Barry R. Ostrager

Barry R. Ostrager, a retired New York State Supreme Court Justice (Commercial Division, 2015–2023), presided over numerous trials and resolved hundreds of commercial cases. Before his judicial role, he was a litigation partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, leading its 300+ attorney Litigation Department and serving on the management committee.

As lead trial counsel, Ostrager handled high-profile securities, antitrust, and insurance cases, including Swiss Re’s World Trade Center dispute and Travelers’ environmental coverage case against Shell Oil, both resulting in jury verdicts. He tried five cases involving $1 billion+ disputes and led major arbitrations, such as Andersen Consulting’s $14 billion ICC case and Hanwha’s dispute with the Korean government. He also represented Bank of America in mortgage-backed securities cases and Paramount in the QVC tender offer litigation.

Ostrager argued landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, including Epstein v. Matsushita and Travelers v. Bailey, and numerous appeals. He co-authored the Handbook on Insurance Coverage Disputes and Modern Reinsurance Law and Practice. Recognized by Chambers as the “Leading U.S. Litigation Business Trial Lawyer” (2006) and a “Band One” litigator, he was also named a “Top Ten Trial Lawyer” by The Legal 500.

Ostrager earned a B.A. (1968) and M.A. (1973) from City College of New York, a J.D. from NYU Law (1972), and clerked in the Southern District of New York.

California

State Bar of California

ID Number: 183770

New York

New York State Office of Court Administration

ID Number: 1202829

Since 1973

New York University School of Law

J.D. (1971)

1971

State Bar of California  # 183770

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