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Debevoise & Plimpton

From Alfawiki
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Company typeLimited liability partnership
IndustryLegal services
PredecessorDebevoise, Stevenson, Plimpton & Page
Founded1931; 95 years ago (1931)
FounderEli Whitney Debevoise, William E. Stevenson
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Area served
International
ProductsLegal services (intellectual property, white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, international arbitration, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, insurance, securities law)
Websitewww.debevoise.com

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (pronounced DEH-bə-voyz) is a prestigious international law firm known for its white-shoe status, with its main office located in New York City. The firm also maintains branches in Washington D.C, San Francisco, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Luxembourg. It offers expertise across various sectors including intellectual property, white-collar criminal defense and government investigations, international arbitration, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, insurance, and securities law.

History

Established in 1931 by Eli Whitney Debevoise, a descendant of the famed inventor Eli Whitney, alongside Olympic gold medalist William E. Stevenson, the firm originally operated under the name Debevoise, Stevenson, Plimpton & Page following the addition of several key partners. The firm’s name was later abbreviated to Debevoise & Plimpton during the 1980s.

The firm rose to prominence through its involvement in significant cases such as managing the bankruptcy proceedings of Ivar Kreuger's financial empire in the 1930s and defending Alger Hiss, a U.S. government official, in his highly publicized perjury trials during the 1950s. Additionally, it represented Ford Motor Company during its transformation into a publicly traded corporation.

Numerous partners have held notable roles outside the firm: Robert G. Page became president of Phelps Dodge in 1947; Eli Whitney Debevoise was appointed Deputy U.S. High Commissioner for Germany from 1951 to 1953; William E. Stevenson served as president of Oberlin College and subsequently as U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines; Francis T.P. Plimpton acted as deputy U.S. Representative to the United Nations between 1961 and 1966; and Edward C. McLean served on the federal bench from 1962 until 1972.

In 2021, Debevoise played a role in supporting the Democratic Party during Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial.

More recently, in November 2023, responding to an increase in antisemitic incidents at top-tier U.S. law schools, Debevoise & Plimpton joined other leading firms in sending a letter to law school deans warning that such behavior could adversely affect corporate recruiting efforts. The communication underscored a strict policy against discrimination and harassment within workplace environments.

Reputation and Rankings

Debevoise & Plimpton holds the No. 9 position on The American Lawyer's 2022 A-List and is ranked No. 18 on Vault's 2024 list of the most esteemed law firms. According to the AmLaw 100 Survey, it regularly appears among the top global law firms in profitability, measured both per partner and per lawyer. The firm achieved the top spot overall in The American Lawyer's "10-Year A-List," which evaluates cumulative success since 2003 across metrics such as revenue per attorney, pro bono contributions, associate contentment, and diversity.

A distinctive feature of the firm is its adherence to a lockstep compensation model based on seniority, an uncommon practice among leading law firms.

Representation of Purdue Pharma's Controlling Family

Debevoise acted as legal counsel for four members of the Sackler family who oversee Purdue Pharma, the company behind OxyContin. In 2019, Purdue and other opioid manufacturers faced more than 2,000 lawsuits initiated by state and local governments attributing thousands of opioid-related deaths to prescription drugs. Debevoise received over $11.4 million from Purdue Pharma, constituting the majority of the company's $17.5 million legal expenses connected to the opioid litigation.

Legal Support for Guantanamo Bay Detainees

Lawyers from Debevoise & Plimpton represented individuals detained without trial at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. Jeff Lang was among the initial attorneys to file an appeal in federal court challenging the procedures of the Combatant Status Review Tribunals under the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005. Charles "Cully" Stimson, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs at the time, generated controversy by publicly criticizing law firms representing Guantanamo detainees, leading to his resignation amid significant backlash.

2010s Litigation

Debevoise & Plimpton was engaged by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. to defend against a lawsuit filed by actress Lindsay Lohan, who claimed unauthorized use of her image rights through a character named "Lacey Jonas" in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto V. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2016 and this decision was upheld on appeal in 2018.

Investigation into Pro-Palestinian Student Demonstrations at Columbia University

In 2024, Columbia University appointed Debevoise & Plimpton to conduct an inquiry into pro-Palestinian student protests occurring during the Gaza conflict. Attorneys from the firm managed complaints related to misconduct and acted as temporary hearing officers during disciplinary proceedings.

Judiciary

  • Terrence Berg, Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • Edward C. McLean, Former Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • John Gleeson, Former Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • John S. Martin Jr., Former Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Lorna G. Schofield, Senior Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Gregory Howard Woods, Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Joseph F. Bianco, Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • Jed S. Rakoff, Former Senior Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Stephen F. Williams, Former Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
  • Laura Taylor Swain, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • John G. Koeltl, Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • J. Paul Oetken, Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Government

  • Michael Mukasey, previously United States Attorney General
  • Paul M. Bator, former Deputy Solicitor General of the United States
  • Mary Jo White, ex-chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Édouard Philippe, mayor of Le Havre and former French Prime Minister
  • Andrew Ceresney, formerly head of enforcement at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Neil Eggleston, previous White House Counsel
  • Matthew Platkin, serving as the 62nd Attorney General of New Jersey
  • Jim Johnson, past Under Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement and candidate for governor
  • Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Justice
  • Tali Farhadian Weinstein, former federal prosecutor and contender for New York County District Attorney
  • Bevis Longstreth, author and ex-Commissioner of the SEC
  • Stanley Rogers Resor, former U.S. Secretary of the Army and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
  • Lord Peter Goldsmith KC PC, previous Attorney General for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
  • Charlotte Burrows, former chairperson of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  • Eric R. Dinallo, past Superintendent of the New York State Insurance Department and attorney general candidate
  • Paul Dans, ex-Chief of Staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management
  • Noëlle Lenoir, former French Minister for European Affairs and member of the Constitutional Council

Business

  • James Goodale, previously vice chairman and general counsel at The New York Times
  • Jennifer Chu, chief legal officer and general counsel at TPG Inc.
  • Marc Stern, chairman and former president of TCW Group
  • Eric R. Dinallo, ex-chief legal officer at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
  • Susan L. Solomon, founder and former CEO of the New York Stem Cell Foundation

Academia

Legal Careers

Arts and Media

See also

Further reading

External links

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