King & Spalding is unique in that it is one of the only firms with origins in Atlanta to have achieved its level of national prominence. The firm has, in fact, attained global reach, particularly through its international arbitration team, historically acknowledged as one of the strongest in the US – a position it still claims today. King & Spalding has built upon its deep bench with several star players over the past several years, first with trial ace Randy Mastro [since departed to become First Deputy Mayor of New York City] and then with Dallas-based antitrust star
Veronica Moyé, both formerly with Gibson Dunn. The firm also took on
Jennifer Recine, a real estate and commercial star formerly with Kasowitz. “They have done very well with recruiting, and were already quite strong,” assesses a peer. Another contemporary (and former opponent) testifies on behalf of individual partners. "They were not unnecessarily combative in ways that made settlement difficult. Their briefs were excellent, and they were true stand-up lawyers. It's always great to have professionals on the other side who fight hard but don't engage in unnecessary back-and-forth that wastes everyone’s time."
The Atlanta office is still a dominant presence in the city. “Whether they want to admit it or not, in Atlanta, it’s King & Spalding and then the rest of us,” quips a local peer. “If you’ve got clients like Coca-Cola, you’ve got Atlanta on lockdown.” This office is particularly celebrated for its product liability practice, historically one of the strongest in the US, in which
Andy Bayman is a central figure. “Andy is terrific,” declares a peer. “He came up under [since-retired product liability luminary] Chilton Varner, and he is making great use of this.” Bayman and
Ursula Henninger represent Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals as national defense counsel for all federal and state claims arising from allegations that Zantac is associated with an increased risk of cancer. The King & Spalding duo secured a ruling disposing of all 50,000 remaining claims in the MDL and defeated the plaintiffs’ efforts to certify nationwide and state class actions and is currently acting as trial counsel in multiple state courts. In May 2024, the duo led the team representing Boehringer in the first Zantac-related trial in state court in Cook County, Illinois. Plaintiffs sought $640 million in damages, and the King & Spalding team secured a defense verdict, with the jurors rejecting the claim that Zantac caused an Illinois woman’s colon cancer. “Considering the ‘judicial hell hole’ that Cook County is for defense [lawyers,] this is a milestone,” remarks a peer. Beyond product liability, Atlanta’s
David Balser represents Capital One Bank in multiple class actions concerning allegations of breach of fiduciary duty regarding practices put in place on some of Capital One’s accounts.
King & Spalding’s New York office is home to some of its most recognized white-collar and enforcement stars.
Carmen Lawrence and Bill Johnson represent Archegos Capital Management, LP and the Archegos Fund, LP in connection with the highly publicized multi-agency criminal and civil investigations and resulting enforcement actions conducted by, among others, SEC, CFTC, and New York US Attorney’s Office regarding the circumstances leading up to the $36 billion private investment firm’s March 2021 default on margin calls and ultimate collapse. These investigations have resulted in ongoing enforcement actions against Archegos by the SEC and CFTC, and criminal actions against several former directors. Thus far, Lawrence and Johnson have successfully moved to dismiss the CFTC enforcement action.
Mike Stenglein, who works from New York as well as Austin, Texas, demonstrates the firm’s “very deep dedication” to the international arbitration arena. Stenglein led a team that secured $900 million for Reficar in its high-profile dispute with US contractor CB&I over the construction of an oil refinery in Colombia. The King & Spalding team Reficar in both the ICC construction arbitration and the subsequent enforcement proceedings in multiple international jurisdictions. In January 2025, the award was confirmed.
