King & Ruiz's Appellate & Critical Motions group handles the legal questions that decide cases—on appeal and at the dispositive stages of trial-court litigation. The firm's attorneys have briefed or argued matters in the United States Supreme Court; various U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals; the U.S. Court of International Trade; and federal and state trial courts nationwide. The firm’s attorneys have prevailed on outcome-determinative issues or motions across a range of high-stakes commercial and regulatory disputes.

The group focuses on cross-border and international-litigation questions that most appellate practices encounter only occasionally: discovery under 28 U.S.C. § 1782, Chapter 15 recognition and enforcement, international comity, foreign-sovereign and regulatory issues, and the enforcement of foreign judgments. That depth—built through active § 1782, Chapter 15, and enforcement work coordinated with Latin American, European, and other foreign counsel—makes the group a natural resource for domestic litigators and foreign firms who confront a difficult legal question, a dispositive motion, or an appeal outside their day-to-day practice.

The group is led by senior counsel Stephen Halpin.

Complex commercial disputes typically involve numerous parties, multiple jurisdictions (domestic and foreign), intricate and nuanced evidentiary issues, and require highly technical, industry-specific knowledge.

Cross-border disputes arise when businesses and individuals engage in transactions or business activities in various countries. Resolving these disputes requires significant experience with the relevant foreign legal system, culture, and language.

Asset Recovery is the process of returning to their rightful owners assets that have been stolen, misappropriated, or otherwise wrongfully taken. Any successful asset recovery campaign includes three phases: tracing, securing, and seizure. We design and execute on strategies to trace and locate assets that have been hidden—usually across borders, securing the assets through freeze orders and other interim measures, and seizing those assets for the benefit of our clients.

White collar criminal defense involves representing individuals and corporations in a variety of matters, including criminal proceedings, internal investigations, and regulatory investigations.