Robert Landy

Practice Areas

Internal and Regulatory Investigations

Arbitration

Judgment Enforcement

Complex Commercial Litigation

Sanctions-Related Advocacy

Section 1782 Discovery Proceedings

Appellate Practice

Career

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Litigation Associate, 09/2004 to 08/2007

Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman LLP, Litigation Associate, 09/2007 to 06/2014

United States Peace Corps, Kyrgyzstan

Expert in these Jurisdictions

New York

U.S. District Court Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York

U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit

U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. District Court District of Colorado

U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit

Experience

Robert S. Landy is a Partner at Ford O’Brien Landy LLP and Managing Partner of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice. He is an experienced litigator who represents institutional and individual clients in complex commercial disputes, regulatory investigations, white collar matters, arbitration proceedings, judgment enforcement actions, sanctions-related advocacy, appellate litigation, and cross-border discovery proceedings.

Mr. Landy has significant experience handling matters that involve overlapping civil, criminal, and regulatory issues. His practice frequently includes representing clients involved in high-stakes commercial litigation while simultaneously navigating government investigations, regulatory inquiries, and sanctions-related proceedings. He regularly advises domestic and international clients in matters involving OFAC sanctions, complex financial disputes, securities-related litigation, and multinational asset recovery efforts.

His notable representations include serving as lead counsel for sanctioned financial institutions and investment entities in litigation and Section 1782 discovery proceedings, representing claimants in the high-profile M.Y. Amadea civil forfeiture matter, recovering substantial losses for investors, and handling significant disputes involving hedge funds, financial institutions, and international business interests.

Prior to joining Ford O’Brien Landy LLP, Mr. Landy practiced litigation for more than twelve years at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman LLP before founding his own litigation practice. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from New York University School of Law.

Education

Awards

Work Highlights

Litigation on Behalf of Sanctioned Entities and Individuals:

Served as lead counsel representing VTB Bank PJSC, an OFAC-sanctioned foreign bank in a civil tort action alleging violation of the anti-terrorism act.

U.S. v. M.Y. Amadea – Represented CEO of a large oil and gas corporation as the claimant in a civil forfeiture action seeking to recover a $300 million dollar asset that was wrongfully seized by the Department of Justice.

Actions Under 28 U.S.C. 1782:

Served as lead counsel representing JSC National Bank Trust, and OFAC-sanctioned foreign bank in an action for discovery under 28 U.S.C. 1782 in connection with its efforts to recover more than $1B in funds in BVI litigation.

Served as lead counsel for SBK ART LLC, a sanctioned foreign investment company in several actions for discovery under 28 U.S.C. 1782 in connection with its efforts to challenge its designation by the European Council as well as a $500+ million commercial dispute.

Securities and Investment Litigations:

Served as lead counsel representing two foreign investment firms in action to recover $20 million from brokers of a private investment in a satellite technology company.

Served as lead counsel representing 107 investors in an EB-5 program seeking to recover more than $55 million in lost capital.

Served as lead counsel in S.E.C. v. Samel, representing former hedge fund employee.

Represented multiple investors accused of violating Section 16(b) rules on short-swing profits.

Appeals:

Served as appellate counsel in In Re Application of SBK ART LLC in Second Circuit appeal.

Served as appellate counsel in a matter involving a multi-million-dollar brokerage claim in First Department Appeal.

Internal Investigations/Non-Public Representations:

Represented a Washington D.C. think tank in connection with allegations of violation of Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Represented several former employees of a New-York based trade finance hedge fund in connection with a confidential S.E.C. investigation.

General Commercial Litigation:

Served as lead counsel representing a doctor and nine members of an ICU's medical staff in three separate actions against a hospital and its parent organization whose false allegations resulted in the doctor being indicted for 25 counts of murder, for which he was ultimately acquitted.

Represented two financial-industry executives against a former employer seeking to enforce restrictive covenants/non-compete agreements and claiming a theft of trade secrets in an expedited federal litigation.

Represented healthcare industry client seeking to enforce restrictive covenants in a corporate raiding case.

Represented magazine publisher in an action to collect a $62 million judgment.

Represented a software company and its principal in defense of copyright, breach of contract, and unfair competition claims.

Represented a group of more than 90 investors in three jointly-managed hedge funds in an action against the funds' administrators, auditor, and prime broker.

Represented a top-tier university and a member of its faculty in a defense of defamation and copyright claims brought by a former professor.

Represented a defendant clothing designer in a suit brought by a former consultant in connection with an alleged oral partnership agreement.

Represented a private investigation company and its principal in defense of privacy violation claims brought by the target of an investigation.

Represented an investment manager in defense of a petition for pre-action discovery.

Represented a small business in its efforts to enforce a restrictive covenant against a former independent contractor.