WMD LAW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Adam M. Bialek concentrates his practice in commercial litigation and arbitration with broad experience in large, complex commercial cases. Over the course of his career, Adam has litigated and arbitrated a wide range of disputes, but concentrates in such areas as commercial contracts, securities, insurance and reinsurance matters, derivative financing, employment matters, and products liability. Adam also has extensive experience in all procedural aspects of litigation, including venue challenges, forum selection clauses, declaratory judgment practices, discovery, motion practice, trial, post-trial, and appeals.
Education and Background
Adam received his J.D. from Tulane Law School in 2002. He received his B.A. degree in Economics and Environmental Analysis and Policy from Boston University, graduating cum laude, in 1999.
Job Titles:
- Associate / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Alexandra C. Spina represents financial institutions in a broad range of civil litigation. She focuses her practice on the litigation and dispute resolution of complex business and commercial disputes involving contracts, torts, fraud, and other common law and statutory claims. Alexandra's experience includes securities litigation, financial services litigation, bankruptcy litigation, and business disputes. Alexandra has experience in state and federal courts and handles all aspects of litigation, including analysis of claims and defenses, fact discovery, depositions, motion practice, expert discovery, and trial preparation.
EDUCATION
Alexandra received her J.D., cum laude, from New York Law School in 2017, where she was the Managing Editor of the New York Law School Law Review. She received her B.A. as a double major in Italian Language & Literature and History, magna cum laude, from The University of Pittsburgh in 2012.
Job Titles:
- Represented Ex - Worldcom CEO
Represented ex-Worldcom CEO Bernie J. Ebbers in multi-district securities and ERISA class action litigation consolidated in the Southern District of New York;
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner / Bankruptcy & Restructuring Group$ Corporate & Securities Group
Brad has three decades of experience advising clients on all sides of complex bankruptcy, restructuring, and distressed debt matters across all industries, with particularly deep experience in energy, construction, engineering, and infrastructure businesses. Over his career he has represented virtually every type of party with an interest in a complex restructuring matter or bankruptcy case, including Chapter 11 debtors, trustees, examiners, committees, and creditors of all rank. He has substantial experience representing acquirers of troubled and bankrupt businesses, and institutional and alternative DIP lenders. Brad spent the first seven years of his career in the Restructuring and Bankruptcy Reorganization department of Skadden Arps before moving to Louisiana, where he represented clients across the Southeast and Texas, including numerous power and energy services companies, and developed substantial expertise in project development and project finance in the power and renewables industries.
EDUCATION
Brad earned his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Job Titles:
- Partner / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Brant Kuehn litigates complex commercial disputes, focusing on financial matters. Brant has litigated civil securities cases, restructurings and distressed situations, contested mergers and acquisitions, securitizations, managed regulatory investigations and internal investigations, and has advised clients in a wide range of disputed situations. Brant has deep experience in favorably resolving disputes through mediation and other alternative dispute resolution tools. Brant's ability to quickly understand his clients' businesses allows him to provide advice, analysis, and advocacy that goes beyond a narrow knowledge of legal principles, and takes into account real-world commercial practicalities.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Founding Member of the Firm
David H. Wollmuth is a founding member of the Firm and the Firm's Managing Partner. Dave has unique and wide ranging experience in both litigating complex financial disputes and advising clients in credit, M&A and securities transactions. Because of his years of handling all types of corporate transactions, Dave is skilled at identifying structural and drafting issues which are pivotal in litigations involving such transactions and which may not be apparent to litigators who lack transactional experience. Dave has particular expertise in such areas as private equity, bond indentures, corporate governance and mergers & acquisitions and frequently handles both transactional and litigation matters in those areas.
EDUCATION
Dave received his J.D. degree from St. John's University School of Law, where he was the Associate Editor of the St. John's Review and received the Outstanding Scholar Award conferred on the top student in the graduating class. He received his B.S. degree from C.W. Post College.
*Information regarding the selection process undertaken by Super Lawyers can be found here.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Bars of the State of New York
Jim specializes in commercial litigation, insolvency, and debtor-creditor relations. He advises corporate clients and represents them both in commercial disputes and in bankruptcy proceedings. He advises officers, directors, creditors, investors and buyers with respect to all aspects of operating, managing, refinancing, selling and reorganizing distressed entities. He has served as counsel to bankruptcy trustees and court-appointed receivers and has been a liquidation trustee. He has extensive litigation and appellate experience and regularly appears before State and Federal Courts of both New York and New Jersey. Jim has also lectured on bankruptcy matters before various business associations and bar groups. Jim joined WMD in 2002 as a partner, after having been an associate and partner with Gibbons, P.C.
Jim is a 1992 magna cum laude graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law, where he was a Managing Editor for the Seton Hall Law Review. Jim received his B.A. cum laude in History from the University of Delaware in 1986.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Jay Handlin joined the firm as a partner in 2016. Jay has more than 30 years of experience in litigating, arbitrating, and mediating complex commercial and intellectual property disputes in state and federal courts and regulatory proceedings. He has tried cases and arbitrations and has argued appeals in state and federal courts. He has broad experience in complex commercial litigation including class actions, securities, corporate governance, bankruptcy, and insurance. He has previously served as in-house litigation counsel for The Walt Disney Company and been a litigation partner with leading national and regional law firms in Los Angeles, California and Honolulu, Hawai‘i. He began his career as a judicial clerk to the Hon. Jon O. Newman of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Jay has been named a "Super Lawyer" in Business Litigation for 2013, 2015, and 2018-2021.*
Job Titles:
- Associate / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
- Member of Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch's Women 's Committee
Jennifer A. Carnovale represents clients in a broad range of complex civil litigation. She focuses her practice on complex business and commercial disputes involving contracts, torts, fraud, and other related claims. Jennifer's experience includes securities litigation, financial services litigation, business disputes, and related appellate matters. Jennifer has experience in state and federal courts and handles all aspects of litigation, including analysis of claims and defenses, fact discovery, depositions, motion practice, and expert discovery.
Jennifer is a member of Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch's Women's Committee. She is admitted to Practice in New York State, and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
EDUCATION
Jennifer received her J.D. from St. John's University School of Law in 2018, cum laude, where she was a senior articles editor of the St. John's Law Review and Journal of Catholic Legal Studies. She received her B.A., summa cum laude, in Political Science from Hofstra University in 2015.
Job Titles:
- Partner / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
John R. Hein focuses his practice on the litigation and resolution of complex business and commercial disputes involving contracts, torts, fraud, and other common law and statutory claims. John's experience includes securities litigation, financial services litigation, business disputes, and related appellate matters. He also counsels and works with clients on litigation risk management, including conducting confidential internal investigations. John represents individuals and businesses at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts around the country, with particular emphasis on effective discovery, fact development, dispositive motion practice, and trial work, as well briefing and arguing appeals. He began his career as a volunteer law clerk to the Honorable John F. Keenan, United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York.
John is admitted to practice in New York State, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Job Titles:
- Associate / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Joseph J. Saladino represents clients in a broad range of complex commercial disputes involving contracts, torts, fraud, and other related claims. Joseph's experience includes securities litigation, financial services litigation, contract disputes, business disputes, and related appellate matters. Joseph represents individuals and businesses in state and federal courts, including at the trial and appellate levels. Joseph has experience handling all aspects of litigation, including the analysis and development of claims and defenses, case strategy, effective discovery, fact development, depositions, dispositive motion practice and briefing, expert discovery, and settlement.
EDUCATION
Gettysburg College (B.A. 2014)
Boston University School of Law (J.D. cum laude) 2018
- Staff Editor, Boston University Law Review (2016-2018)
Job Titles:
- Partner / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Joshua M. Slocum is experienced in high-stakes commercial litigation in both federal and state courts, as well as before arbitral tribunals seated around the world. He has arbitrated cases under several major arbitral institutions and rules, including the ICC, AAA, ICDR, JAMS, and UNICITRAL. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in commercial contract disputes, M&A litigation, and class actions and individual lawsuits under the state and federal securities laws. His clients have included leading multinational companies, asset managers, and individuals from a broad range of industries, particularly the financial services industry, as well as the food and drug, energy, aviation, real estate, and industrial sectors. He joined WMD in March 2020 after more than a decade at a major international law firm.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Lyndon M. Tretter joined the firm as a partner in 2016. Lyndon has over 35 years of experience in securities, commercial and intellectual property litigation in federal and state courts around the country with special emphasis on representing clients in the financial services and health care industries. He has conducted several trials, arbitrations and internal investigations. Prior to joining the firm, Lyndon spent the bulk of his legal career as partner in the international law firm of Hogan Lovells and its predecessors. When he first started out, he was a judicial clerk for the Hon J. Edward Lumbard of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Education
Lyndon received his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School where he was Managing Editor of the Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree with High Honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.
Job Titles:
- Counsel / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Maxwell G. Dillan represents clients in a broad range of complex commercial litigation, including securities litigation, contract disputes, business disputes, and related appellate matters. He has experience in state and federal courts, as well as before arbitral tribunals, and handles all aspects of litigation, including analysis of claims and defenses, fact discovery, depositions, motion practice, expert discovery, trial preparation, and settlement.
Max is admitted to practice in New York, SDNY, and EDNY.
EDUCATION
Maxwell received his J.D., cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law in 2016, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law. He received his B.S. in Marketing from the Smeal College of Business at The Pennsylvania State University in 2013.
Job Titles:
- Co - Counsel
- Partner / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Michael C. Ledley represents clients in a wide range of complex commercial disputes, including insurance and reinsurance litigation and arbitration, securities and derivatives litigation, and bankruptcy. Michael has broad experience in federal bench and jury trials and arbitrations, and has represented clients in connection with investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, and FINRA.
Michael is currently co-counsel representing Western & Southern Life Insurance and its affiliates asserting federal and state securities law claims in actions against nearly a dozen Wall Street banks to recover losses on investments in residential mortgage-backed securities; co-counsel representing a hedge fund group objecting to the $8.5 billion proposed settlement between Bank of America and Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee for over 500 Countrywide securitization trusts; co-counsel for the Lehman estate in several multi-billion dollar derivatives-related disputes and other ADR proceedings; and co-counsel representing certain AIG companies in two reinsurance litigations arising out of the settlement of asbestos insurance coverage actions.
EDUCATION
Michael received his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School, cum laude, in 2000. He received his B.A. degree in Philosophy from Cornell University with distinction in all subjects.
Nicole C. Rende represents clients in a broad range of complex civil litigation. She focuses her practice on complex business and commercial disputes involving contracts, torts, antitrust, and other related claims. Nicole has experience in state and federal courts and handles all aspects of litigation, including analysis of claims and defenses, fact discovery, depositions, motion practice, expert discovery, and trial preparation. Nicole is also a member of Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch's Women's Committee. The committee focuses on community development, networking, and professional advancement.
EDUCATION
Nicole received her J.D. from St. John's University School of Law in 2018. She received her B.S., magna cum laude, in Finance from Fairfield University in 2015.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Associate / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Nicole M. Clark is a Senior Associate in the Firm's Litigation & Dispute Resolution group. She represents clients in a broad range of complex civil litigation, including securities litigation, financial services litigation, business disputes, and related appellate matters. Nicole has experience in various federal and state courts, with particular emphasis on developing effective discovery, claim assessment, motion practice, and settlement.
Nicole is an executive member of Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch's Women's Committee, which focuses on community development, networking, and professional advancement.
EDUCATION
Nicole received her J.D., cum laude, from St. John's University School of Law in 2015, where she was an articles editor of the St. John's Law Review. She received her B.A., cum laude, from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2011.
Paul DeFilippo leads the Firm's bankruptcy practice, an area in which he has concentrated since 1979. In addition to his bankruptcy expertise, Paul also provides a unique combination of practical and legal advice to his clients in connection with transactional and litigation matters. Over more than 30 years of practice he has represented virtually every type of party in interest interested in the affairs of distressed entities, including debtors, creditors committees, secured parties, lessors, indenture trustees, purchasers, trustees, plan sponsors, defendants in avoidance actions, and foreign representatives in Chapter 15 cases.
EDUCATION
Paul received his B.A. from Colgate University and his J.D. with honors from Seton Hall University School of Law.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the American Bar Association
Phil Schatz has spent over 35 years navigating the courts and arbitration forums in New York. He tried his first federal jury trial in 1988, months after finishing his federal district court clerkship, and has directed many trials, arbitrations, and mediations in New York City federal courts, state courts, and arbitration forums.
Phil regularly teaches deposition and trial-advocacy programs National Institute of Trial Advocacy ("NITA") and New York city bar organizations. He is a "Member of the Bench" of the American Inns of Court and rated "AV/Preeminent-High Ethical Standing" by Martindale-Hubbell.
Phil has a broad knowledge of federal and state criminal law from his past service as a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panels of the Southern District of New York and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, representing federal criminal defendants who are unable to afford their own lawyers. He was also pro bono Special Assistant District Attorney for the New York County and Kings County District Attorney's offices for over a dozen criminal appeals.
Phil has been a panel mediator for the Southern District of New York, the Eastern District of New York, the Commercial Division of the New York Supreme Court, and the Appellate Division, First Department. He trains other lawyers in mediation skills.
Phil is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the New York County Lawyer's Bar Association (Federal Courts Committee), the Federal Bar Association (Assistant Editor-in-Chief and member of Editorial Board, The Federal Lawyer; past Vice President for the Second Circuit; past President of the Southern District of New York Chapter (Winner, Presidential Excellence Award)), the Network of Bar Leaders (past Second Vice President), the New York City Bar Association (Litigation Committee; Judiciary Committee; Chair, Anatomy of a Trial), the New York Criminal Bar Association, the American Society of Legal Writers, and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (Master Advocate Certificate; Faculty Designation).
EDUCATION
Phil received his J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was an Associate Editor of the Virginia Law Review and a member of the travelling Moot Court team. He received his B.A. degree in English with minors in Mathematics and German from the University of Minnesota.
Following law school he was a law clerk for the Honorable R. Allan Edgar, former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Phil is a frequent volunteer in community activities. He has spoken on Law Day to inner-city high school students, acted as webmaster and parish-council member for a church, manned the phones for the PTA, and organized a letter-campaign to fund our courts. He has been the president of a 400+-unit condominium on Central Park West, and a large cooperative apartment building in Riverdale.
Scott is a highly decorated former federal prosecutor who has been trying cases in federal and state courts for more than 25 years. He approaches every engagement with a focus on how the case will play out in court. As a result, he has compiled an impressive track record of success in the courtroom on behalf of clients ranging from multi-billion dollar investment funds to online publishers to national healthcare organizations.
Scott has a unique ability to absorb complex facts and distill them into concepts understandable to any audience. His skill set has enabled him to successfully prosecute and defend a wide variety of cases in areas as diverse as antitrust, securities law, tax, corporate governance, and labor and employment.
In his civil practice, Scott represents major public and private companies, as well as high-net-worth individuals who are dealing with the consequences of business relationships that have failed. His caseload includes business torts, intellectual-property theft claims, antitrust issues, corporate governance issues, fraud, and breaches of fiduciary duty.
Job Titles:
- Partner / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
An experienced commercial litigator, Randall has advised and represented clients in courts, before arbitration panels and in out-of-court negotiations, prevailing at trials and winning appeals. Randall's wide range of cases involve investment and hedge funds; commercial and investment banks; bond insurers; CDOs, CLOs and other offshore structured finance vehicles; liquidators and parties to bankruptcies; reinsurers; commercial borrowers and lenders; and privately held businesses and shareholders. Randall also has litigated complex financial agreements such as credit default swaps and other derivatives. At the same time, Randall has advised and represented individuals, not-for-profits and family offices in disputes involving partnerships, fiduciary obligations, will contests and trusts and estates.
Education
Randall received his J.D. degree from Duke University School of Law, where he was selected to the Moot Court Board. He received his B.S. degree in Psychology at Duke University, graduating cum laude.
Job Titles:
- Associate / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
EDUCATION
Reuben received his J.D. from Columbia University in 2021, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He received his B.A., with honors, in Economics and Law, Letters, and Society from the University of Chicago in 2016.
Rory Deutsch is head of the firm's tax practice and counsel to the firm's corporate and securities practice. Mr. Deutsch founded the firm, together with Messrs. Wollmuth and Maher in April 1998. Rory's practice focuses on providing corporate and tax guidance to clients on domestic and international corporate transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, private equity and venture capital formation, acquisition and financing transactions, debt and equity financings, hedge fund representation, counseling of early-stage and middle-market companies, derivative transactions, structuring of executive employment and incentive compensation agreements, procurement of Internal Revenue Service private letter rulings and technical advice memoranda, and resolution of federal and state tax disputes.
For more than 25 years, Rory has counseled business entities at all stages of development, their investors and their owners on complex legal matters that often bridge a number of practice areas. These entities come from a variety of industry groups including financial services, internet, banking, media, telecommunications, advertising, insurance, technology, biotechnology, financial technology, software and consumer products.
EDUCATION
Rory received his J.D. (cum laude 1984) and LL.M. in Taxation (1987) from Boston University School of Law. Rory received his B.A. from Cornell University in 1981. Rory is currently admitted to practice law in New York.
Mr. Deutsch has been listed as a "Super Lawyer" in New York, a designation limited to 5% of the lawyers in a given state.
Job Titles:
- Counsel / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Roselind F. Hallinan represents clients, financial institutions, insurance companies, and individuals in a broad range of complex civil litigation. Rose has experience in state and federal courts and handles all aspects of litigation, including analysis of claims and defenses, fact discovery, depositions, motion practice, expert discovery, trial preparation, and settlement.
Job Titles:
- Expert
- Partner / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Ryan currently is representing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as Receiver for Signature Bank in several lawsuits stemming from the failure of Signature Bank. Ryan also is representing Commerzbank AG, Pacific Life Insurance Co., and other institutional investors in billions of dollars of claims concerning structured products arising out of the Financial Crisis. Ryan also has represented clients in complex antitrust matters, including Hildene Capital Management in antitrust claims against S&P Global, Inc. and other defendants in connection with the financial instruments identifier market and Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts in a civil antitrust action alleging collusion among private equity firms for leveraged buyouts.
Ryan has served as an expert on New York and U.S. law in foreign legal proceedings, including providing expert reports and testimony, before courts in the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Hong Kong.
Job Titles:
- Partner / Corporate & Securities Group
Sandip Bhattacharji's practice concentrates on corporate transactional matters, including public and private securities transactions, swaps and derivatives, compliance with Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements, broker-dealer regulation, mergers and acquisitions, Hart-Scott-Rodino filings, private equity and venture capital transactions and hedge fund formation.
Sandip has advised clients in a wide variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, energy, technology and financial services.
Job Titles:
- Counsel / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Sean P. McGonigle represents clients in an array of complex commercial disputes, including securities litigation, financial services litigation, and business disputes. Sean has experience in various federal and state courts, with particular emphasis on developing effective discovery, claim assessment, motion practice, trial work, and settlement.
EDUCATION
Sean received his J.D., cum laude, from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2014, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Wake Forest Journal of Law & Policy, and received the North Carolina Advocates for Justice Award for Trial Practice. He received his B.A., summa cum laude, in American Studies from Fordham University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2011.
Job Titles:
- Partner / Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Steve Fitzgerald represents clients in complex commercial disputes, including securities and distressed debt litigation, and breach of contract actions. Since joining the firm in 2011, he has worked on cases involving billions of dollars of financial-fraud claims, achieving successful resolutions for a number of the Firm's clients.