Paul Weiss

2001 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-1047
202-223-7380 (direct)
202-223-7426 (direct fax)
202-223-7300 (firm)
202-223-7420 (firm fax)

www.paulweiss.com
Contact

A partner in the Litigation Department and co-chair of the Securities Litigation and Enforcement Group, Charles E. Davidow focuses his practice on securities enforcement proceedings, corporate internal investigations and private securities litigation and arbitration. Chuck has extensive experience representing board committees, institutions and individuals in connection with investigations, litigation and SEC enforcement proceedings under the federal securities laws. He also represents issuers of securities and their officers and directors, as well as financial services firms and accounting firms, in class action and shareholder derivative litigation.

Experience

Chuck is currently representing parties in numerous lawsuits and regulatory investigations under the federal securities laws. These include matters involving accuracy of disclosures and financial reporting, practices relating to auction rate securities, hedge fund losses, foreign exchange transactions and losses suffered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He has also represented parties in investigations into possible foreign corrupt practices.

Chuck has represented special board committees conducting investigations of financial misconduct at Enron and WorldCom, along with numerous other companies. He has conducted internal investigations of subjects including stock options backdating, use of special purpose entities, revenue recognition, timing of expenses and quality of corporate governance.

Chuck has represented companies and individuals in SEC and other regulatory investigations into most of the major Wall Street controversies of the last 30 years, including the insider trading scandal involving Ivan Boesky and others, the Salomon Brothers Treasury Auction scandal, the failure of Long-Term Capital Management, the collapses of Enron and WorldCom, and cases involving allegations of mutual fund market timing, stock options backdating and numerous less publicized inquiries.

He has represented financial institutions, accounting firms, corporations, and corporate officers and directors in defending class actions and shareholder derivative actions. In recent years, courts have granted motions to dismiss or for summary judgment in the following cases in which he represented moving defendants:

  • In re Pfizer Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 04 Civ. 9866 (LTS), 2014 WL 3291230 (S.D.N.Y. July 8, 2014);
  • Rentokil - Initial Pension Scheme v. Citigroup, Inc., No. 12 Civ. 6653 (SHS), 2014 WL 470894 (S.D.N.Y. Feb 6, 2014);
  • Cucinotta v. Deloitte & Touche, L.L.P., 302 P. 3d 1099 (Nev. 2013);
  • In re Citigroup Auction Rate Securities Litigation, No. 08 Civ. 3095 (LTS), 2011 WL 744745 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 1, 2011), aff'd, 471 Fed. Appx. 30 (2012);
  • In re Fannie Mae 2008 Securities Litigation, 742 F. Supp. 2d 382 (S.D.N.Y. 2010);
  • ECA Acquisitions, Inc. v. MAT Three LLC, 09 Civ. 590 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 13, 2010);
  • Mayor and City of Baltimore, Maryland et al., v. Citigroup, Inc.et al., No. 08 Civ. 7746 (BSJ), 2010 WL 430771 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 26, 2010), aff'd, 709 F. 3d 129 (2d Cir. 2013).

Chuck speaks regularly on topics relating to corporate governance, on regulatory and litigation aspects of the credit market crisis, and on lessons to be drawn from the corporate scandals of recent years. He was named by Washingtonian Magazine as one of its top securities enforcement lawyers in DC (2009-2014) and he has been recognized by Chambers USA as one of the country's leading lawyers in Securities Regulation/Enforcement (2008-2015), by Benchmark Litigation as a National securities and DC litigation "Star" (2009-2016) and a Tier 1 individual nationally for Securities Litigation, by his peers for The Best Lawyers in America in securities litigation and securities regulation (2011-2015), by The Legal 500 in Financial Services: Litigation and Securities: Shareholder Litigation (2012-2014), and by Super Lawyers as a DC securities litigator (2010-2014).

Chuck served as editor and treasurer of the Harvard Law Review.

Practices

Education

  • J.D., Harvard Law School, 1979
  • magna cum laude
  • B.A., Amherst College, 1976
    magna cum laude

Clerkship

  • Hon. Walter R. Mansfield, U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • District of Columbia

See Library Tab for articles, publications and presentations by Charles Davidow

Related Resources

Dec 09, 2015 | Publications

United States v. Litvak: Second Circuit Overturns Conviction, Holds Defense Is Entitled to Put Forward Expert Evidence on Materiality

Oct 05, 2015 | Publications

Supreme Court Declines To Consider Second Circuit’s Landmark Insider Trading Ruling

Oct 01, 2015 | Publications

Southern District of New York Ruling Highlights That Materiality Is a Meaningful Pleading Obstacle in ’33 Act Cases

Sep 17, 2015 | Publications

Southern District of New York Issues Ruling in AIG Securities Litigation That Increases the Hurdles for Opt-Out Plaintiffs

Jul 27, 2015 | Publications

Litigation Partners Co-Author Bloomberg BNA Article on Confidential Witness Allegations in Securities Fraud Complaints

Jul 15, 2015 | News

Pro Bono Client Wins Fourth Circuit Appeal in Habeas Proceedings

Jun 15, 2015 | Publications

New York Court of Appeals Holds That Claims for Breaches of Representations and Warranties Accrue When RMBS Contracts Are Executed

Apr 28, 2015 | Publications

Second Circuit Issues Decision Establishing Comprehensive Framework for Adjudicating Preclusion Issues Under SLUSA

Apr 20, 2015 | Publications

Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Securities Fraud Suit on Materiality Grounds, Embracing SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 99’s Quantitative and Qualitative Factors as Criteria for Materiality at the Motion to Dismiss Stage

Mar 30, 2015 | Publications

Second Circuit Rejects Investor Suit Against Auditors, Adhering To High Standard for Alleging Scienter

Mar 25, 2015 | Publications

United States Supreme Court Limits Investor Suits for Misleading Statements of Opinion

Feb 24, 2015 | Publications

California District Court Clarifies the Appropriate Terms of Securities Class Action Bar Orders and Holds That Nonsettling Class Action Defendants Are Entitled to Judgment Reduction Measured by Settling Defendants’ Liability on Securities Act Claims

Jan 14, 2015 | Publications

Second Circuit Holds That Omissions Regarding “Known Trends” May Support a Section 10(b) Claim, but Imposes Limitations on Such Claims

Jan 05, 2015 | Publications

Ninth Circuit Adopts the Heightened Pleading Standard of Rule 9(b) for the Element of Loss Causation in Securities Fraud Actions

Dec 16, 2014 | Publications

Third Circuit Holds That Parties to Arbitration Agreements Can Compel Arbitration of Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Claims 

Of Note

Jun 07, 2013

Chambers USA 2013 Ranks Paul, Weiss Highly

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