David N. Luder

David N. Luder is a member of the firm and serves as the firm's managing partner.  David maintains a varied arbitration and litigation practice covering a broad spectrum of industries and disputes, including contracts, business torts, real estate development, mergers and acquisitions, financings, and other multi-faceted commercial issues, as well as securities arbitration and litigation.  His work in the securities area also regularly includes representing institutional clients and individuals before regulatory bodies, including the SEC and FINRA, at all stages.  In addition to his arbitration and litigation practice, David regularly represents European clients in transactional, commercial and regulatory matters in connection with their U.S. business interests as well as their international matters.  He also has been engaged as a Swiss law expert in litigations pending in the United States and he serves on the AAA Roster of Commercial Arbitrators. 

David holds full law degrees from Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago, and the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Before moving to the United States, he practiced with a well-regarded boutique firm in Zurich, Switzerland, where he maintained a broad cross-border arbitration and litigation practice (in German and English, as well as some French).  Prior to joining his current firm, he practiced as an associate in the international arbitration and litigation groups of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, in New York.  David also clerked at both the trial and appellate level, with clerkships at the District Court of Zurich, in Zurich, Switzerland (in German) and at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in New Orleans. David has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation and Environmental Law and has been named by Benchmark Litigation as a Future Star. 

David is a dual citizen of both the United States and Switzerland.  Born and (mostly) raised in Zurich, Switzerland, David retains a keen interest in European business and political affairs.  David is fluent in English, German, and French.

• Representing or represented both claimants and respondents in dozens of arbitrations under the auspices of the American Arbitration Association (International Dispute Resolution Procedures of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, the AAA Commercial Arbitration Rules, and the AAA Construction Industry Arbitration Rules), the International Chamber of Commerce, and the Zurich Chamber of Commerce (Swiss Arbitration Rules) venued in Baton Rouge, Chicago, New York, Paris, Vienna, and Zurich.
• Representing European financial services conglomerate and its U.S. subsidiaries in a variety of U.S.-based arbitrations arising out of fixed income products under the FINRA Rules.
• Representing European individuals and industrial and financial services clients in pre-arbitration disputes and litigation before state and federal courts across the country.
• Representing a variety of Belgian, Italian, Russian, Swiss and other European clients in U.S. and cross-border compliance and regulatory matters, employment matters, intellectual property matters, cross-border inheritance and family law matters, and general corporate and due diligence matters spanning a broad spectrum of industries.
• Representing European clients in corporate and commercial transactions, including the acquisition and divestiture of U.S. assets and interests, intellectual property and media rights, as well as technologies.
• Representing oil and gas clients in environmental litigation in Louisiana.
• Represented broker-dealer in dozens of FINRA arbitrations across the U.S. arising out of the sale of proprietary mutual funds in connection with alleged losses arising out of the credit crisis.
• Represented large financial institutions in multi-billion dollar credit crisis securities litigations venued primarily in New York.
• Represented U.S. broker-dealer in securities litigation in Baton Rouge arising out of failed hedge funds with approximately $300 – $400 million in claims.
• Participated in the defense of several large financial institutions in multi-billion dollar securities litigations arising out of the subprime crisis in the New York federal courts resulting in a series of favorable settlements.
• Represented senior executive of national broker-dealer in regulatory proceedings and civil litigation arising out of a multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme.
• Participated in the successful pre-arbitration defense of an international consortium from various business torts arising out of a failed U.S. acquisition.
• Represented Southeast Asian hedge fund in cross-border collection efforts in New York state court in connection with a failed financing.

David is a member of the New York City Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association, and the New Orleans Bar Association. Throughout his career, he has participated in pro bono efforts involving a broad array of topics with a particular focus on indigent post-trial relief efforts in state and federal courts.

Presentations

• “Traps in U.S. Litigation,” Europa Institut, Zurich, Switzerland (October 14, 2016)

• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, New York
• Meyer Muller Eckert Partners, Zurich