Gregory Silbert, a member of the firm’s Appellate practice group, has extensive experience litigating in both federal and state appellate courts. He has argued approximately thirty appeals and briefed many more, successfully representing clients in courts of last resort and intermediate appellate courts.
Recent significant matters litigated by Mr. Silbert include a successful appeal to the United States Supreme Court on behalf of Schindler Elevator Corporation, winning an important victory for the company. He also briefed and argued an appeal on behalf of UnitedHealth Group, resulting in the complete dismissal of a case seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. He currently represents the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in an appeal to reverse a decision finding the Port Authority liable for damages caused by the 1993 terrorist attack at New York’s World Trade Center. Other clients for which he has litigated appeals include Avaya, eBay, Farmers Insurance, General Electric, Lehman Brothers, L’Oreal, Morgan Stanley, Sotheby’s, and Tyco.
Mr. Silbert has been repeatedly recognized for his expertise in appellate advocacy. In 2010 – 2011, he was selected by California Attorney General Kamala Harris to serve on her transition committee, advising on issues relating to appellate litigation. He was an invited panelist at the St. John’s Law School Third Annual Constitutional Law Panel and at the New York City Bar’s 2010 Annual Bench Bar Forum on appeals, among other speaking engagements.
Mr. Silbert maintains an active pro bono practice, providing legal assistance to organizations such as the Center for Constitutional Rights, Citizens Union of the State of New York, the Innocence Project, the Legal Aid Society, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, among others. He serves on the board of directors of Citizens Union and of the Delancey Street Foundation.
Mr. Silbert clerked for two federal appellate judges: David S. Tatel, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Marsha S. Berzon, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He graduated from Yale Law School in 1999, where he was Symposium Editor of the Yale Law Journal. He joined Weil in 2007, after serving as an Assistant Solicitor General of the State of New York.