Maria T. Galeno
Partner

Ms. Galeno is a partner in the New York office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP focusing on commercial litigation, with a strong emphasis on securities fraud and insurance coverage litigation, and corporate investigations and white collar criminal defense. Ms. Galeno has served on Pillsbury’s Compensation Committee, and currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the firm’s Partner Hiring and Integration Committee.

Ms. Galeno regularly represents clients in government investigations involving securities fraud, mail fraud, tax fraud and antitrust violations. Prior to entering private practice, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York.

Ms. Galeno has extensive trial experience in both federal and state courts. She was lead trial counsel in a closely-watched software licensing trial arising out of the divestiture of software assets. The trial resulted in a successful decision and an order to the adverse party to pay attorney's fees. CA, Inc. v. Ingres Corp, CA No. 4300-VCS, 2009 WL 4575009 (Del. Ch. Dec. 7, 2009). Ms. Galeno argued the appeal before the Supreme Court of Delaware, en banc, and on December 1, 2010, that Court affirmed the Court of Chancery's judgment. Ingres Corp. v. CA, Inc., --- A.3d ----, 2010 WL 4872198 (Del. Dec. 1, 2010).

Ms. Galeno served as co-lead trial counsel in City of New York v. A-1 Jewelry and Pawn, et al. (E.D.N.Y., 2008), New York City's landmark litigation against 27 out-of-state gun dealers. Trial before the Honorable Jack B. Weinstein against the lone non-settling defendant ended with the defendant's default during jury selection.

Ms. Galeno also tries cases in arbitral forums. In November 2012, she was lead counsel in a five-day JAMS arbitration involving a royalty dispute for a technology company.

As a government prosecutor, Ms. Galeno tried criminal jury cases including violations of the RICO and narcotics "kingpin" statutes, bank robbery, postal crimes, public corruption and securities fraud. In private practice, she has handled jury trials involving contract disputes, fraud, professional liability, civil RICO claims and Federal civil rights violations.

Ms. Galeno has served on the Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary by appointment of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani from 1994 until 2001. She has taught trial advocacy for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Ms. Galeno has also appeared on Court TV as a criminal defense expert. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Office of the Appellate Defender, a not-for-profit organization that provides appellate and post conviction representation in the New York State courts.

• Representation of research analyst at major international investment firm in insider trading investigation.
• Representation of registered persons at major financial institutions in proceedings before FINRA.
• Defense of a U.S. subsidiary of a major Japanese company against multi-party claims of discrimination based on race and nationality, and claims for multi-million dollar bonuses.
• Defend CFO of medical services company in US Attorney's Office and S.E.C. investigation for accounting irregularities.
• Defense of hospital and doctors in False Claims Act case alleging medicare fraud.
• Participate in defense of investment advisor in mutual fund investigation by the New York State Attorney General's Office.
• Defend employees of large international food retailer in securities fraud investigation by the US Attorney's office, the S.E.C. and Dutch authorities.
• Defend Fortune 100 company in claims for foreign death benefits.
• Conducted internal investigations involving employee dishonesty, insider trading and gender discrimination.

• Best Lawyers in America, Criminal Defense: White-Collar (2013)

U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit