Jeffrey S. Lichtman

For more than 35 years, Jeffrey S. Lichtman has represented major financial institutions and insurance and reinsurance companies in complex commercial litigation, as well as an array of pharmaceutical and medical device companies and other defendants in products liability and mass torts cases. Jeff has served national, regional and/or trial or local counsel in a number of landmark disputes. He has defended and counseled clients, including high net worth individuals, in connection with actions in federal and state courts, both at the trial and appellate levels, nationwide and in the New York area. He has represented clients in class actions, consolidated cases, multi-district litigations, and arbitrations.

Before joining OP in May 2012, Jeff was a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he practiced law since graduating law school in 1982. While at Skadden, Jeff litigated a wide array of complex commercial cases, including successfully representing a major international financial institution in cutting edge litigations related to the financial crisis. He also represented a premier insurer in defeating nationwide and statewide class actions involving its dividends and investments, as well as in cases relating to sales practices.  Since joining OP, Jeff has represented clients in a wide spectrum of commercial litigation, including cases concerning bank fraud cases in the United States and abroad (including allegations fraud involving several billion dollars), reinsurance disputes, and directors’ and officers’ liability.  He also has continued to represent and advise high net worth clients with regard to litigation issues and has represented the National Football League.

Jeff has successfully represented clients in litigations concerning construction defects, allegations of breaches of contract and tort liability, New York City’s Local Law 11, and foreclosures.   Most recently, Jeff successfully represented a major New York City condominium at a hearing involving façade repair, obtained summary judgment early in a litigation involving a return of a down payment, and negotiated a favorable settlement in a complex case relating to allegations of defective installation of ceilings at a Manhattan condominium.

Throughout his career, Jeff has represented clients in matters involving a range of products and industries, including high-tech digital imaging, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals, lead paint, construction equipment, tools, telephones and cell towers, and food products, as well as automobiles and theatrical products. He served on a national trial team and as a regional and local defense counsel in breast implant litigation proceedings for the largest maker of silicone-gel breast implants. Jeff supervised the defense of breast implant litigation in the eastern United States, and in the New York State court consolidation of these cases, he served as liaison counsel for the breast implant manufacturers’ defense group. He also represented a major over-the-counter pharmaceutical company in numerous claims of neurologic and cardiac injury and negotiated novel and complex landmark settlements. Jeff has represented a developer and licensor of prescription pharmaceuticals in wrongful death lawsuits as well as one of the world’s largest producers of heavy metals against claims that exposure to fumes in the workplace caused neurological disease.

In addition to his litigation practice in commercial and mass torts litigation, Jeff has represented numerous clients in a pro bono capacity. He has written and lectured extensively throughout his career and is the author of the New York Law Journal‘s annual review of torts cases decided by the New York Court of Appeals. Jeff has repeatedly been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and New York Super Lawyers.