Isaac Nesser, chair of the firm's National Banking and Financial Institutions Practice, is an accomplished trial lawyer who for nearly two decades has represented businesses in their most difficult and important disputes, with a focus on claims arising from the sale and management of complex financial products. Isaac has recovered more than $3.5 billion for his clients when representing plaintiffs. In 2021, Isaac was named a securities law MVP by Law360—one of only five in the country—in recognition of his leadership in recovering more than $1.3 billion across scores of litigations in which the presiding judge noted “the excellent reputation of Plaintiff's counsel is well deserved,” that Isaac's teams performed “outstanding, highest-level work,” and that Isaac's teams were “unquestionably candid, prepared, well-organized, effective, thorough, and respectful.” In recent years, Isaac has represented clients in the financial services, fintech, real estate, energy, and telecommunications industries, among others.
- Ambac Financial
- Amtrust Financial
- American International Group
- Circle Internet Financial
- Cross River Bank
- FTX (as debtor)
- Impac Mortgage
- Mercuria Energy
- NextEra Energy
- ResCap Liquidating Trust
- Softbank Group entities
- Representing FTX and affiliated entities as litigation counsel in their pending Chapter 11 proceedings.
- Represented the Ditech Plan Administrator in defense of claims concerning reverse mortgage loans serviced by Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
- Representing Ambac in defense of claims relating to privatized military housing securitizations.
- Representing Amtrust Financial and other parties in defense of claims relating to trust preferred securities.
- Representing Cross River Bank in various disputes concerning loans issued pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program.
- Multiple past and ongoing representations of energy producers and purchasers in disputes concerning ISDA swaps arising out of Winter Storm Uri.
- Multiple past and ongoing representations in disputes concerning SPAC transactions in the fintech space.
- Representing mortgage originator in defense of indemnity claims concerning securitized residential mortgages.
- Represented the ResCap Liquidating Trust in scores of cases against correspondent lenders, relating to the origination, sale, and securitization of billions of dollars of residential mortgages; recoveries exceeded $1.2 billion.
- Represented AIG against Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Countrywide, and others in claims relating to the marketing and sale of mortgage-backed securities; recoveries exceeded $2 billion.
- Represented Charles Schwab & Co. in a Martin Act proceeding by the New York Attorney General relating to the sale of auction rate securities.
- Represented a bank in litigation relating to the sale and management of a CDO.
- Represented an asset manager in an appeal concerning the disposition of commercial mortgage-backed securities.
- Represented a real estate asset manager in litigation relating to alleged breaches of contract and fiduciary duty.
- Represented a hedge fund in a multi-forum dispute against its joint venture partner arising out of the sale of stranger-owned life insurance.
- Represented the nation’s largest holder of educational broadband spectrum licenses in a licensing dispute with a leading wireless carrier.
- Represented AIG in pursuit of indemnity, contribution, and other claims against reinsurance brokers.
- Lender Liability & Other Banking Financial Institution Litigation
- Appellate Practice
- Class Action Litigation
- Investment Fund Litigation
- Litigation Representing Plaintiffs
- Real Estate Litigation
- Structured Finance & Derivatives Litigation
- Transnational Litigation
- Product Liability & Mass Torts Litigation
- Blockchain and Digital Asset Practice
- Yale Law School
(J.D., 2003) - Columbia College
(B.A., Political Science and Music, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 2000)
- The State Bar of New York
- The State Bar of New Jersey
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals:
- Second Circuit
- Ninth Circuit
- United States District Courts:
- Southern District of New York
- Eastern District of New York
- District of New Jersey
- Named Law360 MVP for Securities Litigation, 2021
- Named one of Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, 2020, 2021, and 2022
- Panelist, American Constitution Society National Convention, Globalization, Corporate Accountability and the Courts, June 17, 2011.
- Guest Lecturer, Columbia Law School, Alien Tort Statute Litigation and Socio-Economic Rights, Nov. 30, 2007.