- Chair: Candace Krugman Beinecke
- Managing Partner: Theodore V H Mayer
- Offices: : New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Miami, Jersey City, Kansas City
- International Offices: : Paris and Tokyo
Firm Overview:
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP is an international law firm ranked #1 in the US in 2011 on The American Lawyer’s A-List of what the magazine calls “the top firms among the nation’s legal elite”– the firm’s seventh year on the list. The firm was founded in 1888 by the renowned jurist and statesman Charles Evans Hughes. This year the firm opened a new office in Kansas City, Missouri enhancing the firm’s US litigation practice with additional experienced advocates, including trial counsel, and a significant presence in the Midwest.
Main Areas of Practice:
Arbitration:
Hughes Hubbard’s Arbitration Practice is distinguished by unsurpassed expertise in the field – an expertise that has been recognized nationally and internationally by the world’s leading legal publications. The firm’s arbitration and ADR specialists often become involved with clients well before a dispute has arisen, working with the firm’s transactional lawyers to draft appropriate arbitration or mediation clauses for contracts. Once a dispute arises, Hughes Hubbard lawyers act as advocates and as arbitrators in commercial and investment treaty arbitration and other dispute resolution proceedings in the United States and throughout the world, and under the rules of most of the leading institutions.
Aviation:
Hughes Hubbard has had a leading Aviation Practice for over 40 years. The firm represents many leading airlines, investment banks, leasing companies, hedge funds, and other financial institutions in both domestic and crossborder transactions. In particular, the firm has a deep understanding of all manner of aviation finance structures and has been involved in many ‘first-in-kind’ transactions. In general, the practice covers all aspects of the aviation business, including financings, securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, workouts and bankruptcies, interairline matters, leasing and litigation.
Corporate:
Hughes Hubbard’s corporate clients include some of the world’s largest multinational companies. The firm has a strong M&A Practice including a major private equity practice. The M&A Practice covers stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, as well as hostile takeovers, proxy fights and joint ventures and other strategic alliances, including those involving cross-border transactions. Attorneys in the Securities and Capital Markets Practice represent issuers and underwriters in public and private equity and debt offerings, including initial public offerings and equipment financings. The firm also has a strong Banking and Finance Practice which represents numerous financial institutions in syndicated lending, project finance, regulatory matters and derivatives.
Corporate Reorganisation & Bankruptcy:
This practice is multidisciplinary, with deep and broad experience, including the liquidation of Lehman Brothers and MF Global, the largest and eighth largest bankruptcies in US history. It represents financial institutions and companies, both public and private, in Chapter 11 proceedings, out-of-court restructurings and related litigation. The group’s expertise covers asset sales, the unique issues that arise in the private equity context, cross border insolvency matters, and secured and unsecured creditors’ rights. Recent cases include the prepackaged bankruptcy of MediaNews Group, the second largest media company in the US.
Intellectual Property:
The firm’s Intellectual Property Practice includes advising on patents, trademarks, licenses, copyrights, trade secrets and unfair competition. The group counsels clients on a wide range of IP matters in corporate transactions, licensing programs, product development and clearance programs, litigation and arbitration.
International Trade:
Hughes Hubbard provides comprehensive legal advice to clients on matters involving the entire spectrum of sophisticated international trade and investment issues faced by governments, multinational corporations, and trade associations. The group’s practice includes: export controls and economic sanctions, trade remedies, market access, customs counseling, antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings and counseling, WTO and NAFTA dispute avoidance and resolution, investment arbitration, state-to-state arbitration, and anti-corruption and internal investigations.
Labour:
Attorneys are well versed in the full range of US and French employment law issues, including collective bargaining, discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, and noncompetition agreements.
Litigation:
Litigation has always been a cornerstone of Hughes Hubbard’s practice with the firm’s reputation recognized both nationally and internationally by the world’s leading legal publications. The firm has the resources and capacity to play virtually any role including: trial, appellate and class action litigators; a dedicated eDiscovery and document management group; and national coordinating experience in many complex cases. The firm has an active general Commercial Litigation Practice. Other major areas include antitrust; appellate; arbitration and ADR; art law; bankruptcy; environmental; financial services and banking; insurance coverage; intellectual property and technology; labor and employment; not-for-profit; product liability and toxic torts; professional liability; securities and white collar crime and corporate compliance.
New Media:
The practice combines the resources and experience of a traditional law firm with an understanding and passion for today’s cutting-edge technologies to assist clients in navigating the new realities and challenges arising from this shifting landscape. Attorneys advise clients on matters in the areas of digital media and the internet, entertainment and technology and information security.
Real Estate:
The firm’s global practice covers every aspect of real estate and hospitality related transactions and financings across a full range of industries.
Tax:
Attorneys in this area are involved in complex crossborder transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, multinational joint ventures, and financings. They assist clients in structuring their operations to achieve worldwide tax efficiencies. The firm’s employee benefits attorneys, who are part of the Tax Group, handle all aspects of employee pensions, executive compensation and ERISA work.
International Work: With an office in Paris since 1966, Hughes Hubbard has a strong international presence. In 2012, the firm added 10 lawyers to its Paris office including three new partners. Hughes Hubbard also has a significant Latin America practice that is bilingual and multicultural and a Pacific Basin practice with an office in Tokyo.