Peter Kazanoff is a Partner in the Firm’s Litigation Department.  He focuses on securities matters, including takeover litigation, shareholder and derivative actions, and government and internal investigations.  Mr. Kazanoff has handled numerous litigations challenging change-of-control transactions, including the proposed acquisition of Affiliated Computer Services by Xerox, the proposed combination of DIRECTV with Liberty Entertainment, Pfizer’s acquisition of Wyeth, Mars’ acquisition of Wrigley, KKR’s acquisitions of TXU, HCA, and Dollar General and tender offer for Laureate Education, Lafarge S.A.’s tender offer for the minority shares of Lafarge North America, L-3 Communications’ merger with Titan Corporation, Blackstone’s acquisition of Prime Hospitality, and Harmony Gold’s tender offer for Gold Fields.  He regularly defends issuers, directors, and financial institutions in shareholder and derivative actions in federal and state courts.  He has participated in government and internal investigations, including the Firm’s representation of the outside directors of AIG and internal reviews of stock option granting practices by public corporations.

Mr. Kazanoff currently is representing several companies and individuals associated with Fairfield Greenwich in litigations and investigations arising out of investments made with Bernard Madoff.

Mr. Kazanoff also has been active in the Firm’s antitrust practice.  He has represented clients before U.S. and foreign antitrust authorities, including Universal Music Group in investigations by the Antitrust Division and the European Commission into online delivery of music, and Seagram in its transaction with Vivendi.  His experience in private antitrust litigation includes successfully defending Viacom and its subsidiaries against a tying claim brought by the operator of a satellite system. 

Mr. Kazanoff joined Simpson Thacher in 1997 and became a partner in 2006.  In 2007, he was selected by The Legal 500 as one of the “leading lawyers in the U.S.” for securities and shareholder litigation.  He received his A.B., magna cum laude, from Bowdoin College in 1992 and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Chicago Law School in 1997.

Honors/Associations

•	American Bar Association, 1997 - Present
•	New York State Bar Association, 1997 - Present
•	City of New York Bar Association, 1997 - Present

Publications

•	The Supreme Court Considers the Constitutionality of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
•	The Supreme Court Considers the ‘Inquiry Notice’ Standard in Federal Securities Fraud Cases
•	The Heightened Pleading Standard of Twombly Applies to All Federal Civil Claims
•	The Supreme Court Rejects "Scheme" Liability For Secondary Actors In The Absence Of Actual Reliance On The Deceptive Conduct Or A Separate Duty To Speak
•	Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Expanding Securities Fraud Liability to Secondary Actors Based on Allegedly Fraudulent, Arm's Length Business Transactions
•	Supreme Court Adopts Heightened Standard for Pleading Scienter in Federal Securities Fraud Cases
•	The European Court of First Instance Annuls the European Commission’s Decision Approving the SonyBMG Joint Venture - July 18, 2006
•	Private Anti-Trust Remedies Under US Law, Competition Law 2004-2005 (Practical Law Company)
•	Antitrust Developments in the Media and Entertainment Industries, 2005 Antitrust Review of the Americas - a Global Competition Review special report
•	The International Anti-Bribery Act of 1998 Amends the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Implements the OECD Convention Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials

Admissions

•	New York 1998
•	U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York 1998
•	U.S. District Court Southern District of New York 1998
•	U.S. District Court Western District of New York 2000
•	U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit 2001

Education

•	The University of Chicago Law School, 1997 J.D. cum laude
•	Bowdoin College, 1992 A.B. magna cum laude, Economics and Government