Ben H. Harris III

Ben Harris is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. He represents financial institutions in complex commercial litigation, bankruptcy, and related disputes. Ben has more than 30 years of experience in commercial litigation. He began his career as a clerk to the Honorable Patrick E. Higginbotham of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit before practicing in Washington, DC, first with the General Counsel’s Office of the Federal Trade Commission and later with Williams & Connolly, LLP. Co-leader of the firm’s CMBS & creditors’ rights team, Ben’s practice includes complex civil litigation, bankruptcy, securities litigation, and other litigation involving financial institutions. He represents clients in lender liability actions, suits to enforce creditor rights, and in suits relating to operational matters. Ben has tried to verdict numerous cases throughout the country, in bench and jury trials. He has obtained successful jury verdicts in complex, multimillion-dollar cases in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey and in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He also has served as counsel to publicly traded bank holding companies in shareholder derivative and class action litigation, and as counsel to special committees of the boards of directors of these institutions. Internationally, Ben has helped financial institutions and other clients resolve issues in Central and Latin America. He has counseled companies and educational institutions interested in developing trade in Cuba, traveling to Cuba on several occasions for that purpose. Ben speaks frequently on bankruptcy and creditor rights issues throughout the country.