Press Release 05.20.26
Pillsbury Enhances Commercial Litigation Capabilities with Arrival of Partners Douglas Curran and Jonathan Kortmansky in New York
Team Adds Significant Experience in Complex Financial Disputes and Digital Asset Litigation
Douglas Curran is a trial lawyer representing clients in complex commercial disputes, with a focus on high-stakes financial and business litigation. His clients include corporations and individuals across a variety of industries, including financial services, asset management, venture capital, private equity and digital assets.
Douglas has secured noteworthy successes in cases involving investment disputes, high-level corporate governance disputes, post-closing M&A disputes, bondholder disputes and complex insolvency proceedings. Douglas also has deep experience representing digital-asset firms and investors in cryptocurrency exchanges and other on-blockchain ventures. Among other things, he has successfully represented bondholders with more than $1 billion in claims against an international telecom company, stakeholders in a $400 million earn-out dispute, a private equity portfolio company in a $120 million trade-secret and antitrust dispute and a digital-asset exchange as a member of the creditors’ committee in the offshore insolvency of an $18 billion crypto-based hedge fund.
Representative Experience
- Secured a $56 million federal jury verdict for a private equity portfolio company in a trademark infringement dispute involving brand protection claims.
- Represented venture investors with more than $100 million in claims against a multibillion-dollar international cryptocurrency exchange.
- Defended digital-asset firm against more than $110 million in post-closing M&A claims, securing complete dismissal in federal court.
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- Represented a consortium of bondholders with more than $1 billion in claims against an international telecommunications company, securing a judgment involving complex debt and insolvency disputes.
- Represented stakeholders of an acquired technology company in a $400 million earn-out dispute involving post-closing M&A performance and valuation issues.
- Represented a software technology company in a $120 million trade secret misappropriation and antitrust dispute involving anticompetitive conduct and unfair business practices.
- Represented a venture capital investment firm with more than $100 million in claims against a multibillion-dollar Web3 blockchain platform.
- Represented a tech accelerator with millions in claims against a crypto/AI company in an in-kind dividend dispute under a pre-money SAFE.
- Advised a digital asset exchange as a member of the creditors’ committee in the offshore insolvency of an $18 billion cryptocurrency hedge fund.
- Represented digital asset infrastructure firm in dispute with colocation counterparty involving millions of dollars in diverted hash rate, including securing TRO to enjoin unlawful conduct.
Professional Highlights
Awards & Honors
- Twice recognized as one of the 500 Leading Litigators in America by Lawdragon (2025, 2026) for work in high-stakes commercial and financial disputes.
- Named an Under-40 “Rising Star” in the Nationwide Trials category by Law360 (2023).
- Named a Legal Lion of the Week by Law360 (2023).
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- Recognized for a “Top Verdict” by Daily Journal and featured in the Litigator of the Week series by The American Lawyer for a federal trial victory (2022).
- Recognized by Super Lawyers in New York (2015–Present).
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Speaking Engagements
- “Creditors’ Claims in Crypto Insolvencies,” (May 2025). Panelist, ThoughtLeaders4 FIRE.
- “Digital Dominos: Insolvency in the Crypto World,” (September 2024). Panelist, Asset Recovery Americas.
- “Key Challenges in Cross-Border Cryptocurrency Insolvency Proceedings,” (May 2023). Moderator, ABA International.
Education
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J.D., Duke University School of Law, 2009
cum laudeB.S.F.S., International Relations, 2006
cum laude
Admissions
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New York
Illinois
Courts
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U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Clerkships
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Law Clerk, Honorable Susan H. Black, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit