Richard Hans

Richard F. Hans

Partner
Managing Partner, Vertical Operations
Richard has been named a 'Best Lawyer for Commercial Litigation' every year since 2013
— Law & Politics
New York
About

Rich Hans serves as our Managing Partner for Vertical Operations and the Leader of our Regulatory & Government Affairs Practice Group. He previously served as the Managing Partner of our New York office and now also Co-Chairs our Client Investment Committee. Named as a Distinguished Leader by the New York Law Journal in 2022, Rich has acted as a trusted counsel and advisor to clients seeking solutions to their global issues.

A Veteran of the US Navy, Rich proudly chairs the firm's Veterans and Military Families Resource Group.

Areas of FocusFinancial ServicesInsuranceLitigation Arbitration and InvestigationsFinancial Services Litigation
Bar admissionsNew York
CourtsAll New York state courtsSupreme Court of the United StatesUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of MichiganUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

EXPERIENCE

  • Represented the special committee of a publicly held commercial bank investigating shareholder demands, achieving a highly favorable settlement and resolution of the follow-on derivative litigation
  • Obtained dismissal of a securities class action brought against Spanish sustainable energy company
  • Obtained voluntary dismissal with prejudice of lawsuit brought by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau against clients arising out of activities in the payday lending industry
  • Obtained dismissal on forum non conveniens grounds of US-filed lawsuit against US parent of a French manufacturer arising out of 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London
  • Obtained dismissal of claims brought in federal court in New York against a UK-based global bank arising out of a dispute relating to the construction and operation of a Tanzanian power plant
  • Obtained dismissal of claims brought in federal court in Louisiana against a UK-based global bank arising out of the collapse of the Fletcher Funds
  • Successfully represented the Canadian Creditors Committee in the cross-border Nortel Networks bankruptcy allocation trial, securing a landmark judgment ordering modified pro rata allocation
  • Successfully resolved, for our client – a leading financial services firm – a consumer fraud lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General and various investigations and regulatory inquiries by the Department of Justice (DOJ), various State Attorneys General (including New York Martin Act investigations), the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) and Congressional committees
 

Awards

  • Distinguished Leader, New York Law Journal, (2022)
  • Burton Award for Legal Achievement, "Ebb and Flow: The Changing Jurisdictional Tides of Global Litigation," New York International Law Review, (2009)

Pro Bono

  • In addition to his pro bono representation of Veterans seeking discharge upgrades, Rich served on the Legal Services Corporation's Veterans Task Force, seeking to improve pro bono and other support services for Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces
  • Rich serves on the Board of Directors of the St. Ignatius School Foundation, the Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation, and the Legal Aid Society of New York
  • Rich serves as pro bono counsel to the Board of Directors of the Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America
  • He is a Past President of the St. John's University School of Law Alumni Association and sits on the Board of Advisors for the Law School's Center for Law & Religion
Education
  • J.D., St. John's University, 1993
    Executive Publications Editor, St. John's Law Review
    cum laude
  • B.S., United States Naval Academy, 1983
    with merit

Bylines

  • FTC's $9.8 million settlement holds firm and its principals liable for "consumer protection" violations in transactions with small businesses, May 6, 2021
  • Consumer finance regulatory and litigation landscape for 2021, January 21, 2021

Seminars

  • Regular Panelist, New York Legal Market Conference (Sandpiper Partners LLC)
  • Regular Panelist, Leading Law Firms Conference (Sandpiper Partners LLC)

Media Mentions

My latest insights

Publication

Tracking the 2025 US Government Shutdown

4 October 2025

News

DLA Piper welcomes Preeya Noronha Pinto to the Healthcare Regulatory practice

28 May 2025 .3 minute read

News
Abstract_Building_P_0084

DLA Piper welcomes Mike Walsh as a partner in the National Security and Global Trade...

26 March 2025 .3 minute read

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Phone

+1 212 335 4530
(Work, New York)