The National Law Journal Names Mark P. Ressler and Michael A. Hanin Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazers

Kasowitz Benson Torres partners Mark P. Ressler and Michael A. Hanin have been named Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazers in recognition of their groundbreaking work representing plaintiffs in some of the country’s most complex commercial disputes.

Mr. Ressler was recognized for his pioneering work in establishing the country’s leading practice representing prominent companies and government entities facing catastrophic financial losses and business disruption caused by consulting firms that botched software implementations.  His efforts have enabled clients to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in damages stemming from failed projects involving SAP, Oracle and other ERP software platforms.  On behalf of Copart, Mr. Ressler and his Kasowitz team won a precedent-setting $25 million verdict after a four-week jury trial against Sparta Consulting and its parent, KPIT Infosystems—the first time a jury found a consulting firm liable for professional negligence.  He also represented National Grid in an action against a software vendor involving a $1 billion SAP software implementation, and recently filed an action for Lubrizol, a Berkshire Hathaway company, against IBM arising out of a failed SAP implementation.

Mr. Hanin was recognized for his cutting-edge work and successes for a group of noteholders holding over $1.4 billion in notes issued by the National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts, the largest securitization of student loans, in litigations concerning the management and control of the Trusts.  His groundbreaking wins against the Trusts’ equity owners before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court in Delaware, and the Delaware Court of Chancery, which affirmed noteholders’ priority rights in the securitized collateral and subjected the Trusts’ residual owners to fiduciary duties, have been instrumental in helping to ensure that securitization trusts are managed for the benefit of their noteholders and other senior secured stakeholders.

Read Mark P. Ressler and Michael A. Hanin’s Plaintiffs’ Trailblazers Profiles.