On June 16, 2011, Law360 published a Q&A with Robbins Umeda LLP’s* co-founder and managing partner Brian J. Robbins as part of the publication’s ongoing Top Litigators Q&A series profiling litigators across the U.S.

In the interview, which appeared in the California, Securities and Class Action sections of Law360's website, Robbins cites the shareholder derivative litigation on behalf of American International Group Inc. (AIG) as a recent challenging case. According to Robbins, the case – which settled in April – was litigated in multiple forums over several years and involved both state and federal claims, making it extremely complex to litigate.  As the lead counsel in the consolidated federal action, Robbins Umeda LLP pursued shareholder claims on behalf of AIG against its current and former executives and directors in connection with a bid-rigging scheme with Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., sham reinsurance transactions with General Re Corporation, and other activities intended to falsify AIG’s financial results.  The firm's aggressive pursuit of the company's claims alongside its colleagues paid off, and the result was a settlement that included a $90 million payment to AIG – one of the largest settlements ever in a shareholder derivative action.

Robbins also says in the interview that success would not come without thorough preparation: “whether for a trial, a hearing or anything I am working on…my goal is always to take the complex and translate it into something focused and easy to digest.  In order to do this, I have to be well prepared.”  Robbins has learned, moreover, that to become a leader in his field, he must pay attention to each and every detail, “whether it is your own wardrobe or leaving a typo in a brief — as you don’t ever want to be caught with your pants down.”

Law360 is a leading online resource for business lawyers and other legal professionals.  The site attracts 29,000 monthly visitors.

* The firm name changed from Robbins Umeda LLP to Robbins LLP on January 1, 2013.