Education
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
Executive Articles Editor, Georgetown Law Journal
B.A., Computer Science, Harvard University
Judicial Clerkships
Honorable Pamela K. Chen, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Honorable Thomas L. Ambro, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Languages
Chinese (Mandarin)
Bar Admissions
New York
Pennsylvania
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 Western District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Jeffrey W. Chivers
Partner
- (718) 210 - 9826
- jwc@chivers.com
Jeff is a commercial litigator who has represented publicly traded companies, closely held businesses, and individuals in a broad range of complex and high-stakes litigations. On the defense side, Jeff has represented businesses and individuals in state and federal courts and arbitrations in many commercial areas, including antitrust, bankruptcy, shareholder and joint-venture disputes, securities class actions, non-compete disputes, and general contract disputes. On the plaintiff side, Jeff has represented hundreds of individuals and businesses in commercial and employment disputes, including numerous class actions in state and federal court in which he served as class counsel or class co-counsel.
Before founding Chivers LLP, Jeff practiced in the litigation group of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, co‑managed a plaintiffs’-side litigation boutique, and clerked for federal judges at the trial and appellate levels. He received his law degree with high honors from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was an executive articles editor of The Georgetown Law Journal. He received his undergraduate degree in computer science from Harvard University, and he is fluent in written and spoken Chinese (Mandarin).
Selected Representations
Jeff has maintained a roughly equal split between defense-side and plaintiff-side litigation. His representative matters include:
Defense Litigation
- defending financial institution in federal court and arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) concerning alleged fraud in connection with its underwriting of auction-rate securities in the lead-up to the 2007 financial crisis;
- defending financial institution in state and federal court proceedings concerning alleged market manipulation and unlawful short-selling of publicly traded securities;
- defending a manufacturer of components used in the fabrication of semiconductors in connection with merger clearance review by the U.S. Department of Justice;
- representing an Australian natural resources company in expedited Delaware Chancery Court litigation against Alcoa concerning their respective rights and obligations under long-term joint venture agreements;
- defending foreign bank in federal court proceedings concerning alleged antitrust conspiracy and market manipulation in connection with the Singapore Interbank Offered Rate (SIBOR);
- defending the Eastman Kodak Company in bankruptcy adversary proceedings and plan confirmation disputes arising from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012 and 2013;
- defending a foreign bank in connection with Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission concerning business practices in China;
- defending a foreign bank in federal court and appellate proceedings in shareholder and pension-fund class actions alleging securities fraud in violation of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and fiduciary misconduct in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974;
- representing a small business and its founder in defending against competitor dispute concerning alleged violation of contractual commitment not to compete;
Plaintiff Litigation
- representing financial institution in federal declaratory-judgment actions seeking to enforce mandatory forum selection clauses in broker-dealer contracts;
- representing more than 100 oilfield workers in federal court wage-and-hour class action to recover unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act (PMWA);
- representing software sales executive in federal court in breach of contract action against former business partner;
- representing human-resources executive in federal court whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against multinational consumer goods conglomerate;
- representing more than 10,000 hourly service employees in federal court wage-and-hour class action to recover unpaid wages and unpaid overtime under the FLSA and the New York Labor Law (NYLL);
- representing more than 30 oilfield equipment operators in federal court wage-and-hour action to recover unpaid overtime under the FLSA and the PMWA;
- representing more than 400 right-of-way agents in federal court wage-and-hour class action to recover unpaid wages and unpaid overtime under the FLSA and the PMWA;
- representing more than 300 hospital employees in state court wage-and-hour class action to recover unpaid wages and unpaid overtime under the PMWA;
- representing public agency employee in federal court whistleblower action.
Jeffrey W. Chivers
Partner
- (718) 210 - 9826
- jwc@chivers.com
Education
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
Executive Articles Editor, Georgetown Law Journal
B.A., Computer Science, Harvard University
Judicial Clerkships
Honorable Pamela K. Chen, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Honorable Thomas L. Ambro, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Languages
Chinese (Mandarin)
Bar Admissions
New York
Pennsylvania
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 Western District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Biography
Jeff is a commercial litigator who has represented publicly traded companies, closely held businesses, and individuals in a broad range of complex and high-stakes litigations. On the defense side, Jeff has represented businesses and individuals in state and federal courts and arbitrations in many commercial areas, including antitrust, bankruptcy, shareholder and joint-venture disputes, securities class actions, non-compete disputes, and general contract disputes. On the plaintiff side, Jeff has represented hundreds of individuals and businesses in commercial and employment disputes, including numerous class actions in state and federal court in which he served as class counsel or class co-counsel.
Before founding Chivers LLP, Jeff practiced in the litigation group of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, co‑managed a plaintiffs’-side litigation boutique, and clerked for federal judges at the trial and appellate levels. He received his law degree with high honors from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was an executive articles editor of The Georgetown Law Journal. He received his undergraduate degree in computer science from Harvard University, and he is fluent in written and spoken Chinese (Mandarin).
Selected Representations
Jeff has maintained a roughly equal split between defense-side and plaintiff-side litigation. His representative matters include:
Defense Litigation
- defending financial institution in federal court and arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) concerning alleged fraud in connection with its underwriting of auction-rate securities in the lead-up to the 2007 financial crisis;
- defending financial institution in state and federal court proceedings concerning alleged market manipulation and unlawful short-selling of publicly traded securities;
- defending a manufacturer of components used in the fabrication of semiconductors in connection with merger clearance review by the U.S. Department of Justice;
- representing an Australian natural resources company in expedited Delaware Chancery Court litigation against Alcoa concerning their respective rights and obligations under long-term joint venture agreements;
- defending foreign bank in federal court proceedings concerning alleged antitrust conspiracy and market manipulation in connection with the Singapore Interbank Offered Rate (SIBOR);
- defending the Eastman Kodak Company in bankruptcy adversary proceedings and plan confirmation disputes arising from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012 and 2013;
- defending a foreign bank in connection with Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission concerning business practices in China;
- defending a foreign bank in federal court and appellate proceedings in shareholder and pension-fund class actions alleging securities fraud in violation of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and fiduciary misconduct in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974;
- representing a small business and its founder in defending against competitor dispute concerning alleged violation of contractual commitment not to compete.
Plaintiff Litigation
- representing financial institution in federal declaratory-judgment actions seeking to enforce mandatory forum selection clauses in broker-dealer contracts;
- representing more than 100 oilfield workers in federal court wage-and-hour class action to recover unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act (PMWA);
- representing software sales executive in federal court in breach of contract action against former business partner;
- representing human-resources executive in federal court whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against multinational consumer goods conglomerate;
- representing more than 10,000 hourly service employees in federal court wage-and-hour class action to recover unpaid wages and unpaid overtime under the FLSA and the New York Labor Law (NYLL);
- representing more than 30 oilfield equipment operators in federal court wage-and-hour action to recover unpaid overtime under the FLSA and the PMWA;
- representing more than 400 right-of-way agents in federal court wage-and-hour class action to recover unpaid wages and unpaid overtime under the FLSA and the PMWA;
- representing more than 300 hospital employees in state court wage-and-hour class action to recover unpaid wages and unpaid overtime under the PMWA;
- representing public agency employee in federal court whistleblower action.