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Lawyers

Paul Spagnoletti

Lawyers

Co-head of Civil Litigation. Represents clients in complex commercial litigations and trials in state and federal courts.

Paul is co-head of our Civil Litigation practice. He is an experienced trial lawyer who represents corporate clients, banks and law firms – as plaintiff and defendant – in “bet the company” commercial litigation matters across multiple disciplines, including antitrust, fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, professional malpractice, RICO, securities, copyright infringement and M&A-related litigation. 

Paul also has deep experience as counsel to independent audit and special committees in the context of internal corporate investigations, and he has advised clients on investigations by the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York State Attorney General’s Office and other state and federal agencies.

Experience highlights

  • Lead trial counsel to Spectrum Brands in connection with the DOJ’s failed effort to enjoin on antitrust grounds the sale of Spectrum’s hardware and home improvement business to ASSA ABLOY
  • Lead trial counsel to Fortune 50 media company in connection with $6 billion fraud and breach of duty trial conducted by JAMS
  • Lead trial counsel to a Texas oil company in connection with a six-week jury trial in Texas state court
  • Lead trial counsel to an AmLaw 20 law firm in connection with a failed bid by Coca Cola to disqualify the law firm from a federal case in Florida
  • Lead counsel to a multinational industrial client in connection with multi-billion-dollar civil RICO and Robinson-Patman Act claims involving allegations of bribery and anti-competitive conduct
  • Lead counsel to a major pharmaceutical company in connection with litigation in Delaware regarding earn-out provisions in an M&A deal
  • Lead counsel to JPMorgan Chase in federal antitrust actions in Louisiana relating to allegations of price-fixing through the use of complex derivatives in the gold industry
  • Lead counsel to a major Wall Street bank in a dispute over post-closing indemnification obligations relating to the sale of a loan portfolio
  • Lead counsel to Deloitte in connection with U.S. and Canadian securities-related matters concerning alleged misconduct by former executives of Canadian telecommunications giant Nortel Networks Corporation
  • Lead counsel to a large multinational corporation in connection with an internal investigation in Brazil involving allegations of bribery, fraud and anti-competitive conduct
  • Represented the audit committee of a large European telecommunications company in connection with a cross-border internal investigation into bribery and fraud
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Credentials

Recognition

Benchmark Litigation – United States and New York, Star

Law360 – “Rising Star: White Collar,” 2012

Education
J.D., Harvard Law School
  • cum laude
B.A., Cornell University
  • Phi Beta Kappa
Clerkships
Law Clerk, Hon. Michael B. Mukasey, U.S. District Court, S.D. New York, 2000-2001
Professional history
  • Partner, 2006-present
  • Davis Polk since 1998
Qualifications and admissions
  • State of California
  • State of New Jersey
  • State of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, E.D. New York
  • U.S. District Court, S.D. New York
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