Scott D. Laton is a veteran attorney with substantial experience litigating complex commercial disputes in state and federal court. His areas of practice include insurance, business litigation and employment law. Scott has represented companies across an array of industries including insurance, media, banking and finance. He has regularly advised and successfully represented private equity firms and their portfolio companies in a host of disputes. Additionally, Scott has substantial transactional experience which informs a bottom-line-oriented approach to advising his clients from the early-stage evaluation of disputes through trial.

After clerking for the Hon. Edward R. Korman, then Chief Judge in the Eastern District of New York, Scott began his career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Scott’s experience at Simpson Thacher included representing numerous insurance companies in coverage disputes, a major airline in conjunction with a government investigation relating to its cargo business, a leading private equity firm in a derivative shareholder suit arising out of the acquisition of one of the world’s largest hotel chains, a major investment bank in relation to a government investigation, the Natural Resources Defense Council in a suit challenging the importation of Peruvian Mahogany and an international law firm in a dispute arising out of a series of real estate transactions.

Following his tenure at Simpson Thacher, Scott worked at MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc. where he served as Special Counsel to the Chairman.

Representative Cases:

• Representation of a multinational insurance company as subrogee in a suit against a Chinese electronics manufacturing company.
• Representation of a private equity portfolio company in a dispute arising from the sale of the company and the disposition of certain assets. The court dismissed the case and vacated a temporary restraining order following argument on a motion for expedited discovery.
• Representation of a private equity portfolio company in a dispute with its founder and former CEO pertaining to certain restrictive covenants. The dispute was successfully resolved after mediation.
• Representation of a multinational FOREX trading company in a dispute with a U.S.-based software developer. The dispute was successfully resolved prior to the onset of litigation.
• Representation of a multinational modeling agency and its owner defending claims arising from loans made by a U.S.-based investment fund to the agency. The court granted Defendants’ motion to dismiss.
• Representation of an art collector in a dispute with an international gallery. The dispute was successfully resolved after mediation.
• Representation of a senior executive of a multinational investment bank in a dispute arising from a personal real estate transaction. The dispute was successfully resolved after the executive prevailed on a motion to dismiss.
• Representation of two multinational insurance companies in several declaratory judgment actions arising from a controversial verdict holding manufacturers of lead paint responsible for the presence of lead paint throughout the state of Rhode Island under a public nuisance theory.

Prior to law school, Scott investigated police misconduct for the Civilian Complaint Review Board in New York City.