Alvin Lee

• Representing a major financial institution in a series of litigations arising out of Winter Storm Uri and its impacts on the Texas energy market in February 2021. The lawsuits have been filed in multiple state and federal courts across the country and involve force majeure declarations issued by wind farms relating to ISDA hedge agreements as well as pricing disputes arising out of such agreements.
• Represented Hemlock Semiconductor in a series of bet-the-company actions relating to take-or pay supply agreements in the solar energy industry. Coordinated global litigation strategy with counsel in Japan, Taiwan, China, and Germany, and obtained billions of dollars of precedent-setting judgments against entities in those countries. Obtained a $793 million summary judgment award against a European solar manufacturer, which was subsequently affirmed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in a decision that The Michigan Bar Journal named as one of the Top 10 Business Cases of the Decade (2010-2019) in the State of Michigan.
• Representing The Dow Chemical Company in a series of toxic tort and environmental litigations, including multiple class actions and mass actions alleging exposure to chemical releases and environmental emissions to chemicals such as ethylene oxide.
• Obtained a complete dismissal on behalf of a private equity fund and its directors in a lawsuit arising out of the development and construction of a 674-megawatt combined-cycle, natural gas-fired power plant.
• Representing a major financial institution in an antitrust action regarding the setting of LIBOR.
• Served as trial counsel for a publicly traded medical technology company in a $500 million M&A dispute in Delaware Chancery Court relating to a material adverse effect (MAE) clause.
• Representing a Big Four accounting firm in litigation relating to the demise of a publicly traded health services company operating in the Middle East.
• First-chaired a confidential arbitration on behalf of a major Chinese solar panel manufacturer against the developer of a utility-scale solar energy project in the U.S, resulting in a complete victory. The dispute arose out of an M&A agreement involving the project at issue.
• Represented the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG) in a series of bet-the-company litigations against the City of Jacksonville, Florida arising out of the development of nuclear generating units at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Burke County, Georgia.
• First-chaired a confidential international arbitration on behalf of a major U.S. manufacturing company against a Chinese state-owned enterprise, resulting in substantial recovery for client.
• Acted as a member of a team that obtained dismissal of a putative class action against Union Carbide Corporation alleging medical monitoring claims based on exposure to chemicals emitted from a metal alloying plant.
• Previously served as a member of a team of national coordinating and litigation counsel for Union Carbide Corporation in relation to its substantial asbestos docket.
• Represented PricewaterhouseCoopers in a series of actions alleging federal securities fraud and audit malpractice in connection with the dissolution of Lipper Convertibles, a New York hedge fund. Served as a member of PwC's trial team in a three-week jury trial.
• Secured a complete dismissal of a shareholder derivative action against PricewaterhouseCoopers alleging audit malpractice in connection with management malfeasance at a privately held health services corporation.

Alvin Lee focuses on complex commercial disputes, mass torts, and class action defense, most notably for clients in the energy, financial services, chemical, manufacturing, and technology sectors, among others.  He has significant experience in disputes relating to large-scale energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing projects and has litigated a number of high-profile disputes relating to supply chain disruptions and force majeure declarations, including those associated with events such as the U.S.-China solar trade war, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Winter Storm Uri and its impacts on the Texas power market in February 2021.  In addition to his trial practice, Alvin has significant experience in cross-border disputes and international arbitration.

Alvin has been described as a “super litigator” in The Legal 500 and was recognized in Bloomberg Law's 2024 edition of "They've Got Next: The 40 Under 40," which recognizes the best lawyers in the country under the age of 40.  Alvin has also been recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a Future Star and was named to its 40 & Under Hot List for four consecutive years, from 2021 to 2024.  He served on Law360's Editorial Board for the Energy sector in 2022 and was previously named a Law360 Rising Star in the Energy sector in 2021.  In recognition for his leadership on diversity and inclusion initiatives, he was named by Crain's New York Business as a Notable Diverse Leader in the Law in 2022 and as a Notable LGBTQIA+ Leader in 2024.

Alvin has significant experience in the energy, chemical, and manufacturing industries, where he has advised owners, developers, sponsors, and offtakers of large-scale manufacturing, solar, wind, and other power generation projects.  He has also represented raw material and component manufacturers and suppliers, and has significant experience advising clients in connection with complex financing vehicles for energy and infrastructure projects.  He has represented companies in litigation relating to all aspects of the development and construction of energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing projects as well as in litigation arising out of offtake, supply, and production agreements associated with such facilities.  

Alvin also has significant experience in mass tort & products liability suits.  He has defended companies in a wide variety of toxic tort and environmental litigation, including class actions alleging exposure to chemical releases and environmental emissions.  Alvin also has experience serving as national coordinating and litigation counsel for companies in relation to substantial nationwide mass tort and product liability dockets. 

In addition to his work for energy, chemical, and manufacturing companies, Alvin has considerable experience representing financial services institutions and accounting firms in both commercial and professional liability litigation.  He also has experience defending companies in data privacy litigation and consumer class actions.  Alvin is an experienced trial and appellate advocate and has first-chaired numerous arbitration hearings before various tribunals, including recent victories in confidential arbitrations involving the energy, chemical, and manufacturing industries that resulted in 9-figure arbitration awards.

Alvin is highly active in diversity & inclusion initiatives throughout the legal profession.  He has held a number of D&I leadership positions both within the firm and in Asian American and LGBTQ+ bar organizations.