Claude Szyfer concentrates his work in antitrust, commodities and derivatives law, real estate litigation and counseling and general litigation. His diverse practice involves representing major financial institutions such as trading firms, utilities, major financial institutions and trade associations. Mr. Szyfer has participated in both jury and non-jury trials in both Federal and State Court, and has an active antitrust counseling practice. Fluent in Spanish, Mr. Szyfer’s practice often involves the representation of international financial institutions both in the United States and abroad, particularly in with respect to international insolvency proceedings.

Mr. Szyfer’s antitrust work has involved representing both plaintiff and defendants in actions involving many different antitrust issues, including:

Defending the merger of two major hospitals from a challenge by the Department of Justice, which went to trial and resulted in a judgment in favor of the merging hospitals;

Defending a major financial institution accused of participating in a conspiracy to suppress electronic trading of corporate and municipal bonds;

Defending a real estate trade association and numerous of its constituent members in an antitrust action involving allegations regarding the suppression of competition in the listings technology marketplace;

Presently participating in the defense of two not-for-profit health insurance companies seeking to merge;

Representing the interests of a major financial institution with respect to the merger of the CBOT and the CME; and

Representing a major clearing firm alleging antitrust violations by an electronic commodities trading platform.

In addition to the antitrust work, Mr. Szyfer specializes in commodities and derivatives law. Mr. Szyfer has provided all types of representation to trading firms and financial institutions involved in the trading of commodities and the execution of derivative contracts and other types of futures and forward contracts. He has served as counsel for plaintiffs and defendants in actions arising from contracts for the purchase and sale of power, natural gas, crude oil, petroleum products and coal. In addition, Mr. Szyfer has represented numerous counterparties and trading firms as creditors in the Enron, Mirant, Black Diamond Mining Company LLC and ASARCO Chapter 11 proceedings.

Mr. Szyfer served as a law clerk for Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, United States District Court Judge, Southern District of New York, during the years 1998-1999.

Memberships

Committee on Second Circuit Courts, Federal Bar Council, 1999-present

Activities

Co-author, "Supreme Court Relaxes View of Tying Patents," New York Law Journal, March 27, 2006; Co-author, The Importance Of Consent-to-Record Provisions in ISDA Master Agreements, Derivatives Week, February 7, 2005; Co-author, "Recent Developments in Ancillary Proceedings in the United States Bankruptcy Courts," International Bar Association Committee J News, September 2003; Co-author, Determining Debtors’ Class Actions, New York Law Journal (Bankruptcy Section), November 19, 2001; Co-Author, Private Taping of Conversations: What the Law Says, New York Law Journal, May 31, 2000

Admitted to Practice

New York, 1996

United States Supreme Court, 2000

United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

Education

J.D., New York University School of Law, 1995; Notes and Articles Editor, Journal of International Law and Politics

B.A., with honors, Wesleyan University, 1990