JAMES GIDDENS

1938 - 2024

GIDDENS--James "Jim" Woodrow. The partners of Hughes Hubbard & Reed are saddened by the loss of our esteemed partner James "Jim" Woodrow Giddens, who died peacefully on October 27, 2024 at the age of 86. From 1966 to 2022, Jim worked as an associate and partner at the firm's New York office, where he founded - and for decades chaired - the firm's Corporate Reorganization and Bankruptcy practice. Among other professional accomplishments, Jim helped author U.S. law on brokerage firm failure and, throughout his distinguished career, he was regularly selected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation and appointed by the federal courts as trustee of major financial firm failures, notably including Weis Securities, MF Global and Lehman Brothers. He was responsible for the return of nearly $200 billion of property to more than one hundred thousand investors. Jim was well known for his grace under pressure, judgment and foresight, and equally for how he invested in and allowed others to shine, mentoring generations of attorneys across and beyond our firm. He will be greatly missed. We share our heartfelt condolences with his beloved Ginny and the Giddens family. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024, 2pm at Trinity Church, Lenox, MA.