Ed O'Toole is partner-in-charge of the New York office.  Mr. O'Toole has significant experience litigating disputes regarding complex transactions, including matters relating to asset-backed securities.  He is currently representing two monoline insurers involved in disputes with a unit of a large money-center bank concerning representations and warranties that were made in connection with the issuance of RMBS.  He is also representing New York Law School in a putative class action brought by former law students who claim to have been misled about their post-graduate employment options.  Additionally, Mr. O'Toole is representing institutional investors in several securities-related actions against money center banks and successfully represented a securities clearing firm in an interpleader action brought by a corporate trustee in a securities transaction.

Recently, Mr. O'Toole represented a hedge fund in litigation concerning the rights and obligations of a departing member; a private equity firm in connection with claims relating to breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty; a domestic coal company, an architectural firm and a French cosmetics distributor in separate complex breach of contract matters; and two departing corporate officers in a derivative action brought against the officers and the Board of Directors.  With more than 20 years of litigation experience, he has developed a common sense understanding of the practical issues faced by companies involved in lawsuits in U.S. courts and cross-border disputes.

Significant Matters

Mr. O'Toole defended a pharmaceutical manufacturer in several individual products cases and has spent almost ten years managing document discovery for an international conglomerate involved in related civil and criminal proceedings both inside and outside the U.S.

Mr. O'Toole has also tackled complex financial cases for banks, hedge funds and private equity firms, an investigation for the Audit Committee of a prominent commodities exchange and international disputes for a manufacturing conglomerate involving RICO, fraud, and money laundering.  He has handled several complex disputes involving employment matters, contract interpretation, corporate governance and unfair competition claims.

Activities

Mr. O'Toole is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, where he serves as the firm’s pro bono liaison to the City Bar’s Refugee Assistance Project and oversees the representation of asylum applicants.  He was a member of the Immigration and Naturalization Law Committee from 2010 through 2011, and also served as a member of the Bar's Committee on Federal Legislation from 1997 to 2000.