Pete Kazanoff is widely recognized as a leading M&A and securities litigator, including by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation. He has over 25 years of experience representing leading private equity and corporate clients in high-profile transaction-related disputes and regularly represents issuers, individuals, and underwriters in securities litigations in courts throughout the country. He has deep experience defending clients against claims arising out of financial frauds, including the largest Ponzi schemes in history.
Pete is described by Chambers USA as a “superb lawyer” and “a thoughtful strategist,” who is “very skilled in court” and has a “deep knowledge of securities litigation.” He is also recognized by The Legal 500 in the “Hall of Fame” for M&A Litigation: Defense and by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation as a National and New York “Litigation Star” in Securities Litigation. Pete is an editor of the Securities Law Alert, a monthly newsletter published by the Firm.
Read Full Biography...
Accolades
-
Chambers USA
-
The Legal 500 U.S., “Hall of Fame”
-
Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation, “Litigation Star” in New York and National “Litigation Star” in Securities
Education
-
Bowdoin College, 1992 A.B.
magna cum laude, Economics and Government
-
University of Chicago Law School, 1997 J.D.
cum laude
Associations
- American Bar Association, 1997–Present
- New York State Bar Association, 1997–Present
- City of New York Bar Association, 1997–Present
Admissions
-
New York 1998
-
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit 2016
-
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit 2001
-
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 2010
-
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
Pete Kazanoff, a Partner in the Firm’s Litigation Department, is widely recognized as a leading M&A and securities litigator, including by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 (“Hall of Fame”) and Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation (National Securities Star). He has over 25 years of experience representing leading private equity and corporate clients in high-profile transaction-related disputes and regularly represents issuers, individuals, and underwriters in securities litigations in courts throughout the country. Pete has deep experience defending clients against claims arising out of financial frauds, including the largest Ponzi schemes in history.
Pete’s recent work highlights include:
- TD Bank in litigation following the collapse of Stanford Financial;
- KKR in shareholder actions challenging multibillion-dollar transactions, including acquisitions of Envision Healthcare, PharMerica, KFN, Gardner Denver, Del Monte, TXU, HCA, Dollar General and Laureate Education;
- Envision Healthcare in federal securities litigation;
- Fairfield Greenwich in matters arising out of investments made with Bernard Madoff;
- Dollar General and its Board of Directors and senior officers in shareholder derivative litigation;
- KKR Biomet LLC in dismissal of derivative and federal securities litigation;
- Special Committee of Convey Health in shareholder litigation arising out of TPG’s acquisition of Convey;
- Special Committee of GGP in shareholder litigation concerning Brookfield’s acquisition of GGP;
- TD Bank in shareholder litigation arising out of Schwab’s $22 billion acquisition of Ameritrade;
- Underwriters of Trivago’s IPO in Second Circuit appeal affirming dismissal of putative securities class action;
- First Data’s Board of Directors in dismissal of litigation challenging $22 billion merger with Fiserv, Inc.;
- BMC in litigations related to its transaction with Builders FirstSource;
- Genesee & Wyoming in litigations challenging its acquisition by Brookfield and GIC;
- Change Healthcare in shareholder litigation related to its proposed acquisition by UnitedHealth Group;
- PAAMCO and Prisma in litigation arising out of investments made by the Kentucky Retirement Systems;
- TD Bank in shareholder derivative litigation arising out of Ameritrade’s acquisition of Scottrade Financial;
- Dollar General and its senior officers in dismissal of federal securities litigation;
- Ubiquiti in multiple federal securities and shareholder derivative actions;
- Walter Investment Management and its senior officers in federal securities litigation;
- Xerox in shareholder litigation seeking to block its acquisition of ACS; and
- People’s United Bank in shareholder litigations arising out of several acquisitions.
Pete is consistently recognized by Chambers USA and described as being “highly skilled and very effective in getting a deal done.” He “has very good instincts in litigation strategy” and is “very skilled in court”; a “superb lawyer”; “a thoughtful strategist”; “very knowledgeable in securities law”; and “not just a technical lawyer, but also aware of commercial impacts.” The Legal 500 recognizes Pete in the “Hall of Fame” for M&A Litigation: Defense and has recognized him as a “Leading Lawyer” in Securities Litigation, noting his “forceful and strategic thinking.” Pete is also consistently recognized as a National and New York “Litigation Star” in Securities Litigation by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation. In addition, he is an editor of the Firm’s Securities Law Alert, a monthly newsletter that reports on developments in securities litigation and related areas.
Pete joined Simpson Thacher in 1997 and became a Partner in 2006. 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.