Biography

Barr is one of Delaware’s most experienced corporate litigators, with more than thirty years of experience, primarily as lead counsel, but also as Delaware counsel.

He began his legal career with a clerkship for the Honorable William T. Allen, Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery and is now a member of YCST’s Management Committee.

As lead counsel, Barr has successfully tried, resolved by motion or settled numerous cases, involving tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, primarily for private equity or hedge fund clients.

The disputes that he has litigated have concerned, among other issues, mergers and acquisitions, post-closing indemnification issues, breaches of creditor, limited liability company and limited partnership agreements, dilutive stock issuances, books and records, transactions with controlling stockholders and alleged misuses of trade secrets and other confidential information.

During the last decade, his lead counsel cases have included the following:

In re Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Inc. Stockholders Litigation, C.A. No. 2022-0897-JTL (June 8, 2023) (merger involving controlling stockholder) (settled after motion to dismiss)

Hills v. LW Buyer, LLC., 2019 WL 3492165 (Del. Ch. July 31, 2019) (post-closing indemnification dispute) (prevailed on most claims on early motion for summary judgment and successfully settled remaining claims before depositions)

Pine River Master Fund Ltd. v. Amur Finance Company, Inc., 2017 WL 4023099 (Del. Ch. Sept. 13, 2017) (breach of creditor agreement) (prevailed on early motion for summary judgment and appeal)

Textron, Inc. v. Acument Global Technologies, Inc., 2014 WL 2903060 (Del. Super. Mar. 25, 2014) (post-closing indemnification dispute) (prevailed at trial and appeal)

Barr also has successfully argued appeals in the Delaware Supreme Court, including the following:

Amur Finance Company, Inc. v. Pine River Master Fund Ltd., 190 A.3d 196 (Del. 2018); (breach of creditor agreement) (prevailed on early motion for summary judgment and appeal)

Textron, Inc. v. Acument Global Technologies, Inc., 108 A.3d 1208 (Del. 2015) (post-closing indemnification dispute) (prevailed at trial and on appeal).

As Delaware counsel, Barr has assisted out-of-state counsel in several high-profile matters, including the following:

US Dominion, Inc. v. Newsmax Media, Inc., 2025 WL 1092289 (Del. Super. April 9, 2025) (counsel for defendant in defamation action concerning coverage of 2020 allegations concerning voting machines) (ongoing)

Siegel v. Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P., 2025 WL 1074604 (Del. Ch. April 10, 2025) (reorganization to eliminate up-C structure involving controlling stockholder) (prevailed on motion to dismiss)

Smartmatic USA Corp. v. Newsmax Media, Inc., 2024 WL 4165101 (Del. Super. Sept. 12, 2024) (counsel for defendant in defamation action concerning coverage of 2020 allegations concerning voting machines) (settled before trial)

Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. v. Ainslie, 312 A.3d 674 (Del. 2024) (enforcement of forfeiture-for-competition provision) (prevailed on appeal on the issue of enforceability) (ongoing)

In re BGC Partners, Inc. Derivative Litigation, 2022 WL 3581641 (Del. Ch. Aug. 19, 2022) (merger involving controlling stockholder) (prevailed after trial and on appeal)

A substantial portion of Barr’s practice has involved the representation of demand, special litigation and transaction committees.  For example, Barr successfully represented a special litigation committee of DISH Network Corporation, in a case before the Nevada courts that established the standard for special litigation committees in Nevada.  See, e.g., Matter of DISH Network Derivative Litigation, 133 Nev. 438 (2017).  He previously represented a demand committee of FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) concerning potential claims against FINRA’s directors arising from FINRA’s 2008-09 investment losses.  See, e.g., Report of the Amerivet Demand Committee (finra.org).

Education

  • Princeton University  (A.B.)
    • with Honors
  • Duke University School of Law  (J.D., L.L.M., cum laude)

Bar Admissions

  • Delaware
  • New York

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Supreme Court of the State of Delaware
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Distinctions

  • Chambers USA - America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Chancery, 2020
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation - Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Law, 2009 - Present
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2022, 2024

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Delaware State Bar Association, Member 
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • International Bar Association

Clerkships

  • Honorable William T. Allen, Chancellor, Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware