Alan C. Turner

Alan Turner is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department. He has more than 25 years of experience successfully representing clients in trial and appellate proceedings in a broad range of high stakes complex commercial litigation matters, primarily in the financial services sector. Alan has extensive experience in bankruptcy litigation and works closely with the Firm’s Restructuring Department on a range of matters, including fraudulent conveyance claims, contested plan confirmations, settlement negotiation and approval proceedings, mass tort bankruptcy issues, Ponzi schemes, and liability management transactions. Alan’s commercial litigation experience also includes numerous securities and antitrust class actions, insurance/reinsurance litigation, breach of contract disputes, fraud cases, and a variety of other commercial disputes.

Representative clients and matters include:

Bankruptcy Litigation

• Berkshire Hathaway affiliates in chapter 11 proceedings of talc defendant Whittaker, Clark & Daniels;
• Certain insurers in chapter 15 proceedings relating to Canadian bankruptcy proceedings of Asbestos Corporation Limited;
• Carrier Corporation in PFAS (forever chemicals) chapter 11 proceedings;
• JPMorgan Chase, as administrative agent of syndicated credit facility, in claims by Cumulus Media relating to proposed liability management transaction;
• JPMorgan Chase in proceedings relating to multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme by Tom Petters;
• Assured Investment Management in fraudulent conveyance claims by liquidating trustee; and
• Pyxus International in contested plan confirmation proceedings.

Securities Litigation

• Royal Bank of Scotland and other financial institutions in dozens of individual and class actions relating to underwriting and issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities;
• Nielsen in federal securities class action and state court derivative litigation;
• JPMorgan Chase in Section 220 demand relating to acquisition of Bear Stearns;
• GDS Holdings Ltd., a data center company, in defending against short-seller attack and multiple stock-drop securities class actions; and
• JPMorgan Chase in class and individual securities actions relating to Enron’s bankruptcy.

Antitrust Litigation

• JPMorgan Chase in numerous class and individual actions alleging anticompetitive conduct by LIBOR panel banks, including in complete dismissal of all remaining claims;
• CSL Behring, an international biologic manufacturer, in antitrust class actions alleging anticompetitive conduct relating to sales of plasma therapies;
• Virgin Atlantic Airways in antitrust class actions alleging price fixing of fuel surcharges for passenger and cargo services; and
• ISDA in litigation relating to the credit default swaps market.

Other Representations

• Blackstone in breach of contract claims by Alliance Data Systems in connection with a proposed $8 billion acquisition;
• H&R Block in arbitration of disputes with contractual counterparty;
• Blackstone in arbitration of breach of contract disputes arising from acquisition of Equity Office Properties;
• Lehman Brothers in federal jury trial of fraud claims against a merger counterparty;
• Travelers in insurance coverage action against Warner-Lambert;
• United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company in coverage and direct actions relating to underlying asbestos claims;
• Certain Underwriters at Lloyds in several arbitrations relating to reinsurance coverage disputes with cedent; and
• On a pro bono basis, numerous immigration asylum applicants.

Alan is co-author of the “Crisis Management” chapter in Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts, 5th Ed., 2020.

Alan is co-chair of the Firm’s Counsel and Senior Counsel Committee and previously co-chaired the Firm’s Personnel Committee.

Alan joined Simpson Thacher in 2000 and became a partner in 2010. He received a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Chicago Law School in 2000, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) with Honors and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland in 1996. Prior to his U.S. legal practice, Alan practiced for three years as a commercial litigation attorney at a leading New Zealand law firm.