Jeffrey J. Zeiger, P.C.

Tronox v. Kerr-McGee: Trial counsel for Tronox in multi-billion dollar lawsuit challenging Kerr-McGee’s spin-off of Tronox as a fraudulent transfer. Obtained historic $14 billion verdict from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York in December 2013 subject to offset for Defendants’ bankruptcy claims. Case settled for $5.15 billion, which at the time represented the largest payment for cleanup of environmental contamination in U.S. history.

Statoil Gulf of Mexico v. Kerr-McGee: Trial counsel for Statoil Gulf of Mexico in its defense of claims brought by Kerr-McGee and private individuals involving the payment of overriding royalties on deepwater oil production in the Gulf of Mexico. Case settled on eve of trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Dow DBCP Litigation: Represented The Dow Chemical Company with respect to mass tort claims brought by Latin American workers for personal injuries as a result of alleged exposure to Dow’s DBCP product. Obtained dismissal of plaintiffs’ attempt to enforce a $480 million Nicaraguan judgment in Franco v. The Dow Chemical Company, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The Ninth Circuit affirmed and, following a week-long evidentiary hearing, awarded sanctions against plaintiffs’ counsel for filing a frivolous appeal. Obtained judgment on plaintiffs’ attempt to enforce a $97 million Nicaraguan judgment in Sanchez Osorio v. Dole following a week-long evidentiary hearing before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The Eleventh Circuit affirmed and the Supreme Court declined to review.

In re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation: Trial counsel for Health Care Service Corporation in series of putative class action lawsuits filed across the country challenging the structure of the Blue System of health insurance under antitrust laws. Cases pending in MDL in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

JPMorgan v. Solutia: Trial counsel for Solutia in suit alleging that Solutia unlawfully desecuritized $450 million of bonds when Solutia knew that its bankruptcy filing was imminent. Successfully defended Solutia in two-month bench trial before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Obtained judgment for Solutia on all counts.

In re Caesars Entertainment Operating Company: Trial counsel for Caesars in its $18 billion restructuring in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Investigated multi-billion dollar asset transfers from CEOC to affiliates. Tried multiple contested matters during highly contentious reorganization, including four injunction proceedings.

In re Seadrill Limited: Trial counsel for Seadrill in its $20 billion restructuring in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Investigated multi-billion dollar asset transfers from Seadrill to affiliates.

Transvantage v. Delta Air Lines: Lead trial counsel for Delta Air Lines in fraudulent conveyance action brought by Chapter 7 Trustee in the Transvantage bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. Settled claims for less than a penny on the dollar.

In re Cengage Learning, Inc.: Lead trial counsel for Cengage Learning Inc., a leading publisher of higher education textbooks, in its $5.8 billion restructuring before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York.

In re Tronox: Lead trial counsel for Tronox in its Chapter 11 cases before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Equistar v. Solutia: Lead trial counsel for Solutia in dispute with Lyondell over whether Lyondell could abandon a former petrochemical plant and force Solutia to clean up tens of millions of dollars of environmental liabilities. Case settled on the morning trial was scheduled to begin before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on such favorable terms that Solutia was able to record a significant gain against reserves it previously had taken.

Ferro v. Solutia: Lead counsel for Solutia in suit alleging that Solutia failed to convey certain property to Ferro under an asset purchase agreement. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri dismissed the case and it settled on favorable terms while on appeal.

In re Solutia: Represented Solutia in litigation matters and negotiations with various constituencies in its Chapter 11 cases before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Cases involved complex legacy liability issues, including mass tort, environmental, retiree, pension and indemnification issues.

Morefield v. Exelon Corporation: Trial counsel for defendants in one of the first cases to be tried under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act’s “whistleblower” provision. Two-week trial before a U.S. Department of Labor Administrative Law Judge. Case settled on confidential terms.

Rao v. BP Products North America Inc.: Represented BP Products in dealer termination suit under Petroleum Marketing Practices Act before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Obtained dismissal or summary judgment for BP Products on all counts. The Seventh Circuit affirmed.

Wayne v. BP Oil Supply Company: Represented BP Oil in class action filed on behalf of all California gasoline consumers under California’s Unfair Competition Law that alleged BP Oil improperly manipulated the price of Alaska North Slope crude oil. Obtained judgment on pleadings for BP Oil before Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Second District Court of Appeal affirmed.

DeLoach v. Philip Morris: Represented Brown & Williamson in putative class action brought on behalf of 500,000 U.S. tobacco farmers and quota holders alleging a conspiracy among cigarette manufacturers and leaf dealers to fix the price of leaf tobacco sold at auction. Plaintiffs claimed damages of more than $1 billion before trebling. After extensive pretrial proceedings, case settled on favorable terms.

In re Midway Games Inc. Securities Litigation: Represented Midway Games in purported securities fraud class action. Obtained dismissal of all claims before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Shaev v. Redstone: Represented Midway Games in suit alleging breach of fiduciary duty claims in connection with Sumner Redstone’s open-market purchases of the majority of Midway’s common stock. Obtained dismissal of all claims before the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP 

Commercial Litigation Associate, October 2002–October 2007

Represent pro bono clients on a variety of matters, including prosecuting a mortgage rescue fraud case before the Circuit Court of Cook County and working with the Illinois Prisoner Review Board to obtain parole for an inmate in connection with civil rights case.