|
|
Peter focuses his practice on the areas of transactional and securities litigation as well as government enforcement, corporate governance, and director and officer representations. Known for guiding directors and officers as well as buyout, hedge, and venture capital firms through difficult situations, Peter regularly represents such clients in litigation, pre-litigation, and regulatory investigations. An experienced litigator, Peter has litigated contested merger transactions, including strategic, financial, and going private transactions, complex securities and corporate litigation matters, including the representation of the directors and officers of several public companies in securities class actions and breach of fiduciary duty actions. Peter has also handled a range of regulatory investigations, including investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, and a number of state governments. A trusted counselor, Peter advises boards of directors and board committees on mergers and acquisitions and other strategic alternatives, as well as related-party transactions, internal investigations, and litigation. Peter also regularly advises private equity, hedge fund, and mutual fund clients on indemnification and general partner liability insurance matters.
- Covidien, Ltd: Successfully represented Covidien Ltd. in defense of shareholder actions in Delaware and Minnesota challenging the $2.3 billion acquisition of ev3, Inc.
- Millennium Management: Representing Millennium International, Ltd. in an adversary proceeding in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy case involving $38 million in swap collateral.
- Special Committee of Affiliated Computer Services: Part of deal and trial team that successfully represented the Special Committee of Affiliated Computer Services in the $6 billion acquisition of ACS by Xerox Corporation. Successfully represented Special Committee in numerous shareholder actions in Delaware and Texas.
- Major University Endowments: Lead litigation counsel in litigation involving a real estate joint venture and a real estate project recapitalization.
- Large international investment company: Successfully represented a large international investment company in shareholder litigation arising out of the bankruptcy of one of its portfolio companies within weeks of making a $10 million investment. Recovered 87.5% of the investment in the portfolio company.
- BioForm Medical: Successfully represented BioForm in shareholder litigation in California arising out of the acquisition of BioForm by Merz, GMBH. Successfully opposed a motion for preliminary injunction and merger closed.
- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters: Successfully represented Green Mountain in shareholder litigation arising out of the acquisition of Diedrich Coffee. Succeeded in opposing plaintiffs’ motion for expedited discovery and merger closed.
- M&A Advice: Advises numerous private equity sponsors and public and private companies concerning fiduciary duties and transaction process in financial and strategic transactions.
- Director and Officer and General Partnership Liability Insurance Advice: Advises dozens of private equity sponsors, hedge fund and mutual fund complexes, and public and private companies concerning their indemnification protections and liability insurance coverage.
- Genzyme Corporation: Represented Genzyme before the First Circuit involving a coverage dispute with its directors and officers liability insurer, Federal Insurance Company. In the action, Genzyme sought to recover the amount of a shareholder class settlement arising from the cancellation of the company’s tracking stock in a share exchange. The district court initially dismissed the action, but the First Circuit reversed the dismissal of Genzyme’s complaint against Federal and remanded the action to the district court for an award of damages in Genzyme’s favor.
Honors & Awards
- Massachusetts Super Lawyers - Rising Stars (2005-2009)
©1996-2012 Ropes & Gray LLP. All rights reserved.
|
|
PRACTICES
Litigation
Corporate
Education
-
JD, cum laude, The University of Chicago Law School, 1999
-
MA, Boston College, 1996
-
AB, The University of Chicago, 1991
Courts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
Memberships & Affiliations
- Chairman, Directors and Officers Liability Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association
- Member, ABA Business Law Section’s Task Force on Director and Officer Liability and Indemnification
|
|