Brian K. Cifuentes - Partner

Brian Cifuentes is an experienced commercial litigator whose practice focuses on a wide range of litigation and dispute resolution in such areas as complex commercial, employment, antitrust, product liability, and toxic tort actions in state and federal courts, and before arbitration panels. Brian helps corporate and individual clients navigate crisis situations and resolve complex commercial and employment disputes representing clients in the financial services, insurance, and equipment and chemical manufacturing industries. He has represented clients including Morgan Stanley, BASF, Hormel, and Whirlpool in these industries, helping them navigate through and efficiently handle all phases of the litigation process. Brian is also involved in the firm's product liability and toxic tort practice, aiding in the defense of clients in national asbestos litigation. Brian’s current and past matters include: 

• Defense of an international chemical manufacturing company in a federal breach of contract and fraud action based on negotiations for the purchase of a mining and chemical processing facility; 

• Representation of a financial institution in a FINRA arbitration brought by a broker-dealer in connection with a series of multimillion-dollar mortgage-backed securities trades and successfully obtaining an arbitration award;

• Defense of a major insurance company against antitrust claims brought in federal and state courts by commercial insureds alleging bid-rigging, market allocation, and the improper use of broker commissions;

• Defense of a payment card network against antitrust claims brought by a putative class of merchants in the United States, challenging the credit card interchange system as a form of price fixing in violation of the Sherman Act;

• Representation of client in a multi-week arbitration of a commodities index market manipulation case before the Intercontinental Exchange;

• Representation of an international chemical manufacturing company in federal court in the successful prevention of attachment of certain licensing and royalty fees in connection with the Argentine bond default matters;

• Representation of a major equipment manufacturer in a AAA arbitration regarding a breach of a services contract and successfully obtaining an arbitration award, including attorneys’ fees, and dismissing all counterclaims;

• Representation of a major food manufacturer in connection with a breach of contract claim and successfully obtaining a monetary judgment, including an award for attorneys’ fees;

• Obtaining a restraining order, declaratory relief, and a monetary judgment, including attorneys’ fees, in connection with Defendant’s improper retention of well-known artwork;

• Experience representing clients in employment-related disputes in connection with non-compete and non-solicitation agreements;

• Representation of an automotive refinish product manufacturer in state and federal breach of contract actions nationwide;

• Defense of major equipment manufacturer in breach of contract, breach of warranty, and products liability matters in state and federal courts nationwide;

• Defense of manufacturers of products and equipment in products liability and toxic tort suits alleging wrongful death and serious bodily injury.

While in law school, Brian served as an editor of the New York City Law Review and was selected as a summer fellow by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and as an honors intern for the New York City Law Department. Brian is fluent in Spanish and a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association.

Prior to joining the firm, Brian was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.