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Elected Member

Sharon
L.
Nelles

Location
New York, NY, USA
Affiliation
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Education
Mount Holyoke College
Boston College Law School

Sharon L. Nelles is a partner in Sullivan Cromwell’s Litigation Group and member of the firm’s Executive Committee, represents financial institutions and global companies in high-profile, critical company matters that implicate not only civil litigation but also related regulatory, congressional and criminal investigations and enforcement actions. She is currently active in many matters arising from the subprime mortgage crisis.

Ms. Nelles has represented Moody’s, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Standard Chartered Bank, Microsoft and Diageo, among others, in high-profile class action, including the Microsoft indirect purchaser cases, the JPMorgan Chase/Bank One merger litigations and the Goldman Sachs mutual funds fee disputes. She has tried cases in the state and federal courts on behalf of such clients as Microsoft, Eastman Kodak Company and General Bank, and has represented prominent firms and individuals in proceedings before the Department of Justice, the United States Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commission, HUD, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and several state attorneys general.

Ms. Nelles frequently conducts investigations for corporate clients, special committees and boards of directors.

Member News

Traynor on Liberty, Law, and Democracy

In his essay "Liberty, Law, and Democracy: Are There Grounds for Realistic Optimism?" Michael Traynor, former President of The American Law Institute, reflects on the challenges facing American democracy amid political polarization and institutional strain. He examines threats to the balance between liberty and law, citing dysfunction across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, while drawing on historical context and recent scholarship to frame these concerns.

Despite his sober assessment, Traynor maintains a guarded optimism rooted in America’s resilience, civic traditions, and individual potential to effect change. He highlights positive actions within the legal community, nonprofit organizations, and among engaged citizens, while outlining five practical steps Americans can take to strengthen democracy: improving civic education, demanding accountability, fostering open debate, participating in elections and local governance, and resisting simplistic solutions.

Traynor concludes that democracy is “stubborn work,” incremental, imperfect, and ongoing, but expresses confidence that Americans have the resolve to preserve it.

Read the full article The New Nationalist

Michael Traynor is senior counsel at Cobalt LLP in Berkeley California. He served as ALI President from 2000 to 2008, and as Chair of the Council from 2008 to 2011. He is also a recipient of ALI's Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Traynor is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.   He received the John P. Frank Outstanding Lawyer Award from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is an honorary life trustee of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and of Earthjustice and a past President (1973) of the Bar Association of San Francisco.