For the second year in a row, Milbank partners Andrew Leblanc and Michael Nolan earned top honors at the Benchmark Litigation 2019 US awards, which celebrate the best litigation firms and lawyers in the United States. The awards ceremony took place in New York on February 28.
Mr. Leblanc, winner for the third year in a row of “Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year,” is a member of the firm’s Financial Restructuring and Litigation & Arbitration Groups. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, financial restructuring and international arbitration, with a particular focus on contested issues arising in bankruptcy cases. He regularly represents official committees, secured and unsecured creditors, debtors, and bidders in bankruptcy cases, as well as financial institutions as defendants in adversary proceedings brought as part of bankruptcy cases. Mr. Leblanc’s practice is trial-focused, and he regularly appears before bankruptcy, district and appellate courts throughout the country.
Mr. Nolan, winner for the second year in a row of “International Arbitration Lawyer of the Year,” is a member of the firm’s Litigation & Arbitration Group. Mr. Nolan is a broadly experienced commercial litigator who has particular expertise in cross-border disputes. He has served as counsel or arbitrator in commercial cases under most major arbitration rules and has represented both investors and states in arbitrations pursuant to bilateral and multilateral investment treaties. His cases have involved financial and securities transactions; commercial contracts; energy, infrastructure and mining; telecommunications and satellites; real estate and construction; hospitality and gaming; insurance; taxation; patents, trademarks and intellectual property licenses; and bankruptcy and financial restructuring. He also has represented companies and states in connection with court proceedings involving sovereign immunity, act of state, and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judicial decisions and international arbitration awards.
In addition to these individual honors, Milbank was shortlisted for the second year in a row in the Bankruptcy Litigation Firm of the Year category. With the combined resources of our Litigation and Financial Restructuring Departments, Milbank has played an instrumental role in several of the largest and most complicated bankruptcy cases in US history. Milbank lawyers have represented debtors, senior creditors, official and ad hoc committees of creditors and equity holders, and other parties in many significant cases. The firm’s litigators are frequently involved in all aspects of bankruptcy cases, from motions to appoint committees or examiners, to motions to approve financing or other requests, through issues in contested confirmation hearings and prosecuting cases arising out of bankruptcy cases. Milbank also has advised and represented foreign and domestic creditors and foreign trustees, administrators and receivers in connection with cross-border insolvencies, provided expert evidence on US bankruptcy law to foreign tribunals, and represented foreign agents of insolvent businesses in US bankruptcy proceedings.
