bar

Professional History

Co-Practice Group Coordinator, Litigation Department, 2006-present
Partner, 1997-present
Associate, 1990-1997

Law Clerk, Hon. Peter K. Leisure, U.S. District Court, S.D. New York 1989-1990

News

Ninth Circuit Win for Deutsche Bank

Publications

United States Supreme Court to Hear Case Concerning the Extraterritorial Application of U.S. Securities Laws—Morrison v. National Australia Bank
Client Memorandum

SEC Announces Significant Enforcement Initiatives
Client Newsflash

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