Claire A. DeLelle is an associate at White & Case LLP and practices with the Litigation Group.  She focuses on commercial dispute resolution and currently advises and represents International Finance Corporation in various commercial matters in connection with complex, multi-million dollar project finance deals.  Current matters include the enforcement of a put option agreement in the Commercial Division of the New York Supreme Court, New York County.  Ms. DeLelle's federal experience at White & Case includes defending commercial entities in a litigation involving the act of state doctrine invoked in connection with claims of expropriation of a joint venture interest by a foreign sovereign.  

Ms. DeLelle's litigation experience includes successfully first-chairing a commercial dispute arising out of an asset purchase agreement in the Southern District of New York.  In that case, Ms. DeLelle obtained summary judgment in favor of her client.  Ms. DeLelle has also second-chaired major trials in the Eastern District of Virginia, one of which resulted in a $5.3 million award to her IT start-up client on various claims including civil conspiracy and misappropriation of trade secrets. 

Ms. DeLelle has significant appellate experience at both the state and federal levels.  She has defended appeals in the Second, Fourth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals and argued two appeals before the Second Circuit.  She has also argued before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.   

Prior to joining White & Case, Ms. DeLelle practiced with a boutique litigation firm primarily representing foreign sovereign clients and diplomats, including a Middle Eastern government, its embassy in Washington, DC and its Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN) in New York.  She routinely advised these clients on the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, the Foreign Missions Act, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and the Agreement between the UN and the United States of America Regarding the Headquarters of the UN.  Ms. DeLelle successfully litigated several matters on behalf of foreign sovereign clients, including arguing summary judgment motions before the US District Courts for the Southern District of New York and District of Arizona.