Department profile
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

Litigation: General Commercial

USA Guide 2026 : New York


Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

Rankings

About

Provided by Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

For generations, Cravath’s litigators have devised creative resolutions to complex disputes—consistently pushing beyond the “playbook” to deliver the best results for our clients. Drawing on our deep bench of trial‑ready attorneys, we have repeatedly secured precedent‑setting results that have reshaped the legal and business landscapes.

Cravath trains generalist litigators with the tools to tackle complex cases from every angle. We see the broader picture, so we can devise and deliver innovative approaches to the problem at hand, regardless of the subject matter, industry or client’s role in a particular dispute. The credibility and experience we bring to each matter and our preparation of each case from the outset as if it is going to trial give us a strategic advantage in all steps of litigation. Our litigators understand how to explain complex issues and technology simply and clearly without getting lost in the weeds. Because Cravath’s litigators are trained across a broad array of legal areas, the same team can handle general commercial claims as well as disputes involving more specialized areas of the law, allowing us to use small teams and be more cost‑effective.

We also work closely with clients to understand and appreciate their business objectives and culture to provide both short- and long‑term solutions. Cravath’s litigators are not just legal advisors—we are our clients’ partners in developing workable solutions to the wide range of issues they face.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Litigation: General Commercial - New York


What the Team is Known For
Cravath, Swaine & Moore possesses an esteemed civil litigation practice, highly sought after for sophisticated business disputes and securities actions. The firm fields a strong bench of market-leading attorneys, known for their extensive courtroom experience on behalf of household-name clients in the financial services and broader corporate sector. Its litigators have a dominant presence in defending against shareholder derivative actions relating to M&A and securities fraud class actions. The firm wins plaudits for its significant commercial litigation practice, drawing on broad expertise in areas such as bankruptcy, intellectual property and mass tort cases.

Work Highlights

Provided by Chambers

  • Cravath successfully represented Blackstone, a principal stockholder of Bumble, and certain of its directors in defeating stockholder derivative litigation brought on behalf of Bumble, which alleged that Blackstone had misused confidential corporate information in connection with Bumble’s September 2021 Secondary Public Offering.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Cravath, Swaine & Moore has excellent partner level lawyers in the area of strategy and critical thinking.

    Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Cravath has a fantastic depth of knowledge and its ability to hone in on what is needed is unmatched. The way it structures, strategizes and thinks about cases is amazing.

    Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • The depth of understanding of our matters and the quality of the advice and advocacy that flows from it is second to none. The firm has a very sophisticated understanding of the underlying facts. The team is of the highest quality from top to bottom and can draw on additional expertise in the firm as needed.

    Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Cravath, Swaine & Moore has knowledgeable, experienced, thoughtful and open-minded lawyers. The firm knows the business of its client and shows deep understanding of this. Major litigation is handled by teams big enough to be able to be available at all times.

    Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Cravath is in its own category for excellence and execution. Their strategic advice and work product are consistently flawless. The client experience of bringing in new members to the team is seamless and its attorneys are extremely responsive and available.

    Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Band 2Daniel Slifkin
    Band 2Daniel Slifkin

    Daniel Slifkin

    Daniel Slifkin is a go-to litigator for leading issuer clients as well as financial institutions, and is particularly noted for his handling of securities fraud class actions. He demonstrates significant capability in trial and appellate proceedings.
    • Dan is a subject matter expert who is very well respected in the field.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Band 2Kevin J Orsini
    Band 2Kevin J Orsini

    Kevin J Orsini

    Kevin Orsini represents a range of corporate and financial clients in significant litigation, offering particular strength in antitrust and post-M&A litigation.
    • Kevin is superlative.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
    • Kevin is really good at client interface.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
    • Kevin is a fabulous lawyer doing great work.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Band 2Lauren A Moskowitz
    Band 2Lauren A Moskowitz

    Lauren A Moskowitz

    Lauren Moskowitz is renowned for her work in complex litigation. Her practice spans a diverse array of commercial matters, including representing household names in significant antitrust actions.

    • Lauren is technically excellent and an incredibly in-depth, strategic thinker. She is tenacious, dedicated and result-oriented. Nothing rattles her; she remains calm and composed.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
    • Lauren is a super effective trial lawyer and cross-examiner.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Band 3Antony L Ryan
    Band 3Antony L Ryan

    Antony L Ryan

    Antony Ryan regularly acts for both domestic and international clients across a range of civil disputes, including large-scale securities class and derivative actions brought against accounting firms.

    • Antony is a genius. He is brilliant at unpacking things and exploring interesting and clever ways to go after really thorny legal questions.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Band 3Karin A. DeMasi
    Band 3Karin A. DeMasi

    Karin A. DeMasi

    Karin DeMasi has an impressively varied securities litigation practice, acting for clients in derivative suits, post-IPO and M&A litigation, and ERISA class actions.
    • Karin is smart, hardworking and efficient litigator who enjoys a sterling, well-deserved reputation.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Band 4Rachel Skaistis
    Band 4Rachel Skaistis

    Rachel Skaistis

    Rachel Skaistis is a strong choice for corporate boards, officers and directors on shareholder derivative actions, and offers additional capabilities in government investigations.
    • Rachel is outstanding.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Band 6Omid Nasab
    Band 6Omid Nasab

    Omid Nasab

    Omid Nasab is recognized for his adroit counsel in commercial disputes, with particular experience in mass torts and class actions.

    • Omid is thoughtful and thorough. He distils complicated facts into a clear narrative, which is useful for advocacy and speaking with senior people.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
    • Omid is stunningly sharp, strategic, effective and a complete joy to work with. I would never want to make a significant strategic call without knowing his opinion on it.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
    • Omid's judgment is incredibly trustworthy and valuable. His ability to manage really large-scale litigation is impressive.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Band 6Timothy G Cameron
    Band 6Timothy G Cameron

    Timothy G Cameron

    Timothy Cameron is a trusted adviser and trial counsel to notable names across a range of sectors. He has a broad commercial disputes practice, with experience spanning antitrust, contractual and property damage related cases.
    • Timothy has deep technical knowledge. He is also great at finding cutting-edge strategies.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
    • Timothy is a great first-chair litigator. He is smart and hardworking, taking a good team approach.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Band 6Vanessa Lavely
    Band 6Vanessa Lavely

    Vanessa Lavely

    Vanessa Lavely garners praise for her handling of a wide range of commercial disputes, including those involving complex antitrust claims. She is frequently sought after to serve as trial counsel and has notable Delaware court experience.

    • Vanessa is an absolute force of nature on her feet.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
  • Up and ComingBrittany Sukiennik
    Up and ComingBrittany Sukiennik

    Brittany Sukiennik

    Brittany Sukiennik is highlighted for her deft handling of complex matters, with a focus on mass torts and commercial disputes.

    • Brittany is strategic, excellent at client management, and she brings a balance to the group that works extremely well.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
    • Brittany is very good at cutting right to the heart of problems. She focuses a lot of attention on this and she's not easily distracted. She's good at picking out key issues, honing in on them and building our strategy around them.

      Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA

Ranked Individuals at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP (10)

New York

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