Robert H. Pees
Partner & General Counsel
rpees@akingump.com
Areas of Focus
- Class Actions
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- International Arbitration
- Investment Funds Litigation
- Disputes & Investigations
- Securities Enforcement & Litigation
- Investment Management
- Real Estate
- State Attorneys General
- Consumer Protection
- Sovereign and Government Investors
- Education
- Technology
- Fintech
- Commercial Arbitration & International Commercial Disputes
- International Investment Disputes
- Private Capital
Biography
- Litigator who acts as counsel in large lawsuits, including high-profile, complex, multidistrict litigation and significant arbitration
- Routinely advises funds clients on disputes
- Handles business disputes arising from mergers and acquisitions
Bob Pees handles commercial litigation and domestic and international arbitration arising from securities offerings and corporate transactions.
Bob frequently counsels investment funds and others regarding counter party risks. He has extensive experience in the area of class actions and multidistrict litigation and has served as counsel in many large, complex lawsuits, including high-profile, multidistrict litigation and significant arbitration.
Bob’s clients include:
- Financial services firms
- Broker-dealers
- Insurance industry intermediaries
- Investment funds
- Real estate limited partnerships.
Representative Work
- Represented members of an investment consortium in Section 1782 litigation relating to foreign proceeding arising from the collapse of Yukos Oil Company.
- Counseled a fund in Section 16(b) short-swing trading litigation. Developed a strategy for challenging a court’s jurisdiction to oppose potential disgorgement of up to $34 million in profits. The case involved novel constitutional issues, was dismissed and is currently on appeal.
- Assisted a technology company in defense of a consumer class action. At stake were significant reputational and financial damages. Developed and argued a strategy based on a variety of legal theories for dismissal of the case. Plaintiffs sought to claim that television manufacturers were “gaming” federal energy efficiency ratings in a fashion analogous to Volkswagen’s violations in the auto industry. Won dismissal of the case at an early stage with no damages. The precedent-setting win was beneficial to the client and the industry overall.
EducationJ.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude, 1987
B.A., University of Texas at Austin, summa cum laude, 1984
J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude, 1987
B.A., University of Texas at Austin, summa cum laude, 1984
Bar AdmissionsNew York
New York
Recognitions
- The Legal 500 U.S., Dispute Resolution, Securities Litigation, Defense, 2018 to 2019.
- BTI Consulting, Client Service All-Star and MVP, 2014 and 2015.
Speeches and Publications
- “How Should Educational Institutions Prepare for the Wave of Lawsuits from COVID-19?” Akin Webinar, May 21, 2020.
