Linklaters adds preeminent trial team in New York

Linklaters is delighted to announce that Adeel Mangi, Muhammad Faridi, Diana Conner and George LoBiondo will be joining the firm as litigation partners in New York. They bring world-class cross-sector trial and litigation expertise. Their arrival builds on Linklaters’ transformational growth in the US over the past year, including marquee teams in M&A and finance.

Aedamar Comiskey, Linklaters’ Senior Partner and Chair, said:

“Growing in the US is a key strategic priority. We’re focusing on top-of-the market lawyers and Adeel, Muhammad, Diana and George are certainly that. Their exceptional trial and commercial litigation expertise will be a terrific addition to our leading global litigation team. Our growth in the US over the last year is transforming the support and advice we can offer clients in their core markets.”

Alison Wilson, Linklaters’ Global Divisional Practice Head of Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations, said:

“This team is recognised as among the best trial lawyers in the New York market and we are thrilled they are joining us. In tandem with our existing market-leading team, we are well placed to support clients on their most complex and high-stakes contentious matters.”

Adeel is a world-class litigator. He is regularly featured in Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 100 US Trial Lawyers” and named as a “Litigation Star.” He has extensive experience trying high-stakes commercial cases to judges and juries in state and federal courts throughout the US. Adeel represents high-profile clients across a broad range of industries including pharmaceuticals and healthcare, technology, financial services and media.

Muhammad has substantial trial experience with a focus on complex commercial matters involving claims relating to breaches of contract and commercial torts. He has represented clients — as both plaintiffs and defendants — across a broad range of industries. Muhammad currently serves as the President of the New York City Bar Association - the youngest person and first ever Muslim-American to serve in that role. His trial work has earned him many accolades, including The American Lawyer's “Litigator of the Week,” Law360’s “Legal Lion of the Week,” and “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation.

Diana’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, including high-stakes disputes involving healthcare, financial services, manufacturing and media companies. She has substantial trial experience in both state and federal courts, as well as significant appellate experience. She also uses creative solutions to secure favourable outcomes for her clients that avoid litigation.

George has a strong track record representing clients in a variety of sectors and industries in their most significant matters. He has secured outright victories at trial and arbitration, as well as highly favourable resolutions of government enforcement actions and investigations. He has extensive experience across a broad spectrum of contract-based disputes, as well as in matters involving antitrust, consumer protection and various business torts.

Linklaters’ US Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations team led by Adam Lurie comprises market-leading lawyers who represent clients in complex commercial litigation, international arbitration, regulatory and internal investigations, antitrust, securities, business crime, class and derivative actions, accounting fraud, bankruptcy litigation and lender liability actions. Joe Profaizer recently joined the team in Washington, D.C. as Global Co-Head of International Arbitration. The team recently secured the unprecedented dismissals of parallel U.S. DOJ and SEC securities fraud investigations for the Chief Information Officer of a public pharmaceutical company and secured a historic win for Enagás in an ICSID arbitration against Peru.

“We are seeing an uptick in client demand for trial-ready counsel in the US as more cases go to trial, as jury trials have become increasingly unpredictable, and as the rise of litigation funding has created less incentive to settle,” said Adam. “Adeel, Muhammad, Diana and George will bring even more strength to our great team.”

“Over the last two years, we have transformed our US offering with top-of-the-market hires across our corporate, transactional and disputes practices,” said Linklaters’ US Global Practice Head Tom McGrath, commenting on additions across M&A, international arbitration, restructuring and insolvency, real estate, intellectual property, energy and infrastructure, financial regulation, capital markets, tax, executive compensation and employee benefits and environmental. This growth has transformed the firm’s US offering, most recently culminating in three landmark US mandates: advising Dow on its partnership transaction with Macquarie Asset Management to launch $6 billion Diamond Infrastructure Solutions, advising Rio Tinto on its $6.7 billion acquisition of Arcadium Lithium and advising Volkswagen on its up to $5.8 billion joint venture and investment transactions with Rivian. “The addition of Adeel, Muhammad, Diana and George continues this momentum in another major leap forward for our US expansion, significantly bolstering our full-service offering for US and global clients,” Tom continued.