Practice focused on resolving high-stakes disputes involving private equity and hedge funds.
Has represented companies, investors and boards of directors in state, federal, and cross-border litigation and arbitrations worth billions of dollars.
Emphasizes solutions that allow companies to resolve disputes quickly, avoid reputational damage and move operations forward.

With more than 25 years of practice, Steve works closely with owners, management companies, investors, creditors and portfolio companies. Throughout his career, Steve has seen private equity and hedge fund issues from every angle. He uses his deep understanding of their operations to marry litigation strategies with business needs. Instead of focusing on litigation wins, Steve emphasizes solutions that allow companies to resolve disputes quickly, avoid reputational damage and move operations forward.

Steve handles matters involving:

Partnership and investor disputes
Regulatory and compliance issues
International arbitration
Complex bankruptcy litigation
Securities and derivatives fraud litigation
Securities and Exchange Commission inquiries and investigations
Breach of contract claims
Fiduciary duty and investing issues
Merger and acquisition disputes
Class action litigation
Commercial corporate disputes.

Representative Work

Helped an alternative energy company resolve an international arbitration that served as the formative case in settling securities fraud, derivatives fraud and bankruptcy disputes related to the purchase of projects in Latin America. Finding a quick first- settlement strategy allowed the owners to resolve the other disputes and sell the company for maximum value.
Represented fund investors in a dispute over board control of a business in the education industry, resulting in a successful buyout.
Won a two-week international arbitration trial for a commercial logistics provider in a bet-the-company dispute with its largest supplier. The matter involved fraud and breach-of-contract claims.
Counseled a private equity fund in a corporate governance dispute related to its investment in a commercial satellite company, resulting in the fund’s successful exit.
Acted as lead trial lawyer on a victory at trial and on a subsequent appeal that allowed Granite Broadcasting to emerge from bankruptcy.

Education
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1990
B.A., Wesleyan University, 1987

Bar Admissions
New Jersey
New York

Recognitions

Legal 500 United States, Dispute Resolution – Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense – Advice to Individuals, 2018, General commercial disputes, 2019 to 2023 and Securities litigation: Defense, 2022 to 2023.