Howard (Peter) G. Sloane

PARTNER

Howard G. (known to all as "Peter") Sloane is a member of the Firm's litigation practice group.

Peter's practice is extremely varied, ranging from complex corporate litigation to international disputes. His clients include leading banks, corporate 50 companies in industries as varied as chemicals, finance and entertainment, and corporate officers, directors and other individuals. Peter has taught PLI courses on the art of direct and cross-examination, leads CLE lectures on trial and pretrial litigation techniques and has been a court-appointed arbitrator in complex disputes. Peter was singled out for superior client service to Fortune 1000 clients by a survey of 200 corporate counsel throughout the US. Deeply committed to enhancing educational opportunities, Peter has a long history of serving in senior management capacities in non-profit organizations dedicated to nurturing students of diverse backgrounds.

• Represented a manufacturing company in winning one of the largest jury verdicts in a contract action in the United States.
• Successfully defended a leading multinational chemical company in an antitrust action brought by the Department of Justice seeking to block an acquisition.
• Won a multimillion dollar award on behalf of one of the world's largest banks, arising out of a credit card agreement.
• Represented a multinational company in actions challenging expropriation by a foreign sovereign, and obtained a multimillion dollar judgment which established important legal precedent on valuation of expropriated assets under international law.
• Won dismissal of a major class action brought against an international financial institution alleging false statements and other securities violations arising out of loss reserves.
• Won reversal of a large punitive damage award rendered against a company in a case lost at trial by another firm.
• Successfully defended breach of contract claims for a leading entertainment company.
• Lead counsel in defense of state and federal actions brought by Attorneys General alleging consumer fraud.
• Successfully defended a financial services firm at trial in a case involving breach of fiduciary duty claims.
• Successfully represented numerous clients in Grand Jury, SEC, State Attorneys General, DOJ and NYSE investigations and proceedings.
• Won judgment against major property insurer for cargo loss arising out of international sales transactions.
• Lead counsel in obtaining dismissal of federal court case, and counsel in subsequent arbitration before London Court of International Arbitration, which resulted in decision upholding limitation of liability clause in contract to construct a chemical plant in Asia.
• Successfully represented a manufacturer in labor arbitrations challenging termination of union leaders.
• Won trial verdict in widely publicized litigation involving restrictive covenants and alleged environmental damages.
• Successfully defended against efforts to force disclosure of the methodologies and valuation of investments held by major financial institution.
• Won leading New York case on father's right to custody of minor children.
• Successfully defended numerous consumer product companies in thousands of cases alleging exposure to minerals and chemicals.
• Conducted internal investigations of alleged wrong doing on behalf of a major financial institution.
  

Peter has served as Chairman of the Board of the Heckscher Foundation for Children, a private foundation which contributes millions of dollars annually to hundreds of children's programs and charities; Trustee of Take the Field, Inc., an independent non-profit corporation which through a public-private partnership rebuilt 43 sports and physical education facilities in the New York City public schools; Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of Leadership for a Diverse America, an organization committed to nurturing the leadership potential of exceptional students from diverse backgrounds by increasing admission of under-represented youth to the country's leading colleges and universities; Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Horace Mann School; a Director of the Sisulu Academy from its formation as an alternative public school in Upper Manhattan, and which was the first public school in New York to be accredited by New York State as a "Charter School"; Trustee of the Maria I. New Children's Hormone Foundation, which is dedicated to researching and finding cures for heredity diseases; Trustee of The Municipal Art Society of New York for over 25 years; Co-Chair, Harvard College Parents Fund.

Peter has taught a weekly course on Practical Law to inner city 9th grade students at a public high school using a curriculum he developed which is aimed at demystifying the law by allowing young people to better understand and thereby develop a more positive attitude toward the law.

Peter became a partner in 1984, and served as the firm's Co-Administrative partner from 1988-2008. He is the head of the firm's Salary and Pro Bono Committees.

Peter and his wife Jaar-mel, live in New York City with their three children, Nessia (Cornell, '08, Penn Law '11), Alex (Harvard '09) and Jake (Harvard '12).