Eric Leon

Partner

New York
eric.leon@lw.com
+1.212.906.1663

PRACTICES

  • Complex Commercial Litigation
  • International Arbitration
  • Litigation & Trial
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Litigation

INDUSTRIES

  • Entertainment, Sports & Media

BAR QUALIFICATIONS

  • New York

EDUCATION

  • JD, New York University School of Law, 1993
  • BA, University of Virginia, 1990

PROFILE

Eric Leon has tried dozens of cases before federal and state courts as well as arbitration panels and has helped multiple clients obtain Top 100 Verdicts in recent years.

Eric focuses on commercial contracts, copyrights and trademarks, employment disputes, antitrust and trade regulation, securities and shareholder litigation, unfair competition, business torts, and bankruptcy litigation. One of the few large firm litigators to specialize in plaintiffs’ side work, Eric has amassed over US$500 million in jury trial and arbitration verdicts.

Eric has represented:*

  • Cantor Fitzgerald
  • New Enterprise Associates
  • Teva Pharmaceuticals
  • Dex Media
  • Bridgewater Associates
  • Compass
  • Lennar Corporation
  • Heckler & Koch
  • Fortis Advisors
  • Deutsche Bank
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Morgan Stanley

*Client representation handled prior to joining Latham 

EXPERIENCE

Eric’s recent experience includes representation of:

  • Cantor Fitzgerald and Howard Lutnick in derivative litigation in Delaware Chancery Court brought by shareholders of BGC Partners, Inc. related to BGC’s acquisition of Berkeley Point from Cantor for US$875 million. The complaint alleged the defendants used their control over BGC to cause it to overpay for Berkley Point by hundreds of millions of dollars. Result: Complete defense verdict after trial under the “entire fairness” standard.
  • Equitrans Midstream Corp. in a AAA arbitration brought by EQT seeking to take ownership of a US$500 million pipeline based upon Equitrans’ alleged failure to meet certain development milestones. Result: prevailed before a AAA panel composed of a former Circuit Court judge, a former federal judge, and a former Delaware Chancery Court judge.
  • Equity holders of a medical device company in an earn-out dispute with a large technology company that had acquired the device company. The complaint alleged the acquiring company intentionally delayed the development of the medical device to avoid having to make a series of milestone payments. Result: prevailed before a jury in the Delaware Superior Court and was awarded more than US$250 million in damages, one of the Top 100 Verdicts of 2013.
  • Equity holders of a medical device company in an earn-out dispute seeking to recover milestone payments allegedly owed under a merger agreement. Result: prevailed at trial in Delaware Chancery Court and was awarded more than US$28 million in damages.
  • A small technology start-up in an action for trade secret misappropriation against a large electronics retailer. Result: prevailed before a jury in the Central District of California and was awarded more than US$33 million in damages, one of the Top 100 Verdicts of 2012.
  • Equity holders of a medical device manufacturer in an earn-out dispute against its large pharmaceutical acquirer. The equity holders alleged that the acquirer breached the merger agreement as part of a scheme to deny the equity holders millions of dollars in milestone payments. Result: prevailed in arbitration and was awarded more than US$57 million in damages.
  • Defendants in a securities class action lawsuit under the 1993 Act alleging that defendants made materially misleading statements in the prospectus for the initial public offering of a major asset management company. Result: the Southern District of New York granted defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint with prejudice, and the Second Circuit affirmed.
  • An investment bank in a nationwide class action seeking more than US$100 million in damages as a result of the bank’s sale of its online brokerage business. Result: the Delaware Chancery Court granted a motion to dismiss the complaint, and the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed.*
  • An investment bank in one of the first-ever whistle-blower claims brought under the Sarbanes Oxley Act. Result: the complaint was dismissed after hearings before OSHA.*
  • A large media company charged with copyright infringement in an action seeking US$750 million in damages. Result: prevailed at trial before the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.*
  • One of the world’s leading small arms manufacturers in a breach of contract action brought by various lenders. The lenders alleged that the arms manufacturer defaulted under its loan agreement and sought to accelerate over €120 million in loans. Result: the New York State Supreme Court granted the motion to dismiss the complaint in its entirety with prejudice.*
  • An investment bank in a case brought by a customer seeking millions of dollars in damages on the theory that the bank reneged on a promise to provide the customer with thousands of shares in an initial public offering. Result: prevailed at trial in Massachusetts state court.*
  • A private equity firm in a fraudulent conveyance action brought by a Chapter 7 Trustee alleging that the actual value of assets purchased by the private equity firm was roughly US$40 million more than the purchase price. Result: the Bankruptcy Court for the SDNY granted the motion for summary judgment.*
  • An investment bank in a US$60 million dispute over the allocation of tax refunds and liabilities under a tax sharing agreement. Result: prevailed in arbitration before a panel comprised of three former federal judges.*
  • The plaintiff in a landmark sexual harassment case against the New York City Police Department. Result: a jury in the Southern District of New York awarded one of the largest verdicts ever in a sexual harassment case.*
  • A private equity firm in a case brought by a group of investors demanding co-investment rights in one of the private equity firm’s deals. Result: prevailed on summary judgment in Delaware Chancery Court.

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham