Amina Hassan

Amina Hassan represents U.S. and foreign clients in a wide range of litigation matters.  Her practice focuses on complex financial litigation and investigations.  She has represented U.S. and foreign clients, notably in the areas of:

• Securities and crypto litigation 
• Auditor defense
• Unfair competition and employment litigation & arbitration

Amina has also represented clients in whistleblowing, trade secret and bankruptcy and SIPA litigation.  She regularly counsels clients on labor and employment matters and crypto-securities compliance.  She has experience litigating class actions, handling cross-border matters and representing clients before regulatory and administrative agencies.

Amina's notable recent representations include: 

• Dismissal of all claims against a former Wall Street executive in a crypto-fraud jury trial
• Representing a Big Four accounting firm in a complex, cross-border PCAOB investigation
• Second Circuit appellate victory for employers sued by a former student-employee in a disability discrimination suit 
• Representing the European entities of the former Nortel Networks enterprise in the first U.S.-Canadian cross-border trial in history
• Representing the Trustee for the liquidation of Lehman Brothers Inc. in multi-billion dollar litigations and claims’ negotiations

In 2017, Amina completed a secondment at Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc., where she worked as Legal Advisor to the broker-dealer’s Commodities & Global Markets division.  

Amina also maintains an active pro bono practice.  She has run an outreach program with Volunteers of Legal Services, providing legal services to students and families at a New York City school.  Amina has also represented clients in prisoners’ rights, shareholder derivative, immigration and housing cases.

• Representing a former Wall Street executive in a securities, crypto-fraud jury trial.  Resulting in complete jury trial win.  (District Court of Connecticut)
• Advising a foreign tokenized exchange on whether a token constitutes a security under U.S. federal securities law
• Advising a foreign entity on whether an entertainment-related token constitutes a security under U.S. federal securities law 
• Due diligence for client on litigation exposure to a potential acquisition target based on an Initial Coin Offering 
• Representing Ferro Corporation in a multi-case products liability action.  Ongoing.  (Eastern District of New York)
• Representing a Big Four accounting firm in a PCAOB investigation related to the firm's audit of a major foreign telecommunications company.  Case settled.  (PCAOB)
• Representing a Big Four accounting firm in a whistleblower action under the False Claims Act related to the firm's audit of an electric utilities cooperative.  Dismissal of all claims.  (Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals)
• Representing a Big Four accounting firm in a RICO action related to the firm's audit of an electric utilities cooperative.  Dismissal of all claims. (Third Circuit Court of Appeals)  
• Representing a Big Four accounting firm in professional negligence action related to the firm's tax services.  Dismissal of certain claims; settlement following mediation of remaining claims. (N.Y. Supreme, Second Dept.)
• Representing a Big Four accounting firm in securities class action related to the firm's audit of a reinsurance company.  Claims either dismissed or settled.  (Southern District of New York)
• Representing a Big Four accounting firm in professional negligence action related to the firm's audit of a manufacturing company.  Claims dismissed. (Southern District of New York)
• Representing a senior executive of a global telecommunications firm in connection with potential whistleblower claims under federal securities law.  Case settled.  (Pre-litigation settlement)
• Representing a senior executive of a large multinational medical device company in trade secret litigation.  Case settled.  (Western District of Tennessee)
• Representing American University of Antigua (AUA) and Manipal Education Americas (MEA) in a disability discrimination action filed by a former medical student.  Resulting in dismissal of claims by the district and appellate courts.  (Southern District of New York, Second Circuit Court of Appeals)
• Representing a casino and hotel developer and operator in a national origin discrimination case.  Ongoing.  (District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands)
• Representing U.S. and U.K. entities of a global foreign exchange company in a sexual orientation discrimination case by former executive.  Case settled following removal of case to arbitration.  (New York State Court, JAMS)
• Representing Vertex Aerospace LLC and L3 Technologies in a race discrimination case.  Summary judgment granted; upheld on appeal.  (Southern District of New York)
• Representing Flushing Bank in multiple employment matters against a former employee, arising under the New York faithless servant doctrine, New York State Human Rights Law and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.  Case settled.  (New York State Court and OSHA)
• Representing the U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese Bank in a gender discrimination case by a former employee.  Settlement following JAMS mediation.  (JAM Arbitration)
• Representing Teledyne e2v against ancestry-based discrimination claims by two former employees.  Settlement following summary judgment briefing.  (California Superior Court)
• Representing Schaffer, Schonholz & Drossman, a radiology firm, in insurance litigation.  Decision in favor of client following oral argument.  (New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department)
• Representing Trustee of Lehman Brothers Inc. in investigating, negotiating and litigating multiple unsecured general creditor claims.  (Bankr. Court, Southern District of New York)
• Representing insolvency administrators of Nortel group's European affiliates in U.S.-Canadian cross-border trial regarding allocation of $7.3 billion raised by asset sales.  Case settled following trial.  (Delaware District Court, Ontario Superior Court)
• Representing Trustee of Lehman Brothers Inc. in trial of a $7 billion contract dispute arising from the sale of Lehman Brother's broker-dealer business to Barclays Capital Inc.  Settled following appeal. (Bankr. Court, Southern District of New York)
• Representing Trustee of Lehman Brothers Inc. in litigation and settlement of over $30 billion in claims by insolvency administrators of Lehman Brothers' European broker dealer.  (Bankr. Court, Southern District of New York)