Pete Kazanoff, a Partner in the Firm’s Litigation Department, is widely recognized as a leading M&A and securities litigator, including by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 (“Hall of Fame”) and Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation (National Securities Star). He has over 25 years of experience representing leading private equity and corporate clients in high-profile transaction-related disputes and regularly represents issuers, individuals, and underwriters in securities litigations in courts throughout the country. Pete has deep experience defending clients against claims arising out of financial frauds, including the largest Ponzi schemes in history.
Pete’s representations have included:
- Dollar General in pending federal securities litigation and related shareholder derivative matters;
- KKR and its senior officers in shareholder derivative litigation related to KKR’s corporate reorganization;
- TD Bank in litigation following the collapse of Stanford Financial;
- Special Committee of GGP in shareholder litigation concerning Brookfield’s acquisition of GGP;
- KKR in shareholder actions challenging multibillion-dollar transactions, including acquisitions of Envision Healthcare, PharMerica, KFN, Gardner Denver, Del Monte,TXU, HCA, Dollar General and Laureate Education;
- Envision Healthcare in federal securities litigation;
- Fairfield Greenwich in matters arising out of investments made with Bernard Madoff;
- KKR Biomet LLC in dismissal of derivative and federal securities litigation;
- Special Committee of Convey Health in shareholder litigation arising out of TPG’s acquisition of Convey;
- TD Bank in shareholder litigation arising out of Schwab’s $22 billion acquisition of Ameritrade; and
- First Data’s Board of Directors in dismissal of litigation challenging $22 billion merger with Fiserv, Inc.
Pete is consistently recognized by Chambers USA and described as being “highly skilled and very effective in getting a deal done.” He “has very good instincts in litigation strategy” and is “very skilled in court”; a “superb lawyer”; “a truly effective and thoughtful representative of his clients”; “very knowledgeable in securities law”; and “not just a technical lawyer, but also aware of commercial impacts.” The Legal 500 recognizes Pete in the “Hall of Fame” for M&A Litigation: Defense and has recognized him as a “Leading Lawyer” in Securities Litigation, noting his “forceful and strategic thinking.” Pete is also consistently recognized as a National and New York “Litigation Star” in Securities Litigation by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation. In addition, he is an editor of the Firm’s Securities Law Alert, a monthly newsletter that reports on developments in securities litigation and related areas.
Pete received his A.B., magna cum laude, from Bowdoin College in 1992 and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Chicago Law School in 1997.
Updated Oct 2024
