Robert Joseph Giuffra Jr. (born ) is an American attorney. He is co-chair and a partner of Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, and is a member of their management committee. He is Donald Trump's personal lawyer.
Personal life and education Giuffra graduated from Bronxville (N.Y.) High School in 1978.Robert Giuffra, Bronxville Grad of '78, Argues Landmark Case for Banks and Fed before US Court of Appeals," MyHometownBronxville, 24 March 2010 He earned his bachelor's degree summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1983. Giuffra graduated from Yale Law School in 1987. In 1998, Giuffra married Joyce Campbell, a former press secretary for Senator Bob Dole. The Giuffras have three children (Elizabeth, Caroline and Robert Giuffra III) and live in Manhattan and Southampton.
Career Giuffra served as a law clerk to Judge Ralph Winter of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1987 to 1988 and to Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the United States Supreme Court from 1988 to 1989. He joined Sullivan & Cromwell in 1989.
Giuffra represented Robert Wallach, counsel to former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, in obtaining the dismissal of his conviction in the Wedtech case; Armand D'Amato, the brother of then-Senator Alfonse D'Amato, in securing the reversal of his mail fraud conviction; David Duncan, the former Arthur Andersen LLP partner who served as lead auditor for Enron and whose guilty plea was later vacated by a federal court; Vornado Chairman and CEO Steven Roth at trial and on appeal.“Trial Pros: Sullivan & Cromwell’s Robert Giuffra,” Law360, March 7, 2016“Ruling Backs D’Amato Kin in Fraud Case,” by Jonathan Rabinovitz, The New York Times, 1 November 1994Yale Law School Partner Profile: Robert J. Giuffra, Jr., at the Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law
In 2011, Giuffra served as the lead counsel to a group of leading financial institutions in separate actions in New York State court against MBIA challenging its 2009 restructuring, winning the appeal in the New York State Court of Appeals.Litigator of the Week: Robert Giuffra, Jr., of Sullivan & Cromwell by David Bario, July 1, 2011 In 2003 and 2004, Giuffra served as counsel to the Audit Committee of Computer Associates. He later represented Computer Associates in settling investigations by the Department of Justice and SEC.
In 2014, Giuffra represented Enbridge in obtaining a unanimous jury verdict dismissing Energy Transfer Partners’ claims seeking more than $1 billion in damages from Enbridge based on alleged tortious interference with a pipeline project.Enbridge Witnesses: There Was Never a Ring on Enterprise’s Finger,"by Natalie Posgate, The Texas Lawbook, February 24, 2014
In 2015, Giuffra represented The New York State Bankers Association, which sued in federal court to overturn New York City's Responsible Banking Act, legislation that sought to regulate the activities of banks receiving deposits from the City. Judge Katherine Polk Failla of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York struck down the law.“Judge strikes down de Blasio effort to regulate banks,” by Aaron Elstein, Crain's New York Business, August 10, 2015
During 2015, Giuffra also represented DISH Network and EchoStar in obtaining the dismissal of tortious interference claims seeking billions of dollars in damages in an adversary proceeding begun in connection with LightSquared’s Chapter 11 cases.“$1.5B LightSquared Suit Against Dish Network Dropped,” by Jonathan Randles, LAW360, December 23, 2015
In March 2017, Giuffra obtained the dismissal with prejudice of a multibillion-dollar putative class action against UBS by Enron shareholders who asserted that UBS bankers knew, and failed to disclose, relevant information about the energy company's finances.Litigators of the Week: Knocking Out the Last of the Enron Suits,” by Miriam Rozen, The Am Law Litigation Daily, March 3, 2017
Giuffra represented Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in its litigation with the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board and class action plaintiffs over alleged violations of diesel vehicle emissions regulations.“Fiat Chrysler & US Justice Department Close To Settling On Diesel Emissions Cheating Scandal,” by James Ayre, Clean Technica, April 11, 2018 In 2019, Fiat Chrysler reached final settlements to resolve those cases.“Fiat Chrysler Warns of $800 Million in Costs Related to Emissions Settlement,” by Timothy Puko and Mike Colias, The Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2019
Giuffra was counsel for Volkswagen AG in the multi-district litigation arising from government investigations into the automaker's use of defeat device software.“Court Sets Deadline for a Volkswagen Diesel Fix, but Solution Could Prove Elusive,” by Jack Ewing, The New York Times, March 24, 2016 He negotiated a $14.7 billion settlement with U.S. federal and state regulators and class action plaintiffs.Litigators of the Week: One for the History Books,” by Jenna Greene, The American Lawyer, October 28, 2016 He since has secured the dismissal of related cases brought by the states of Alabama, Tennessee, Minnesota, Wyoming and Missouri alleging violation of state environmental laws.Breyer tosses Government Actions Against Volkswagen,” by Amanda Bronstad, The Recorder, April 17, 2018Volkswagen defeats IL's $1B lawsuit over emissions cheating; judge says fed law doesn't permit state action,” by Scott Holland, The Cook County Record, June 8, 2018“VW Dodges Missouri's $1B Diesel Emissions Scandal Suit,” by Dean Seal, LAW360, June 27, 2018“U.S. judge rejects Wyoming's environmental lawsuit against Volkswagen,” by David Shepardson, Reuters, August 31, 2017“Judge Balks at States’ Pursuit of VW in Emissions Scandal,” by Nicholas Iovino, Courthouse News Service, August 1, 2017“Benchslap Pricey Lesson for Lawyers in Volkswagen Opt-Out Case,” by Roy Strom, Bloomberg Law, June 29, 2023
Giuffra reportedly was one of the attorneys who declined to represent President Donald Trump in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election.“Here are the lawyers who quit or declined to represent Trump in the Mueller probe,” by Kevin Breuninger, CNBC.com, March 27, 2018 Giuffra has represented former Deputy National Security Advisor K. T. McFarland in connection with the Mueller investigation. He reportedly persuaded federal investigators that McFarland had not intentionally misled them about her exchanges with former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn regarding conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak concerning sanctions targeting the Russian government.Former top White House official revises statement to special counsel about Flynn’s calls with Russian ambassador,” by Shane Harris and Devlin Barrett, The Washington Post, September 22, 2018.
In 2022, Giuffra represented Allianz when the SEC and DOJ investigated the "Structured Alpha" funds managed by Allianz. Guiffra helped Allianz reach a settlement with a guilty plea of $6 billion in payments to investors and government authorities.
Giuffra represented Goldman Sachs in Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. v. Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, which was a $13 billion class action lawsuit seeking damages after the 2008 financial crisis. Following 13 years of litigation, Giuffra and his team successfully reversed the decision from a lower court to end the case in favor of Goldmans Sachs in 2023.
Donald Trump's personal lawyer At Sullivan & Cromwell, Giuffra is currently leading the appeal against the prosecution of Donald Trump in New York, which had produced a criminal conviction and unconditional discharge in January 2025.
In 2025, Giuffra sat in on a meeting where President Donald Trump negotiated an agreement with the law firm Paul, Weiss which he had targeted as part of a larger retaliation campaign against law firms that represented his political opponents. Giuffra drafted an agreement where Paul, Weiss would give into various of Trump's demands.
In May 2026, the New York Times reported that the Department of Justice under the second Donald Trump administration was in the process of dropping bribery charges against Gautam Adani, an Indian billionaire. This came in the wake of Adani hiring a new legal team led by Giuffra.
Public service and political activities Giuffra served as a White House aide during the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Giuffra served as chief counsel to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs from 1995 to 1996, helping to draft the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Giuffra served as counsel to the Senate Whitewater Committee.
Governors of both parties have appointed Giuffra to state government positions. Giuffra served on the New York State Commission on Public Integrity from 2007 to 2009, overseeing state government ethics and lobbying laws."Gov. Spitzer Announces Appointments to New York State Commission on Public Integrity," US Fed News, September 21, 2007“Meet the Commission on Public Integrity,” by Nicholas Confessore, The New York Times, September 21, 2007 He also served as a commissioner of the New York State Ethics Commission from 1998 to 2007. Giuffra also served as president of the Federal Bar Council from 2008-10."Federal Bar Council Quarterly - Dec./Jan./Feb. 2009""Federal Bar Council Quarterly - Sept./Oct./Nov. 2010" He is Chair of the Board of Advisors of the Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate LawBoard of Advisors, Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law and a member of the Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities of New York.Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, Board of Trustees and OfficersDowntown Alliance, Board of Directors He is the Chairman of the American Swiss Foundation.“American Swiss Foundation Elects New Chairman Robert J. Giuffra, Jr.,” press release, March 15, 2016
Giuffra is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers Journal of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Spring 2019 (page 80) and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. In 2017, The American Lawyer named him “Transatlantic Disputes/Regulatory Lawyer of the Year” for his representation of Volkswagen,“Clydes, Skadden and Quinn Emanuel among big winners at Transatlantic Legal Awards; Clyde & Co takes Transatlantic Law Firm of the Year at Legal Week-American Lawyer event,” by Chris Johnson, Legal Week, June 8, 2017 and in 2014 “Litigator of the Year” for his work in defending UBS and Porsche.“Litigator of the Year Winner,” in The American Lawyer, January 2014 In 2011, he was named one of 10 leading U.S. legal innovators by the Financial Times.“Individuals: Leading Lights: Profiles of 10 Legal Innovators Who Shone Brightly in This Year’s FT Report,” The Financial Times, November 3, 2011 In 2019, he received the Judge Simon H. Rifkind Award.“Judge Simon H. Rifkind Award Luncheon,” March 14, 2019
See also List of law clerks for the chief justice of the United States
References
External links Sullivan & Cromwell American Swiss Foundation