Firm Named as Leading White Collar Practice in California

Citing the firm’s strengths in high-profile trials and in government investigations and enforcement, Latham & Watkins has been named the White Collar “Litigation Department of the Year” by The Recorder, the California-based publication of The American Lawyer.

The award coverage noted: “While trial work is the bread-and-butter of any great white-collar group, Latham also tackled delicate enforcement challenges for companies.” The matters cited included the successful defense of a technology company executive accused of insider trading by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the handling of a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigation of a US life sciences company. The report also called out the firm’s advice to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. following the tragic 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, California. “By the third anniversary of the blast, Latham had helped settle all private litigation, including about 100 civil cases involving nearly 500 plaintiffs. The company paid out nearly $565 million, but avoided trial,” The Recorder noted.

The firm also was named the top overall litigation department in California, as well as the leading firm for Antitrust. The awards focused on outcomes in client matters during the 18 months ending December 31, 2014 that were led by California-based lawyers and involved “creativity, cunning and brute force.”