The Hon. Richard J. Holwell served as a federal judge in the Southern District of New York from 2003-12, before stepping down to found Holwell Shuster & Goldberg, a litigation boutique. During his tenure on the federal bench he presided over a broad array of civil and criminal cases including two of the most significant securities fraud matters to reach trial in recent decades: the insider trading trial of Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam, and the shareholder class action brought against Vivendi S.A. that resolved several novel issues regarding the application of U.S. law to securities fraud claims asserted by shareholders acquiring shares on foreign exchanges.
Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Holwell was a senior partner at the global law firm White & Case, where he served on the Management Board and as the firm's Executive Partner for Disputes. In an illustrious career spanning three decades, Judge Holwell represented clients in highly complex commercial litigation matters involving securities, antitrust, and bankruptcy issues; in numerous investigations undertaken by the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Federal Trade Commission; and in a precedent setting appellate practice.
EDUCATION
- Columbia-Cambridge Fellowship, Cambridge University Institute of Criminology (Dip. Crim., 1971)
- Columbia University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1970)
- Villanova University (B.A., 1967)
COURT ADMISSIONS
- New York Supreme Court, First Department, admitted October 27, 1972
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, admitted October 31, 1974
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, admitted September 5, 1980
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, admitted September 9, 1982
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, admitted November 4, 1983
- Supreme Court of the United States, admitted March 31, 1986
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, admitted April 15, 1996
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, admitted January 8, 1998
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, admitted May 18, 2000
- Register of Foreign Lawyers, admitted January 16, 2002
BAR ASSOCIATIONS
- NYS Bar Association, American Bar Association, Federal Bar Council