A partner in Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.'s New York office, Judi Archer has a diverse amount of experience, working on a wide variety of cases in state and federal courts across the United States at the trial and appellate level, as well as arbitrations and regulatory proceedings. She brings a unique perspective from the business world, having joined the firm after six years as in-house counsel at AT&T with the knowledge of what clients look for when choosing and working with outside counsel, having been a client herself.

Judi concentrates her practice in the area of complex commercial matters, representing clients in disputes involving breach of contract, securities, telecommunications, intellectual property, entertainment and bankruptcy.

Business Litigation:
Judi has acted as lead outside counsel and in-house counsel in a variety of business disputes. She was lead outside counsel for a subsidiary of a large European bank in seeking to enforce a merger agreement with a U.S. company, including injunction proceedings and favorable settlement. She defended a major corporation in numerous disputes with independent sales agents involving claims of breach of contract, tortious interference and unfair trade practices. She also has represented numerous clients in commercial contract actions, customer and vendor disputes and partnership disputes.

Securities and Financial Services Litigation:
Judi has worked on a number of securities-related litigations and other cases involving the financial services industry. Judi has represented a private equity firm in litigation in two federal District Courts involving investment in time share real estate projects in the United States and Canada, which resulted in favorable court decisions and settlement. She represented and advised a large European bank on litigation-related issues arising from its role as a liquidity provider to certain special purpose vehicles in a conduit structure involving subprime obligations.

She was lead in-house counsel responsible for a group of shareholder and ERISA class actions, including a large shareholder class action arising out of a company's revenue projections and another involving the IPO of a tracking stock, the first of which resulted in favorable settlement after several weeks of trial in U.S. District Court.

Judi also defended a large investment banking firm in a complex group of class action cases brought by limited partners and bondholders in real estate limited partnerships, resulting in numerous favorable decisions including denial of class certification. She represented a major brokerage house in a case involving claims for commissions on thousands of municipal bond transactions, which settled on the eve of trial. She also defended a major accounting firm in a tax malpractice action brought by a reinsurance company that resulted in a successful trial verdict after a four-week bench trial.

International Disputes:
Judi has been involved in a variety of international matters, including as lead litigation counsel for an investor in a number of electricity projects overseas in a dispute with the other investors over breach of representation and contract obligations, resulting in a favorable settlement. She also represented a Latin American distributor of information systems products in a fraud and contract matter tried to an arbitrator over a two week hearing, in which her client was the prevailing party.

Other matters include litigation and arbitral disputes between a long distance carrier with foreign telecommunications carriers over international telecommunications traffic; a case for a foreign film company involving Spanish and Italian film distribution rights, and an arbitration representing a major energy company over a contract for purchase of Chinese coal.

Telecommunications Industry Litigation:
Judi has worked on numerous and varied telecommunications cases, including in the areas of telephony, cable and radio. She recently acted as lead counsel in successfully obtaining dismissal of a class action in two Federal District courts (and affirmed by one United States Court of Appeals thus far) against an owner of radio stations of a claim under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. She also was lead counsel on a case involving the sale by an agent of telecommunications services, which settled on the eve of trial. 

Judi was lead in-house counsel responsible for a large number of telecommunications matters. These include the representation of a major telecommunications company in an arbitration with a competitor over attempted amendment of carrier agreement, resulting in unanimous decision in client's favor after an arbitration hearing; a large dispute with a competitor over improper routing of traffic to foreign countries, including proceedings in U.S. District and Bankruptcy courts, resulting in favorable settlement; litigation and regulatory proceedings across the country over telephone access charges; and various litigations involving payphone compensation charges, including a successful D.C. Circuit appeal. She also oversaw investigations in connection with litigation matters.

Judi also represented a leading cable company in, among other matters, a series of lawsuits and disputes across the United States involving illegal pirating of cable boxes, with proceedings in various U.S. District Courts, Courts of Appeal and U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Entertainment Industry Litigation:
Judi has represented film and television industry clients on a variety of matters, including litigation and contract issues. She regularly advises the producer of a late-night television program on issues such as litigation or potential litigation, contract issues and content. She also advised a celebrity who was the victim of an extortion attempt.

She has also represented a wide range of talent in advising on contract issues and disputes, issues over syndication and license fees and disputes with agents and employees. One such matter involved a very favorable settlement Judi obtained on behalf of writers/creators of a television series in an action against a studio over defendants' syndication practices, plaintiffs' net profits participation and other accounting practices.

On the film side, Judi has represented an independent film company in a breach of contract suit against a distributor for failure to distribute a foreign film in the United States, and an international film company in a contract dispute over foreign film rights acquired in connection with takeover of major U.S. film studio, resulting in a very favorable settlement.

Intellectual Property Litigation:
Judi has represented clients in many different industries on intellectual property matters, including in the areas of copyright, trademark, cybersquatting and idea theft.

For example, Judi acted as lead counsel in successfully obtaining injunctive relief on behalf of a technology company to prevent use by a patent licensor of confidential information, and for a major record label in a copyright case against a hip hop artist and distributors of infringing work, including getting a default judgment and substantial award of damages and attorney's fees against the artist.

Judi also acted as lead in-house counsel in the defense of a telecommunications company in a trademark action brought by a leading internet service provider over use of several marks in connection with internet service, resulting in summary judgment in U.S. District Court, affirmance in large part by the Court of Appeals and favorable settlement.

Finally, Judi represented a leading television network, production company and individual defendants in a copyright infringement action over a late night comedy show, which resulted in summary judgment on all counts.

• Federal Bar Council
  • Committee on the Second Circuit
• Association of the Bar of the City of New York
  • Women in the Profession Committee, Leadership Subcommittee, Co-Chair
• American Bar Association
  • Litigation Section
  • Forum Committee on Sports and Entertainment Industries

• Chambers & Partners USA, ranked among the top attorneys in Commercial Litigation in New York (2006 - 2011)
• "Top 50 Women Lawyers in New York," Law & Politics (2009 - 2010)
• "New York Super Lawyer," Business Litigation, Law & Politics (2007 - 2010)
• "Lawdragon 500 New Stars, New World," Lawdragon 500 Guide, recognized as one of 500 up-and-coming lawyers in America based on peer and client interviews and recommendations (2006)
• "Thurgood Marshall Award," Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1998)

• Co-author, "Supreme Court Finds Federal Question Jurisdiction Over TCPA Claims," Fulbright Briefing, January 23, 2012
• Co-author, "Ninth Circuit Weighs in on Corporate Liability and Exhaustion Under the Alien Tort Statute," Fulbright Briefing, October 28, 2011
• Co-author, "D.C. and Seventh Circuits Decide the Issue of Corporate Liability Under the Alien Tort Statute," Fulbright Briefing, July 13, 2011
• Co-Author, "The Boundaries of Arbitral Power – A Doctrine Revisited," NY Dispute Resolution Lawyer (NYSBA), Spring 2011
• Quoted in, "No Rehearing in Rejection of Alien Tort Statute Claims," InsideCounsel Magazine, April 2011
• Co-author, "Second Circuit Leaves Intact Ruling Limiting Jurisdiction of Alien Tort Statute Over Corporations," Fulbright Briefing, February 16, 2011
• "The Growth of Litigation: A Global Trend," The Corporate Counselor, Vol. 21, No. 8 (January 2007)
• "Prior Consistent Statements: Temporal Admissibility Standard under Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(B)," 55 Fordham L. Rev. 759, 1987

• "American Patent Litigation," Speaker, Fulbright Seminar, New York, NY, September 30, 2010
• "Effective Mediation," Speaker, Jersey City, NJ, September 27, 2010
• "Effective Mediation: Preparation and Participation for Success," Moderator, Fulbright Seminar, New York, NY, March 9, 2010
• "International Arbitration: An Overview," Guest Lecturer, Seton Hall Law School, November 5, 2008
• "Fifth Annual Litigation Trends Survey Findings," Speaker, Fulbright & Jaworski Executive Women's Leadership Forum, Laguna Niguel, CA, September 13, 2008
• "Fourth Annual Litigation Trends Survey Findings," Moderator, 21 Club, New York, NY, November 6, 2007 "A Critical Comparison of Arbitration Under UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, ICDR and ICSID Rules," Speaker, New York, NY, June 13, 2007 
• "Congressional Investigations: Are You Ready?," Moderator, Fulbright Seminar, New York, NY, January 10, 2007
• "Findings of the Fulbright & Jaworski 2006 Litigation Trends Survey," Speaker, New York, NY, October 12, 2006
• Counsel to Counsel, "Effective In-House Counselling in an Era of Eroding Privilege," Panelist, London, England, May 4, 2006
• "Findings of the Fulbright  2005 Litigation Trends Survey," Speaker, (i) Web Seminar, Nov. 8, 2005, (ii) New York, NY, November 2, 2005

1988 - J.D., Fordham University School of Law
1985 - B.A., cum laude, English, Fordham University

While in law school, Judi was a commentary editor for the Fordham Law Review. Judi is admitted to practice in New York and Connecticut and before the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York. She is also admitted to practice in various other federal courts.

When not practicing law, Judi spends time with her family, is an avid reader, a die-hard New York sports fan and enjoys skiing and biking.

• New York Women's Foundation, Grants Advisory Committee (2010 - 2011) 
• MFY Legal Services, Inc.
  • Board of Directors, former member
  • Fundraising Committee, former Chair
• Montclair Art Museum, Supporter