ProfessionalsYahonnes Cleary

Tel: +1-212-373-3462
Fax: +1-212-492-0462
ycleary@paulweiss.com
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York,
NY
10019-6064
Fax: +1-212-492-0462
A partner in the Litigation Department and co-chair of the Product Liability & Mass Torts practice group, Yahonnes Cleary represents clients in a broad range of complex commercial litigation and high-profile disputes. His experience includes mass tort and product liability litigation, cybersecurity and data privacy litigation and investigations, insurance litigation, financial and securities litigation, and contractual disputes. Yahonnes represents clients at all phases of litigation and at trial. He also advises clients conducting internal investigations and facing state or federal regulatory investigations.
EXPERIENCE
Representative matters include:
Product Liability and Mass Torts
- Defending Monsanto at trial in Washington state court against claims brought by 15 plaintiffs alleging injuries from PCB exposure, including securing complete defense verdicts on 11 of the 15 plaintiffs鈥 claims
- Defending AbbVie in multiple bellwether trials in federal and state court related to the company鈥檚 testosterone replacement therapy product, including securing a complete defense verdict at trial in Illinois state court聽 聽
- 顿别蹿别苍诲颈苍驳听笔蹿颈锄别谤听in national litigation related to the company鈥檚 antidepressant, including securing complete defense verdicts in the first two bellwether trials in Missouri and Pennsylvania state courts
- Defending听贰虫虫辞苍惭辞产颈濒听in various climate-change related tort lawsuits brought by states, counties and municipalities
Cybersecurity and Data Protection
- Defending the聽owners of the Ashley Madison website聽in a consumer fraud class action over a data breach
- Representing a聽healthcare company聽in federal regulatory investigations related to data privacy and digital advertising
- Representing a聽hospital in a state regulatory investigation related to data privacy
Insurance
- Defending听颁狈础听and affiliates in numerous lawsuits in state and federal courts seeking coverage for business losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic
Financial and Securities Litigation
- 顿别蹿别苍诲颈苍驳听investment bank underwriters, including Citigroup, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley, in securities fraud class action lawsuits in state and federal court related to initial public offerings
- 顿别蹿别苍诲颈苍驳听Bank of New York Mellon聽in various civil and regulatory matters related to the company鈥檚 foreign exchange services
- Defending听鲍叠厂听against fraud claims related to residential mortgage-backed securities
Investigations
- 础苍听investment management company聽in an internal investigation related to accounting issues
- 础听financial institution聽in an internal investigation related to accounting issues
- An聽investment adviser聽as a third-party witness in a federal regulatory investigation
Other High-Profile Litigation and Investigations
- Representing the聽New Jersey Governor聽in the successful defense of a lawsuit challenging an investigation into state tax incentive programs
- Representing the聽National Basketball Players Association聽in an internal investigation related to allegations of nepotism and conflicts of interest
Yahonnes has worked, on a pro bono basis, with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund on matters related to voting rights and racial justice, the American Bar Association on matters related to affirmative action in higher education, and the Bronx Defenders and the Sentencing Project on matters related to criminal justice.
Yahonnes is co-president of the board of trustees of Prep for Prep, a member of the Board of Trustees of Choate Rosemary Hall, and a member of the Yale Law School Fund Board.
He was named to the 鈥40 & Under Hot List 鈥 Northeast鈥 in 2020 and 2021 and recognized as a 鈥淔uture Star鈥 in the 2025 edition of聽Benchmark Litigation.