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Commercial Litigation

Adept at combining business practicality with creative litigation strategies, Arnold & Porter has an established track record for resolving high-stakes disputes across the commercial landscape. As seasoned trial lawyers, we bring the analytical and strategic firepower to achieve your objectives — however you define success — whether it be through early motions, summary judgment, favorable settlement, trial, or arbitration. Our litigation teams are diverse and combine subject-matter expertise with sophisticated advocacy skills to deliver effective solutions to complex or seemingly intractable disputes. Our record of success spans the full range of business issues, including breach of contract and fiduciary duties, licensing, M&A (including earn-out and CBE clauses) and indemnification disputes, RICO, fraud, state consumer protection laws and consumer fraud, and alter ego and veil piercing claims.

  • Trusted Advisors Who Can Try Cases: We work closely with our clients to define and achieve their litigation objectives. Our deep bench of first-chair trial lawyers prepares each case for trial at the outset, enabling clients to pursue their desired result aggressively.

  • Renowned Regulatory and Industry Experience: Integrating the distinctive expertise of our firm's leading regulatory practices gives us an edge in devising creative, effective solutions.

  • Premier Class and Mass Action Defense: We are known for developing innovative ways to defeat class actions and we are frequently called on to serve as national counsel in multidistrict or multiforum mass actions.

“They are fantastic strategists. The firm has a very deep team and is excellent in handling a very complex and dynamic case.” – (client) Chambers USA 2025
“The firm has huge depth and breadth of expertise, with highly qualified and highly responsive attorneys. They provide thoughtful analysis that is legally sound and commercially reasonable.” – (client) Chambers USA 2025
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Our litigation strength has earned sterling reputation, including a Top 10 International Law Firm ranking by Legal Times Korea, an Honorable Mention for Litigation Department of the Year from The American Lawyer, and a spot on Law360’s list of “Firms That Dominated the Federal Circuit”.

Experience Highlights

  • Carnival Corporation and its subsidiaries as co-lead counsel in defense of multiple class actions and 200+ individual wrongful-death and personal injury claims arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Obtained dismissal with prejudice or favorable resolution of all actions and established ground-breaking precedents in COVID claims.

  • Nucor Corporation, as lead counsel defending against $500 million antitrust group boycott lawsuit by competitor related to U.S. national security tariffs on imported steel, resulting in dismissal of all claims with prejudice on multiple grounds and affirmed by the Fifth Circuit.

  • Samsung Electronics America in obtaining dismissal of a nationwide data breach class action MDL in the District of New Jersey, where plaintiffs asserted class-wide and statutory claims in a 97-count consolidated complaint.

  • Owner and insurers of the M/V Alnic MC as lead counsel, securing resolution of all 50+ injury and wrongful death claims before trial arising from the highly publicized collision between defendant's oil tanker and missile destroyer, after prevailing on several key procedural motions. 

  • FS Medical Supplies in a $1 billion dispute enforcing its contractual rights against a Chinese medical device manufacturer, including securing an anti-suit injunction against the manufacturer’s counter-suit in China.

  • Novartis in securing a favorable settlement of a billion-dollar dispute against Amgen, prevailing on a motion for partial judgment on the pleadings to substantially narrow Amgen's breach of contract claims arising from the co-commercialization of migraine therapy Aimovig® across the U.S. and 25+ countries.

  • New York-based financial institution in defending claims that it failed to prevent a customer’s scam that led a business owner to transfer millions to the scammer’s account, with the case addressing banks’ obligations under federal and state law to protect noncustomers from fraud.

  • Hyundai Motor CompanyHyundai Motor America, and Innocean Worldwide Americas LLC in securing dismissal of a right of publicity action brought in California Superior Court in connection with name of one of Hyundai's vehicle models sold in Korea.

  • Lummus Technology, a leading licensor of proprietary petrochemicals, refining, gasification and gas processing technologies, in securing a complete jury verdict, which was affirmed on appeal, awarding the client of all breach of contract claims and attorney’s fees in an $8.5 million dispute over a petrochemical plant.

  • Airbus in defeating over 100 personal injury claims in a class action and several opt-out personal injury actions pending in Halifax, Nova Scotia relating to the crash landing of an Air Canada A320 aircraft. The case settled after years of litigation without any financial contribution from Airbus.  

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Recognition

  • Chambers Asia-Pacific
    Dispute Resolution: International Firms (South Korea) (2024-2026)
  • Chambers Global
    Commercial and Corporate Litigation (UK) (2023-2024)
    Disputes (International & Cross-Border) (USA) (2021-2026)
    Dispute Resolution: International Firms (South Korea) (2021-2026)
  • Chambers USA
    Litigation: General Commercial (California) (2025-2026)
    Litigation: General Commercial (Colorado) (2007-2026)
    Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois) (2016-2026)
    Litigation: General Commercial (Texas) (2024-2026)
    Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite (Nationwide) (2026)
    Litigation: General Commercial (New York) (2008-2026)
    Litigation: General Commercial (Washington, D.C.) (2006-2026)
    Litigation: General Commercial (Washington) (2026)
  • Benchmark Litigation
    Highly Recommended — Dispute Resolution (District of Columbia) (2024-2026)
    Recommended — Dispute Resolution (California) (2024-2026)
    Recommended — Dispute Resolution (New York) (2024-2026)
  • Best Law Firms Ranked by Best Lawyers
    Commercial Litigation (Boston) (2025-2026)
    Commercial Litigation (Colorado) (2025-2026)
    Commercial Litigation (Houston) (2024-2026)
    Commercial Litigation (National) (2010-2026)
    Commercial Litigation (San Francisco) (2024-2026)
    Commercial Litigation (Washington, D.C.) (2010-2026)
    Bet-the-Company Litigation (San Francisco) (2020-2026)
    Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law (San Francisco) (2026)
  • BTI Consulting Group
    Intimidating Opponent in Litigation (2023-2026)
    Commercial Litigation Powerhouses (2026)
    Complex Commercial Litigation Powerhouses (2024-2026)
    Gen AI Litigation Leaders (2026)
    Class Action Powerhouses (2025-2026)
    Best of the Best Law Firms in Class Actions (2024-2025)
    Class Action Leaders (2024)
  • The Legal 500 UK
    Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation (Premium) (2017-2026)
  • The Legal 500 US
    General Commercial Disputes (2015-2026)
    International Litigation (2018-2026)
    Securities Litigation: Defense (2014-2026)
  • Chambers Europe
    Commercial and Corporate Litigation (UK) (2023-2024)
  • Chambers UK
    Commercial and Corporate Litigation (London) (2018-2024)
  • FT Innovative Lawyers
    “Standout” North America (2023)