The Financial Times Honors White & Case as a Top Innovator and for its No. 1 Litigation Matter
Ranking
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The Financial Times recognized White & Case in its FT Innovative Lawyers North America 2019 report as the third most innovative law firm overall in North America and the third most innovative law firm for Legal Expertise. In addition, White & Case won the Litigation and Disputes category for a precedent-setting defense of pharmaceutical group Allergan.
During 2019, White & Case received top rankings in all three FT Innovative Lawyers reports for North America, Europe and Asia.
The FT Innovative Lawyers North America 2019 report ranked White & Case as an innovator for six matters in four categories:
- Litigation and Disputes: White & Case took first place in the Standout category, the FT's highest honor, for its successful defense of Allergan. The report highlighted that in successfully arguing the unconstitutionality of a common practice in class action lawsuits, the Firm "set a precedent for plaintiffs to demonstrate proof of injury to be considered an injured class prior to receiving a jury verdict."
- Accessing New Markets and Capital: White & Case was Highly Commended for convincing Mexico's "Comisión Nacional de Hidrocarburos to allow reserve-based loan funding — an important liquidity source for oil and gas companies — in Mexico's oil and gas market for the first time."
- Accessing New Markets and Capital: White & Case was Highly Commended for helping Corporación Quiport S.A., the company behind Quito International Airport, with its US$400 million international bond offering in 2019. The report highlighted that this was the "first international bond offering in Ecuador in a decade."
- Litigation and Disputes: White & Case was Commended for its defense of British banker Richard Usher, who was charged and cleared of price fixing in federal court in New York.
- Rule of Law and Access to Justice: White & Case was Commended for its pro bono representation of the anti-corruption organization Mexicanos Contra la Corrupción y la Impunidad, which sued the Mexico City government for failing to fill the position of commissioner of the city’s Transparency Institute. The report noted that this failure "meant 2,000 freedom of information requests had not been fulfilled."
- New Products and Services: White & Case was Commended for creating a free online tool that enables users to determine whether their documents or transactions will be affected by a Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) rule change.