Peter E. Kazanoff

Peter Kazanoff is a Partner in the Firm's Litigation Department and serves as Co-Chair of the Firm's Recruiting Committee. His practice focuses on securities matters, including change-of-control litigation, shareholder and derivative actions, and government and internal investigations. 

Mr. Kazanoff has substantial experience in transaction-related litigation for both private equity and corporate clients. Mr. Kazanoff's work for private equity clients includes representing KKR in transactions involving Primedia, Del Monte, TXU, HCA, Dollar General and Laureate Education; Blackstone in its acquisitions of Polymer Group and Prime Hospitality; and Apax in its acquisition of Kinetic Concepts. Mr. Kazanoff's experience for corporate clients includes representing TD Bank in its acquisition of Epoch; Sealy in its sale to Tempur-Pedic; Eaton in its acquisition of Cooper Industries; Genesee & Wyoming in its acquisition of Rail America; Xerox in its acquisition of ACS; Wyeth in its sale to Pfizer; Mars in its acquisition of Wrigley; Schwab in its acquisition of optionsXpress; and People's United Bank in its acquisitions of Danversbank, Smithtown Bank and Riverbank. Mr. Kazanoff currently represents several companies and individuals associated with Fairfield Greenwich in shareholder and other litigations arising out of investments made with Bernard Madoff. He also participates in the Firm's government and internal investigations practice, including the representation of clients in matters involving the SEC, FINRA, the New York Attorney General, the DOJ and other regulatory authorities.

Chambers and Partners has recognized Mr. Kazanoff as being "smart, commercially aware, and not just a technical lawyer, but also aware of commercial impacts"; having "exceptional mastery of securities law" and for his skills in "dealing with individual clients."  He is an editor of Securities Law Alert, a monthly newsletter that reports on developments in securities litigation and related areas. Mr. Kazanoff also is a contributor to PLI's Securities Law Practice Center.

Mr. Kazanoff joined Simpson Thacher in 1997 and became a partner in 2006. He received his A.B., magna cum laude, from Bowdoin College in 1992 and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Chicago Law School in 1997.