Trial Practice

The Debevoise Trial Practice Group tries and wins bet-the-company cases, whether before juries, judges or arbitrators.

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They have terrific legal skills and talent across the board, they identify all the right issues, and give us great advice and counsel.

Debevoise exercises brilliant judgment and their experience and regulatory contacts are unmatched.

—Chambers USA, 2019

Thought Leadership

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Debevoise’s Trial Practice Group boasts decades of experience in every conceivable forum. Consisting of career trial lawyers, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Assistant District Attorneys and British barristers, the firm’s trial practice lawyers have collectively tried hundreds of cases, both civil and criminal, in federal and state courts in the U.S. and the UK, as well as in international and domestic arbitrations before virtually every major arbitration institution. The Group has a proven record of success, including two recent defense verdicts – for Bristol-Myers Squibb and for American Airlines – in which it defeated a combined $7 billion in claims. In addition, the team has won three of the largest-ever arbitration awards for breaches of bilateral investment treaties, including a record-breaking $2.3 billion award for Occidental Petroleum. As The American Lawyer recently noted, “no rival of any size could match the magnitude of Debevoise’s recent litigation results.” The Group’s deep experience informs their understanding that winning trials requires beginning trial preparation at the outset of a dispute, while simultaneously considering other ways to resolve matters. That process includes learning the facts, developing themes that will speak to the ultimate fact finder, and properly preparing witnesses to testify, should that day come. This trial-ready mentality results in successful outcomes in and out of the courtroom. As a case advances, the Group continually evaluates the costs and benefits of continued litigation, recognizing that the best outcomes are often negotiated in advance of trial, yet never losing sight of the necessity of being trial-ready. Trying complex cases requires real teamwork among group members, with co-counsel and with clients. Debevoise’s collaborative culture makes building and strengthening such teams effortless. The Group brings keen commercial acumen to each of its cases, embedding itself in the businesses and broader industries of the clients it represents, and drawing from the team’s experience advising clients across a vast range of industries.