Peter Kazanoff

Pete E. Kazanoff is a Partner in the Firm’s Litigation Department. His practice focuses on securities litigation, including class and derivative actions in federal and state courts, M&A-related disputes involving both private equity and corporate clients, and claims arising out of financial frauds.

Pete’s representations have included:

• TD Bank in litigation following the collapse of Stanford Financial;
• KKR in shareholder actions challenging multi-billion dollar transactions, including acquisitions of Envision Healthcare, PharMerica, KFN, Gardner Denver, Del Monte, TXU, HCA, Dollar General and Laureate Education;
• PAAMCO and Prisma in litigation arising out of investments made by The Kentucky Retirement System;
• TD Bank in shareholder derivative litigation arising out of TD Ameritrade’s acquisition of Scottrade Financial;
• Special Committee of GGP in shareholder litigation challenging its acquisition by Brookfield;
• Walter Investment Management and its senior officers in federal securities litigation;
• Leading underwriters, including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, and TD, in securities litigations arising out of public offerings;
• Eaton in federal securities litigation arising out of its transaction with Cooper Industries;
• Blackstone in shareholder litigation challenging its acquisitions of Polymer Group and Prime Hospitality;
• Special Committee of Mediacom Communications in shareholder litigation challenging a take-private transaction; and
• People’s United Bank in shareholder litigations arising out of several acquisitions.

The Legal 500 recognizes Pete in Financial Services, M&A (“Leading Lawyer”) and Securities Litigation, and notes his “forceful and strategic thinking.” Pete is also recognized as a “Litigation Star” by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation. In addition, he is an editor of the Firm’s Securities Law Alert, a monthly newsletter that reports on developments in securities litigation and related areas.

Pete joined Simpson Thacher in 1997 and became a Partner in 2006. He received his A.B., magna cum laude, from Bowdoin College in 1992 and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Chicago Law School in 1997.

Education:

• University of Chicago Law School, 1997 J.D.
  • cum laude
• Bowdoin College, 1992 A.B.
  • magna cum laude, Economics and Government

Associations:

• American Bar Association, 1997–Present
• New York State Bar Association, 1997–Present
• City of New York Bar Association, 1997–Present

Admissions:

• New York 1998
• U.S. District Court Southern District of New York 1998
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York 1998
• U.S. District Court Western District of New York 2000
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 2010
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit 2001