What are some of the department's most satisfying successes of the past year and why? Our most satisfying achievements are those that resolve our clients' greatest litigation challenges in ways that best align with their broader business objectives. This year we achieved these types of outcomes in several notable matters, including:

We secured a complete trial victory for BlackRock, Inc. in one of the largest mutual fund cases ever. After an eight-day bench trial, the court issued a 72-page decision—the first trial decision to address the "subadvisory" theory—denying plaintiffs' $1.55 billion claim.

In another landmark case, on behalf of two Dutch subsidiaries of NextEra, Skadden obtained the largest award granted against Spain to date in the numerous claims filed against it by renewable energy investors, and more than double any other award rendered in these claims. We successfully argued that Spain's elimination of feed-in-tariffs and remuneration formulas breached the Energy Charter Treaty and entitled NextEra to damages of €290.6 million plus interest.

We obtained a range of victories for JPMorgan Chase, including negotiating a settlement in one of the biggest private antitrust litigations ever brought—involving a long-running dispute concerning the fees merchants pay when they accept credit and debit card payments.

We also are proud of our ongoing success in the securities litigation space, including securing the most federal securities defense wins and successfully resolving numerous high-profile underwriting syndicate matters.

A prospective client in crisis calls and asks why your team should be retained. What is your answer? Skadden's on-the-ground capabilities in financial centers around the globe, coupled with our culture of working seamlessly across offices and practices, enables us to quickly assemble formidable litigation teams no matter the subject matter or location of the dispute. In addition, our collaborative and strategic approach equips us to partner with our clients successfully throughout the lifecycle of a litigation.

What traits do you respect most in opposing firms and lawyers? We hold in the highest regard opposing counsel who litigate vigorously but always with integrity and respect for the profession, the courtroom and adversaries. We also admire opposing teams in which we see an appreciation of intelligence and professionalism, no matter seniority or pedigree.

What sorts of trends are you seeing in litigation, and what do you think will be the most important development in the law/legal business that will impact your field in the next 10 years? In the global economy, the lines between jurisdictions are becoming increasingly blurred. Accordingly, an understanding of the impact of relevant foreign laws and regulations will continue to be crucial for success, even in U.S.-based litigation.

What is the firm doing to ensure that future generations of litigators are ready to take the helm? It is worth emphasis that almost 95% of our New York litigation partners began their Skadden careers as associates. Because our success depends on investing in our associates' growth and development, partners serve as mentors to ensure that junior associates are given the opportunity to take active roles in all phases of litigation, both inside and outside the courtroom. We also provide extensive and ongoing training programs for each stage of associate development. Our core curriculum incorporates the firm's competencies, technical and substantive legal skills, work management skills, people skills and firm citizenship and values.

Finally, excellent lawyering goes hand-in-hand with fostering a diverse and inclusive culture. As one example, our Skadden 1L Scholars Program attracts the best and the brightest legal talent, including candidates whose life experiences, demonstrated interests and achievements can help enhance the firm's diversity and client service. More than half of our 1L Scholars return to the firm as associates.