Name and co-founding partner, and Co-Chair of the firm's Antitrust Group, Hector Torres is one of the nation’s top lawyers for the prosecution of antitrust and other complex commercial cases, and recognized by clients for “outstanding” results, “excellent work product, exceptional service, timely and wise advice and recognition of business implications.” He has represented major U.S. and foreign corporations in a broad range of actions involving antitrust, intellectual property, securities fraud, environmental, product liability, qui tam and contract matters in federal and state courts. He has prosecuted and defended cases involving transnational antitrust, commercial and insurance disputes before domestic and international arbitration tribunals.
Hector has been recognized by Lawdragon as one of the 2019 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in the U.S. for antitrust litigation. He was honored as a “M&A and Antitrust Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal in 2017, and as a 2015 “Litigation Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal, which celebrated 50 lawyers from throughout the country who advanced their legal practice through the use of innovative strategies and for exemplary achievements in the legal profession. He was also honored in 2018 as a “Top Latino Lawyer” by Latino Leaders Magazine in recognition of his pioneering work in antitrust cases and leadership in the Hispanic community. He has been recognized in Who’s Who Legal: Competition and highlighted in The Legal 500 US Litigation: Commercial, Antitrust and Securities: Shareholder Litigation practice areas. He has also been named as both a national and local “litigation star” in Benchmark Litigation and featured in New York Super Lawyers.
Hector currently serves on the Committee on Character and Fitness for the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department. He was appointed and served as a member of Governor George Pataki’s New York State Judicial Screening Committee for the First Department from 2002 to 2006. He has also served on the Yale Law School Association’s Executive Committee.
Work Highlights
- Lead global outside counsel for a major automaker in obtaining affirmative recoveries in connection with price-fixing, bid-rigging and customer allocation cartels involving more than 90 automotive parts suppliers, and impacted purchases in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, described by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice as its largest criminal antitrust investigation, resulting in nearly $3 billion in criminal fines.
- U.S. Bank, as trustee of 13 RMBS securitization trusts, in actions seeking more than $6 billion for breaches of representations and warranties made by the sellers and loan originators with respect to the mortgage loans pooled in these securitizations. Defendants include affiliates of Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and UBS.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”), as conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in numerous actions, seeking rescission or damages from financial institutions and individuals for, among other things, defendants’ misrepresentations concerning pools of mortgage loans that underlie residential mortgage-backed securities issued and securitized by the defendants and sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Cases settled with FHFA recovering $1.37 billion.
- Teva, the global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Israel, and its US subsidiary Actavis, in defending a number of antitrust class actions.
- Google in obtaining dismissal with prejudice of $1.6 billion antitrust claims against Google under the Sherman Act for alleged monopolization and alleged violation of the California unfair competition state law.
- Anderson News in an antitrust action alleging a conspiracy among the leading magazine publishers and distributors to boycott Anderson forcing it into bankruptcy.
- Le-Nature’s Liquidation Trust in action arising from massive Ponzi scheme causing more than $500 million in damages to Le-Nature’s estate. For this representation, Hector was selected as The American Lawyer's Litigator of the Week.
- Obtaining dismissal and negotiating favorable settlements on behalf of MBIA, the world’s largest monoline insurer, in four separate state and federal actions brought against the company by 19 of the world’s largest financial institutions, bondholders and a putative nationwide class represented by several hedge funds – all arising from MBIA’s $5 billion corporate restructuring in 2009.
- Source Interlink Distribution and Source Interlink Companies in an antitrust action alleging that leading magazine publishers and distributors conspired to force Source out of the wholesale single-issue magazine market. One commentator noted: “Standing in the way of the publishers’ alleged conspiracy, like Superman in front of a speeding locomotive, has been Kasowitz Benson.” The case settled on favorable terms.
- Successful defense of CNA Holdings, Celanese Americas Corporation, Hoechst GmbH and Celanese GmbH in multi-district litigation involving alleged price-fixing conspiracy in the North American polyester staple fiber market.
- Successful prosecution of Sherman Act and unfair competition claims on behalf of Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Tomen America in international arbitrations and litigation arising from global parcel tanker price-fixing conspiracy.
- Successful prosecution of Sherman Act and unfair competition claims on behalf of Transammonia and Trammochem in international arbitrations arising from parcel tanker price-fixing conspiracy.
- Successful representation of large Central American financial group in dispute arising from $1.5 billion bank sale to Citigroup.
- In a complex toxic tort action, successfully obtained summary judgment dismissal of failure-to-warn and related claims against Celanese based on the federal pre-emption doctrine and the OSHA Hazardous Communication Standard.
- Successful prosecution of Sherman Act and unfair competition claims on behalf of Nidera Handelscompagnie, Transgrain Transport and Transgrain Shipping in international arbitrations arising from parcel tanker price-fixing conspiracy.
- Successful prosecution of Sherman Act and unfair competition claims on behalf of Celanese, Celanese Chemicals Europe GmbH, Celanese Pte., Grupo Celanese S.A., Servicios Corporativos Celanese S. de RL de C.V. and Acetex Corporation in international arbitrations arising from parcel tanker price-fixing conspiracy.
- Successful defense of Celanese in $500 million contract action in Texas state court against Celanese.
- Successful prosecution of fraud and misappropriation of business opportunity claims against AIG subsidiary, American Life Insurance Company on behalf of Argentina-based AIVA, in federal district court in Delaware, and in international arbitration under Inter-America Commission Arbitration Commission.
- Successful prosecution of securities fraud claims against Serfin Securities on behalf of Mexico-based Lamuno family.
- Successful defense of Celanese in lawsuits by hundreds of IBM employees alleging chemical exposure in microchip-manufacturing facilities.
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