Karen E. Wagner

Partner

karen.wagner@davispolk.com

Ms. Wagner is a partner in Davis Polk’s Litigation Department. She has represented Sterling Equities in the Madoff SIPA liquidation. She has obtained precedential victories in matters regarding derivative transactions. Much of her work is cross-border, and she often represents financial institutions and other clients in complex litigations relating to insolvency.

In addition to Sterling Equities, her clients have included Citibank, Credit Suisse, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, the International Monetary Fund and the Bank for International Settlements.

Contact

Add to Outlook
New York
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
P: 212-450-4404
F: 212-701-5404

Related Practices

Bar Admissions

State of New York
District of Columbia
U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
U.S. District Court, E.D. New York
U.S. District Court, S.D. New York

Education

B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1973
- cum laude
J.D., New York University School of Law, 1976
- cum laude
- Arthur Garfield Hays Fellow

Work Highlights

International Litigation

Litigation relating to cross-border derivatives
Highly contested Chapter 15 case for BNP Paribas
Telecom Argentina in a prominent Section 304 case
National Westminster Bank in the Maxwell Communications bankruptcy

Other Representations

Sterling Equities in the Madoff SIPA liquidation
Numerous clients involved in one or more Lehman matter
Prominent global financial institutions in fast-paced matters relating to Argentine litigation
Financial institutions in Terrorism Risk Insurance Act litigation

Recognition

Ms Wagner is listed as a leading lawyer in several legal industry publications, including:
- IFLR1000: Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms
- Law Business Research’s Who’s Who Legal-International, Who’s Who of Business Lawyers and Who’s Who Legal-International Who’s Who of Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyers
- Legal Media Group’s Benchmark Litigation and Expert Guide to the World’s Leading Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyers
- Euromoney’s Expert Guide to the World’s Leading Insolvency and Restructuring Lawyers
- Lawdragon’s Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America
She was named “Litigator of the Week” by AmLaw Litigation Daily in September 2011.

Of Note

Speaker at national and regional gatherings of such groups as the American Bar Association, INSOL, the American Law Institute and the Practicing Law Institute concerning bankruptcy law and its complex intersection with other international proceedings, as well as pension, environmental, tax and labor law
Author or joint author of many papers on bankruptcy as well as chapters of two books, one concerning international insolvency and the other labor law

Past Memberships

Member, Committee J of the International Bar Association, where she was chiefly responsible for drafting an international insolvency concordat that was adopted by the International Bar Association
Chair, Fraudulent Conveyance Task Force of the American Bar Association, where Ms. Wagner wrote papers concerning the fraudulent conveyance aspects of leveraged buyout transactions

Professional History

Partner, 1988-present
Associate, Davis Polk, 1979-1988
Associate, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, 1976-1979

News

Benchmark Litigation Recognizes 21 Davis Polk Lawyers and Names the Firm Among the Best in the Nation in Three Practices

Karen Wagner Named "Litigator of the Week"

Nine Davis Polk Deals Earn 10 “Deal of the Year” Awards From IFR

Publications

Spring 2008

Pro Bono Femineo: Women-Focused Pro Bono Efforts Can Be an Essential Component of a Law Firm’s Women’s Initiatives | Women Lawyers Journal

Client Publications

Lehman Bankruptcy Court Holds Contractual Right to Triangular Setoff Unenforceable In Bankruptcy and Not Protected by Safe Harbors
Client Newsletter

Second Washington Mutual Plan Confirmation Denial May Have Significant Impact on Claims Trading and Plan Negotiation
Insolvency and Restructuring Update

Seventh Circuit Delivers a Major Win for Secured Creditors; Holds that Secured Creditors Cannot be Denied Right to Credit Bid in a Sale Under a Plan
Insolvency and Restructuring Update

View More > >

Events

Karen Wagner to Speak at EMTA Event on Mexican Bankruptcy

Karen Wagner to Speak at INSOL International’s Mexico City Seminar

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