David Langlois is a member of Sutherland's Litigation Practice Group and the firm's Energy and Environmental Practice Group, where his practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and arbitration of disputes primarily involving international trading institutions, energy companies and clients that finance international trading companies. He has represented commodity trading concerns primarily in oil, oil products and energy since the early 1970s; has represented clients in litigation throughout the country; and has assisted with litigations in foreign countries involving trading disputes, contract, insurance, admiralty, customs, banking, regulatory and related matters.
Among the disputes he has handled, David also has represented clients in post-merger corporate disputes through post-closing adjustments, breach of representations and warranties, and related disputes arising out of acquisitions and transactions. David has participated in many bench and jury trials as well numerous arbitrations during the past 30 years and has served as a party-selected and court-appointed arbitrator.
David has represented clients with respect to the purchase, sale, finance, transportation and production of bulk physical commodities including crude oil and oil products, grains and feeds, coffee, coal, metals, precious metals, scrap metals, minerals, ores and concentrates.
Representative Experience
David's extensive representative experience includes:
· Defending a refinery and trading company in consolidated multi-district litigations concerning methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) groundwater contamination throughout the United States.
· Trying significant claims against insurance companies under cargo/warehouse policies, resulting in judgments exceeding $30 million.
· Conducting an international arbitration for an oil trading company obtaining reformation of contract and significant monetary recovery against a major utility.
· Expediting a successful arbitration representing an industrial supplier against a major multi-national corporation seeking declaration of validity of an asserted $200 million-plus term contract.
· Counseling in connection with various aspects of an international trading company's business and operations.
· Counseling on issues related to futures exchanges and miscellaneous related matters.
· Defending a national bank in a lender liability and documentary credit trial.
· Presenting a test case before the Court of International Trade and Federal Circuit overruling customs classification of petroleum imports.
Professional and Community Involvement
· Member, Litigation Section and International Law Section, American Bar Association
· Member, Commercial and Federal Litigation Section and International Section, New York State Bar Association
· Member, New York City Bar Association
Legal Alerts
Legal Alert: Tenth Circuit Rules That Title Insurers Did Not Violate Antitrust Laws Even If They Allegedly Conspired to Bribe the State Superintendent of Insurance
May 3, 2011
Legal Alert: U.S. Supreme Court Rules Federal Arbitration Act Supersedes State Laws Vesting Jurisdiction in Administrative Forums
February 22, 2008
Legal Alert: Second Circuit Sends MTBE Actions Back to State Court
June 5, 2007