Doug draws on decades of intensive and wide-ranging litigation experience, both civil and criminal — bringing unmatched depth and perspective to his work. He has handled high-stakes litigation across a broad range of subject areas, including securities fraud, accountants’ liability, complex commercial disputes, and corporate takeover battles.
Doug began his legal career as Law Clerk to Hon. Warren E. Burger on the District of Columbia Circuit. He then joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as a Criminal Division AUSA. During his four years there, Doug tried 15 criminal cases to verdict—nearly all before a jury – and argued numerous appeals in the Second Circuit. (In his final year at SDNY, Doug served as Assistant Chief Appellate Attorney.)
Doug then entered private practice at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, where he was a litigation partner for over 30 years. After retiring from Wachtell Lipton, Doug served under Hon. Robert Morgenthau for five-plus years as a Special Assistant DA for New York County. There, Doug was assigned to Investigation Division Central, a unit of senior ADAs conducting grand jury investigations into money laundering, terrorist financing, tax fraud, and other complex financial crimes.
Doug’s proudest career achievement is his successful representation of a wrongfully-convicted defendant whose case came to Doug’s desk only after he’d already served many years in prison. Doug was able to prove that police and prosecutors had suppressed material exculpatory evidence. His advocacy persuaded the Brooklyn DA’s Office to join in a successful application to vacate the wrongful conviction. Doug then brought a follow-on civil-rights damages action against the City of New York, resulting in a substantial settlement for his client. (Walker v. City of New York, 974 F.2d 293 (2d Cir. 1992).)
