Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

From its core litigation practice, Hughes Hubbard has spun off a number of niches and industry-specific practices. Now boasting a respected Capitol Hill presence and international offices, among other additions, the firm has diversified its practice scope and stretched its geographic reach since its founding more than 130 years ago.

Rising from the Ashes

Hughes Hubbard owes its existence to a disaster of grand scale: The Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. Firm founder Walter Carter made megabucks in insurance company litigation related to the fire, generating so much business that he relocated his practice to New York City, where he eventually took on a partner in future New York governor, Supreme Court Chief Justice, and Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes. Hughes’ son was also a partner in the firm and briefly the U.S. Solicitor General; he went back to the firm when his father was confirmed to the high court. Under Hughes’ influence, the firm keyed in on litigation work, eschewing the conventional Wall Street focuses. In a case that put it on the map, the firm defended the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) in a 1930s antitrust suit brought by the United States government. The suit became one of the most famous antitrust cases ever tried in American courts.

Mixing Art and Business

The vision that shaped its early days laid the foundation for the firm’s current excellence in an array of niche litigation practices, from product liability to art law: Hughes Hubbard advises some of the world’s most prominent institutions and contemporary artists in the latter practice, backing artists in such important matters as the successful First Amendment challenge of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. 
On the corporate side of things, the firm’s litigators have also provided counsel to the likes of drugmaker Merck, card-maker Hallmark, broadcaster CBS, and burger broiler Wendy’s International, Inc. And in the aftermath of the financial crisis, the FDIC hired Hughes Hubbard for advice in connection with lawsuits stemming from its seizure of Washington Mutual and IndyMac. 

KINDness

Hughes Hubbard associates pursue varied—and big-deal—pro bono efforts, and are committed to giving back to their communities. Some recent projects include: overturning the wrongful conviction of a woman framed for assault by a NYPD detective; negotiating a settlement for a civil rights claim against prison corrections officers; and securing debt relief for 60,000 low-income New Yorkers who fell prey to a fraudulent collection plot. The firm also works with various nonprofits in a pro bono capacity, including Her Justice, Immigration Equality, and Kids In Need of Defense (KIND).

• A Hughes Hubbard team won a major victory when a Connecticut federal court tossed a Department of Justice criminal antitrust case, entering a judgment of acquittal immediately after the government rested.
• The firm advised Griffin Global Asset Management on an amendment, extension, and upsizing transaction for its senior secured financing facility, doubling the initial facility to $2 billion.
• HHR advised Delta Air Lines in its capacity as strategic partner and equity investor in the Chapter 11 restructuring of Grupo Aeroméxico, Mexico’s largest airline. This deal won Airfinance Journal’s Airline Restructuring Deal of the Year award.
• The firm represented Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. and TAO Group Hospitality in the pending sale of Tao Group Hospitality to global investment company Mohari Hospitality.

• Two Hughes Hubbard partners were named “Dealmakers of the Year” for their work advising Grab Holdings Inc. in its business combination with Altimeter Growth Corp, 2022—The American Lawyer
• “Airline Restructuring Deal of the Year,” 2022; “Airline Unsecured Bond Deal of the Year” and “Overall Capital Markets Deal of the Year,” 2021—Airfinance Journal Awards
• HHR maintains a high ranking and was listed in the top 10 in the AmLaw Pro Bono Survey, 2023—The American Lawyer
• Hughes Hubbard has consistently been named one of “Latin America’s Top Law Firms”—Latinvex