Lisa A. Cahill

Areas of Concentration

Following the conclusion of a two-year federal district court clerkship with the Honorable T.F. Gilroy Daly in the District of Connecticut, Lisa Cahill moved in 1992 to New York City. She has practiced criminal defense law and civil litigation in roughly equal measure alongside Hughes Hubbard’s White Collar Group chair, Edward J.M. Little, ever since. Over that time, she was elected to the partnerships of the Zuckerman Spaeder and Hughes Hubbard law firms, accepted into the New York Council of Defense Lawyers, and awarded an AV Peer Review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest such rating.

Over the course of her 17 years in private practice, Ms. Cahill has developed particular expertise in U.S. Sentencing Guidelines matters, federal civil motion practice (she has won numerous summary judgment and other dismissal motions), and in federal criminal motion practice and other legal aspects of criminal cases, including the jury instruction process. She has represented clients at federal sentencings in the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and the District of Kansas.

Professional highlights over Ms. Cahill’s career include identification, development and preservation at the trial level of the so-called Parr argument in a federal criminal case widely dubbed the “Enron of Kansas.” The Tenth Circuit relied on Parr, until then a relatively obscure Supreme Court decision, in reversing all 30 counts of conviction returned against firm client Douglas Lake. Together with Mr. Little, Ms. Cahill successfully defended a former senior mutual fund sales executive in parallel SEC and State Attorney General investigations into alleged market timing improprieties, and is currently defending a former Bear Stearns hedge fund portfolio manager in various high profile civil and regulatory litigations arising out of the close of two Bear Stearns hedge funds.

Ms. Cahill is a frequent contributor to the “Outside Counsel” column of the New York Law Journal and has had seven articles relating to criminal defense issues published there in recent years.

Selected Matters

• Coordinated legal aspects of defense of former corporate executive to 40-count federal corporate fraud indictment, carrying responsibility for all pretrial motions and jury charge negotiations. All counts of conviction reversed by Tenth Circuit based on legal record made at trial. Also represented client at sentencing.
• Defended former senior mutual fund sales executive in parallel SEC and State Attorney General investigations into alleged market timing and other alleged unlawful activity.
• Substantial involvement in prosecution of Rule 33 motion for a new trial in Southern District of New York based on newly discovered evidence. Motion granted.
• Second-chair in six-week federal jury trial in Eastern District of New York, representing client indicted on money laundering and wire fraud charges.
• Conceived sovereign immunity argument and drafted written presentation of same which was believed to have influenced federal prosecutors’ decision not to prosecute client, a foreign bank implicated in reporting violations.
• Other extensive criminal experience, including handling matters before federal grand juries, extensive sentencing work in Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and internal investigations.
• Managed defense to federal district court complaint and was principal architect of motion to dismiss on behalf of international bank client in $150 million case, attracting highest management attention internally, involving RICO, fraud, and money laundering claims similar to those advanced in the Bank of New York Russian money laundering case. Plaintiff dismissed the action without prejudice.
• Managed Southern District of New York civil case and was principal architect of successful summary judgment motion resulting in dismissal in its entirety of $33+ million fraud case against broker-dealer client; identified notice of appeal defect and was architect of resulting successful Second Circuit motion to dismiss the appeal of the same summary judgment decision.
• Managed to successful conclusion prosecution of multi-million dollar federal litigation for prominent international bank client against copper producer involving copper dislocated following the collapse of Enron.
• Substantial involvement in prosecution of Southern District of New York Sherman Antitrust case against the dairy board of one of the largest dairy exporting nations in the world. Case resulted in favorable negotiated settlement for client, one of America’s largest cheese importers.
• Architect and drafter of successful motion for summary judgment in New York State Court action resulting in judgment of liability against defendants City of New York and one of its contractors on res ipsa grounds.

Professional Activities

• Member, New York Council of Defense Lawyers
• Member, New York City Women’s Criminal Defense Lawyers Group

Other Professional Experience

• Law clerk to U.S. District Judge T.F. Gilroy Daly (D. Conn.), 1990-1992.
• Partner, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, New York, New York, 1999-2002.
• Partner, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, New York, New York, 2006-2008.

Publications

• Author, Cases Highlight Minefield in Internal Investigations, New York Law Journal, May 21, 2009;
• Author, Recent, Possible Future Setbacks in FCPA Prosecutions, New York Law Journal, August 27, 2007;
• Author, "Cardinal Health" and Key Work Product Waiver Decision, New York Law Journal, March 20, 2007;
• Author, Trends at Third Anniversary of Bush's Corporate Fraud Task Force, New York Law Journal, August 17, 2005;
• Co-author (with Kevin F. Clines), 'Lauersen/Jackson' Is Good News for Defense Bar in Second Circuit, New York Law Journal, May 24, 2004;
• Co-author, Waiver Dangers Under the PROTECT Act, New York Law Journal, Aug. 25, 2003;
• Author, Internal Investigations and Waiving Corporate Privilege, New York Law Journal, Sept. 21, 2000; and
• Co-author, Nondelegation after Mistretta: Phoenix or Phaëthon, Vol. 31, No. 4, William & Mary Law Review.

Recognition

• AV Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell

Court Admissions

• Second Circuit Court of Appeals
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
• U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut

Other Experience

• Athletic adventures (three New York City Marathons – 1995, 1996, 2001; rode bicycle from Seattle to San Diego); travel.