Clients rely on Nate at every stage of litigation for his courtroom savvy and sharp legal writing. Drawing on his experience as a former AUSA, Nate approaches each dispute with a keen eye and a deep understanding of the trial judge’s perspective.
Overview
Nate Putnam brings a breadth of experience to complex civil and criminal litigation, drawing on his years of serving as an Assistant US Attorney, extensive courtroom advocacy, and high-profile private practice.
Before joining Yankwitt LLP, Nate served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Connecticut, where he handled a wide range of civil matters and earned multiple awards, including the Civil Division’s Distinguished Service Award and the 2023 Appellate Advocacy Award.
He is known for his strong writing and oral advocacy, having argued multiple cases before the Second Circuit, including two within 24 hours, for which he was honored by the office. As an AUSA, Nate also defended multiple class action cases and served as the government’s lead counsel in a high-stakes, two-week federal jury trial whose favorable verdict Nate defended on appeal.
Earlier in his career, Nate was a member of the litigation departments at two AmLaw 100 firms, first Chadbourne & Parke, then Cooley, where he worked on high-profile matters in both the civil and criminal courts.
One such case involved representing a leading Latin American energy company in a $14 billion environmental lawsuit brought by the State of New Jersey to pierce the corporate veil. He also played a central role in a highly publicized dispute between two Major League Baseball teams, helping to vacate an arbitration award rendered by an internal MLB panel in a case related to telecast rights.
In addition to federal and state court litigation, Nate has deep experience with the Federal Arbitration Act and arbitration-related litigation. His strategic versatility, shaped by his broad exposure to civil, criminal, trial, appellate, and arbitral matters, enables him to provide clients with creative and comprehensive litigation strategies to maximize their litigation goals.
His caseload has included everything from commercial contract disputes and business torts to narcotics conspiracy charges and even representing a death row inmate. He also represented the lead author of a landmark transgender military service report, commissioned by the Obama Administration, in resisting a politically sensitive subpoena issued by the Trump Administration.