Robert B Fiske Jr

Mr. Fiske is senior counsel in Davis Polk’s Litigation Department, practicing with special emphasis in professional liability, securities, products liability and white collar crime. He has tried many cases concerning a wide variety of industries and areas of the law in courts across the country. Mr. Fiske also has significant products liability experience; has represented prominent law firms in professional liability matters; and has represented audit committees in internal investigations. His experience as a government prosecutor is extensive. Work Highlights REPRESENTATIONS Clark Clifford and Robert Altman in investigations of their roles in the BCCI matter Exxon in New York and New Jersey investigations of the Arthur Kill oil spill Prudential Securities in the complex of proceedings arising out of its limited partnership sales practices Co-counsel in the successful defense of the National Football League in the antitrust suit brought by the U.S. Football League The New York Mets in the successful defense of an effort by Cablevision to block the formation of the Mets cable TV network with Time Warner and Comcast Siemens AG in the negotiations of a resolution of Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission investigations into international bribery charges Audit committee of Bear Stearns in investigation into collapse of high-risk hedge funds FINANCIAL AND SECURITIES EXPERIENCE Representation of General Electric, Exxon, Bankers Trust and other clients in securities actions Obtained a reversal and judgment of acquittal in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals of the mail fraud conviction of David Brown, former chairman of the board of General Development Corporation PRODUCTS LIABILITY EXPERIENCE Successfully defended a $4 billion suit arising out of the Three Mile Island accident, brought by General Public Utilities against Babcock & Wilcox, which had designed and manufactured the nuclear reactor Obtained reversals in the Missouri Supreme Court of two multi-million dollar compensatory and punitive damage verdicts against Suzuki after trials involving a rollover of the Suzuki Samurai sport-utility vehicle GOVERNMENT PROSECUTORIAL EXPERIENCE Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York, 1957-1961 U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York, 1976-1980; served as Chairman of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys Independent Counsel, Whitewater Investigation, January to October 1994 DURING HIS FOUR-YEAR TERM AS U.S. ATTORNEY, MR. FISKE PERSONALLY HANDLED A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT CASES, INCLUDING: The conviction of narcotics kingpin Leroy “Nicky” Barnes The labor racketeering conviction of Anthony Scotto and Anthony Anastasio The representation of Attorney General Griffin B. Bell in connection with contempt proceedings in the Socialist Workers Party litigation PUBLIC SERVICE EXPERIENCE WHILE AT DAVIS POLK Member of the New York State Judicial Compensation Commission, 2011 Represented the Judicial Council of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in disciplinary proceedings against a U.S. District Judge Chairman of the Judicial Commission on Drugs and the Courts appointed by New York State Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye Member of the Commission for the Review of FBI Security Programs (Webster Commission) Special Advisor to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in investigation of New York State Police Recognition Mr. Fiske is a senior member of Davis Polk’s White Collar Criminal Defense Group, which was named a “White Collar Group of the Year” by Law360 for 2012. He has been recognized as a leading lawyer in several legal industry publications, including: Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business Legal Media Group’s Benchmark Litigation Law Business Research’s Who’s Who Legal–International Who’s Who of Commercial Litigators Woodward/White’s Best Lawyers in America In addition, Mr. Fiske’s esteemed practice in high-stakes litigation has earned him the honor of being named “New York Bet-the-Company Litigator of the Year (for both 2009 and 2010)” by Best Lawyers. AWARDS Federal Bar Council’s Emory Buckner Medal for Distinguished Public Service, 1987 New York City Bar Association Medal and the Fordham-Stein Prize, 2007 The American Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Award, 2008 Michigan Law School Inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award, 2011 Of Note CURRENT MEMBERSHIP Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers (President, 1991-1992) Member, Federal Bar Council (President, 1982-1984) Fellow, American Academy of Appellate Lawyers Member, University of Michigan President’s Advisory Group Trustee, Vermont Law School PAST MEMBERSHIPS Chairman, Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary, American Bar Association Chairman, Planning and Program Committee, Judicial Conference of the Second Circuit Professional History Senior Counsel, 2010-present Partner, 1964-2010 Associate, 1955-1964