Cravath’s New York Office Moves to Two Manhattan West
Karin A. DeMasi is Managing Partner of the Litigation Department.
Her practice focuses on complex litigation, including class actions, in federal and state courts, primarily in the areas of antitrust, securities, derivative, ERISA and general commercial disputes. Ms. DeMasi also represents companies, boards of directors and individuals in connection with shareholder demands and disputes.
Although many of her cases have been successfully resolved for her clients on pre‑trial motions, Ms. DeMasi’s experience also includes numerous jury and bench trials, as well as domestic and international arbitrations. She has represented a wide range of clients, including Avon Products, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and various member plans, Credit Suisse, DreamWorks, First Solar, Goldman Sachs, HBO, IBM, McKinsey & Co., Merck, Morgan Stanley, Peabody Energy and Xerox.
Ms. DeMasi has been praised as “a very talented and skilled defense attorney” who is “creative and organized” and “will know every fact on her client’s behalf.” (Chambers USA) Lawdragon has named Ms. DeMasi a nationwide “Legend” and continually selected her as one of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” “500 Leading Global Litigators” and “500 Leading Litigators in America.” She has been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” list for the past seven years, and included in Crain’s New York Business’s “Notable Women in Law” list. Ms. DeMasi has been recognized by Chambers USA for securities litigation and The Legal 500 US for antitrust, media and entertainment and securities litigation, for which she was named to The Legal 500 Hall of Fame.
Ms. DeMasi’s representative matters include:
Represented First Solar in a securities class action in Arizona federal court alleging that First Solar and several of its officers and executives concealed manufacturing issues with its solar modules and committed accounting violations, which settled on favorable terms the night before jury selection. She also represented First Solar in a related opt‑out class action and in a related derivative action, both of which settled.
Ms. DeMasi was elected in 2013 to serve as a member of The American Law Institute. She is also a member of the American Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association. She is the author of several articles, and regularly speaks on panels relating to antitrust, securities and class action litigation.
Ms. DeMasi devotes a significant portion of her practice to pro bono service. She was counsel for respondents, a proposed class of University of Michigan students and faculty, in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, et al., a case addressing the constitutionality of a proposed state ban on race‑conscious admissions that was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in April 2013. In addition to her active pro bono litigation, Ms. DeMasi is one of the lead partners for Cravath’s relationship with Montefiore Children’s Hospital and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, through which the Firm represents children who need legal services related to their medical care.
Ms. DeMasi was born in San Francisco, California, and grew up in Burlington, Vermont. She received a B.S. from Northwestern University in 1993, and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, where she was Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. In 1996, she served as a law clerk to Hon. D. Brock Hornby of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine.
Ms. DeMasi joined Cravath in 1997 and was elected a partner in 2004. She has served as Managing Partner of the Litigation Department since September 2016, and on the Diversity Committee since 2014. From 2014 to 2016, she served as the Litigation Hiring Partner.
Although many of her cases have been successfully resolved for her clients on pre‑trial motions, Ms. DeMasi’s experience also includes numerous jury and bench trials, as well as domestic and international arbitrations. She has represented a wide range of clients, including Avon Products, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and various member plans, Credit Suisse, DreamWorks, First Solar, Goldman Sachs, HBO, IBM, McKinsey & Co., Merck, Morgan Stanley, Peabody Energy and Xerox.
Ms. DeMasi has been praised as “a very talented and skilled defense attorney” who is “creative and organized” and “will know every fact on her client’s behalf.” (Chambers USA) Lawdragon has named Ms. DeMasi a nationwide “Legend” and continually selected her as one of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” “500 Leading Global Litigators” and “500 Leading Litigators in America.” She has been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” list for the past seven years, and included in Crain’s New York Business’s “Notable Women in Law” list. Ms. DeMasi has been recognized by Chambers USA for securities litigation and The Legal 500 US for antitrust, media and entertainment and securities litigation, for which she was named to The Legal 500 Hall of Fame.
Ms. DeMasi’s representative matters include:
Represented First Solar in a securities class action in Arizona federal court alleging that First Solar and several of its officers and executives concealed manufacturing issues with its solar modules and committed accounting violations, which settled on favorable terms the night before jury selection. She also represented First Solar in a related opt‑out class action and in a related derivative action, both of which settled.
Ms. DeMasi was elected in 2013 to serve as a member of The American Law Institute. She is also a member of the American Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association. She is the author of several articles, and regularly speaks on panels relating to antitrust, securities and class action litigation.
Ms. DeMasi devotes a significant portion of her practice to pro bono service. She was counsel for respondents, a proposed class of University of Michigan students and faculty, in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, et al., a case addressing the constitutionality of a proposed state ban on race‑conscious admissions that was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in April 2013. In addition to her active pro bono litigation, Ms. DeMasi is one of the lead partners for Cravath’s relationship with Montefiore Children’s Hospital and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, through which the Firm represents children who need legal services related to their medical care.
Ms. DeMasi was born in San Francisco, California, and grew up in Burlington, Vermont. She received a B.S. from Northwestern University in 1993, and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, where she was Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. In 1996, she served as a law clerk to Hon. D. Brock Hornby of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine.
Ms. DeMasi joined Cravath in 1997 and was elected a partner in 2004. She has served as Managing Partner of the Litigation Department since September 2016, and on the Diversity Committee since 2014. From 2014 to 2016, she served as the Litigation Hiring Partner.
American Bar Association
The American Law Institute
New York City Bar Association
Benchmark Litigation
Benchmark Top 250 Women in Litigation (2024‑2018)
Best Lawyers in America
Chambers USA
Crain’s New York Business
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 Hall of Fame
The Legal 500 US
Deals & Cases
June 28, 2023
On June 23, 2023, Judge Michael T. Liburdi of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona dismissed with prejudice all claims brought against Cravath clients First Solar, Inc. and its executives (collectively, “First Solar”) in a purported securities class action litigation concerning the company’s Series 6 solar module and its Project Development business.
Activities
August 15, 2024
Cravath partners Christine A. Varney, Karin A. DeMasi, Rachel G. Skaistis and Lauren A. Moskowitz were recognized by Benchmark Litigation in the 2024 edition of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation,” which honors “the most distinguished women in the world of litigation.” Inclusion in the list is based on a review of individual litigators’ professional activities, client feedback surveys and one‑on‑one interviews. This is the eleventh consecutive year in which Christine has been selected for inclusion in the publication. Karin and Rachel are recognized for the seventh year, and Lauren is recognized for the fourth year.
Activities
May 02, 2024
On April 29, 2024, Cravath partner Karin A. DeMasi participated in “Securities Litigation 2024: From Investigation to Trial,” a program presented by the Practising Law Institute in New York. Karin spoke on a panel entitled “Prosecuting and Defending the Civil Action: Class Certification, Fact Discovery, Experts in Securities Litigation,” which reviewed recent developments in class certification standards, how to prepare and present an expert, how to implement strategies for fact discovery and how to craft an effective summary judgment motion.
Activities
February 09, 2024
On February 9, 2024, Cravath partners Karin A. DeMasi and John D. Buretta were named to Lawdragon’s 2024 list of Lawdragon Legends, which this year recognizes 33 lawyers nationwide who have been repeatedly featured among Lawdragon’s list of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America.” The list honors law firm leaders, plaintiff icons, Supreme Court justices, corporate counsel and public interest attorneys who are “overflowing with inspiring accomplishments” and embody “the best a lawyer can be.”
Activities
January 26, 2024
On January 19, 2024, Cravath partners Karin A. DeMasi and George E. Zobitz were profiled in Lawdragon’s “Lawyer Limelight” series in connection with their roles as Managing Partners of the Firm’s Litigation and Corporate Departments, respectively. In the Q&A, Karin and Jed spoke about the Firm’s approach to developing talent, including how the associate rotation system ensures “a holistic focus on learning and development” and incentivizes a culture of collaboration among partners and associates. They also discussed what qualities they look for in bringing on new talent, formal and informal training systems, what the younger generation of associates are looking for in their experience and the ways in which they enjoy mentorship.
Activities
March 23, 2023
On March 20, 2023, Cravath partner Karin A. DeMasi participated in “Securities Litigation 2023: From Investigation to Trial,” a program presented by the Practising Law Institute in New York. Karin spoke on a panel entitled “Prosecuting and Defending the Civil Action: Class Certification, Fact Discovery, Experts and Summary Judgment Motions in Securities Litigation,” which reviewed recent developments in class certification standards, how to prepare and present an expert, the strategies for fact discovery, and how to craft an effective summary judgment motion.
Karin A. DeMasi is Managing Partner of the Litigation Department.
Her practice focuses on complex litigation, including class actions, in federal and state courts, primarily in the areas of antitrust, securities, derivative, ERISA and general commercial disputes. Ms. DeMasi also represents companies, boards of directors and individuals in connection with shareholder demands and disputes.
Although many of her cases have been successfully resolved for her clients on pre‑trial motions, Ms. DeMasi’s experience also includes numerous jury and bench trials, as well as domestic and international arbitrations. She has represented a wide range of clients, including Avon Products, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and various member plans, Credit Suisse, DreamWorks, First Solar, Goldman Sachs, HBO, IBM, McKinsey & Co., Merck, Morgan Stanley, Peabody Energy and Xerox.
Ms. DeMasi has been praised as “a very talented and skilled defense attorney” who is “creative and organized” and “will know every fact on her client’s behalf.” (Chambers USA) Lawdragon has named Ms. DeMasi a nationwide “Legend” and continually selected her as one of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” “500 Leading Global Litigators” and “500 Leading Litigators in America.” She has been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” list for the past seven years, and included in Crain’s New York Business’s “Notable Women in Law” list. Ms. DeMasi has been recognized by Chambers USA for securities litigation and The Legal 500 US for antitrust, media and entertainment and securities litigation, for which she was named to The Legal 500 Hall of Fame.
Ms. DeMasi’s representative matters include:
Represented First Solar in a securities class action in Arizona federal court alleging that First Solar and several of its officers and executives concealed manufacturing issues with its solar modules and committed accounting violations, which settled on favorable terms the night before jury selection. She also represented First Solar in a related opt‑out class action and in a related derivative action, both of which settled.
Ms. DeMasi was elected in 2013 to serve as a member of The American Law Institute. She is also a member of the American Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association. She is the author of several articles, and regularly speaks on panels relating to antitrust, securities and class action litigation.
Ms. DeMasi devotes a significant portion of her practice to pro bono service. She was counsel for respondents, a proposed class of University of Michigan students and faculty, in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, et al., a case addressing the constitutionality of a proposed state ban on race‑conscious admissions that was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in April 2013. In addition to her active pro bono litigation, Ms. DeMasi is one of the lead partners for Cravath’s relationship with Montefiore Children’s Hospital and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, through which the Firm represents children who need legal services related to their medical care.
Ms. DeMasi was born in San Francisco, California, and grew up in Burlington, Vermont. She received a B.S. from Northwestern University in 1993, and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, where she was Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. In 1996, she served as a law clerk to Hon. D. Brock Hornby of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine.
Ms. DeMasi joined Cravath in 1997 and was elected a partner in 2004. She has served as Managing Partner of the Litigation Department since September 2016, and on the Diversity Committee since 2014. From 2014 to 2016, she served as the Litigation Hiring Partner.
Although many of her cases have been successfully resolved for her clients on pre‑trial motions, Ms. DeMasi’s experience also includes numerous jury and bench trials, as well as domestic and international arbitrations. She has represented a wide range of clients, including Avon Products, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and various member plans, Credit Suisse, DreamWorks, First Solar, Goldman Sachs, HBO, IBM, McKinsey & Co., Merck, Morgan Stanley, Peabody Energy and Xerox.
Ms. DeMasi has been praised as “a very talented and skilled defense attorney” who is “creative and organized” and “will know every fact on her client’s behalf.” (Chambers USA) Lawdragon has named Ms. DeMasi a nationwide “Legend” and continually selected her as one of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” “500 Leading Global Litigators” and “500 Leading Litigators in America.” She has been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” list for the past seven years, and included in Crain’s New York Business’s “Notable Women in Law” list. Ms. DeMasi has been recognized by Chambers USA for securities litigation and The Legal 500 US for antitrust, media and entertainment and securities litigation, for which she was named to The Legal 500 Hall of Fame.
Ms. DeMasi’s representative matters include:
Represented First Solar in a securities class action in Arizona federal court alleging that First Solar and several of its officers and executives concealed manufacturing issues with its solar modules and committed accounting violations, which settled on favorable terms the night before jury selection. She also represented First Solar in a related opt‑out class action and in a related derivative action, both of which settled.
Ms. DeMasi was elected in 2013 to serve as a member of The American Law Institute. She is also a member of the American Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association. She is the author of several articles, and regularly speaks on panels relating to antitrust, securities and class action litigation.
Ms. DeMasi devotes a significant portion of her practice to pro bono service. She was counsel for respondents, a proposed class of University of Michigan students and faculty, in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, et al., a case addressing the constitutionality of a proposed state ban on race‑conscious admissions that was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in April 2013. In addition to her active pro bono litigation, Ms. DeMasi is one of the lead partners for Cravath’s relationship with Montefiore Children’s Hospital and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, through which the Firm represents children who need legal services related to their medical care.
Ms. DeMasi was born in San Francisco, California, and grew up in Burlington, Vermont. She received a B.S. from Northwestern University in 1993, and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, where she was Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. In 1996, she served as a law clerk to Hon. D. Brock Hornby of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine.
Ms. DeMasi joined Cravath in 1997 and was elected a partner in 2004. She has served as Managing Partner of the Litigation Department since September 2016, and on the Diversity Committee since 2014. From 2014 to 2016, she served as the Litigation Hiring Partner.
American Bar Association
The American Law Institute
New York City Bar Association
Benchmark Litigation
Benchmark Top 250 Women in Litigation (2024‑2018)
Best Lawyers in America
Chambers USA
Crain’s New York Business
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 Hall of Fame
The Legal 500 US
Deals & Cases
June 28, 2023
On June 23, 2023, Judge Michael T. Liburdi of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona dismissed with prejudice all claims brought against Cravath clients First Solar, Inc. and its executives (collectively, “First Solar”) in a purported securities class action litigation concerning the company’s Series 6 solar module and its Project Development business.
Activities
August 15, 2024
Cravath partners Christine A. Varney, Karin A. DeMasi, Rachel G. Skaistis and Lauren A. Moskowitz were recognized by Benchmark Litigation in the 2024 edition of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation,” which honors “the most distinguished women in the world of litigation.” Inclusion in the list is based on a review of individual litigators’ professional activities, client feedback surveys and one‑on‑one interviews. This is the eleventh consecutive year in which Christine has been selected for inclusion in the publication. Karin and Rachel are recognized for the seventh year, and Lauren is recognized for the fourth year.
Activities
May 02, 2024
On April 29, 2024, Cravath partner Karin A. DeMasi participated in “Securities Litigation 2024: From Investigation to Trial,” a program presented by the Practising Law Institute in New York. Karin spoke on a panel entitled “Prosecuting and Defending the Civil Action: Class Certification, Fact Discovery, Experts in Securities Litigation,” which reviewed recent developments in class certification standards, how to prepare and present an expert, how to implement strategies for fact discovery and how to craft an effective summary judgment motion.
Activities
February 09, 2024
On February 9, 2024, Cravath partners Karin A. DeMasi and John D. Buretta were named to Lawdragon’s 2024 list of Lawdragon Legends, which this year recognizes 33 lawyers nationwide who have been repeatedly featured among Lawdragon’s list of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America.” The list honors law firm leaders, plaintiff icons, Supreme Court justices, corporate counsel and public interest attorneys who are “overflowing with inspiring accomplishments” and embody “the best a lawyer can be.”
Activities
January 26, 2024
On January 19, 2024, Cravath partners Karin A. DeMasi and George E. Zobitz were profiled in Lawdragon’s “Lawyer Limelight” series in connection with their roles as Managing Partners of the Firm’s Litigation and Corporate Departments, respectively. In the Q&A, Karin and Jed spoke about the Firm’s approach to developing talent, including how the associate rotation system ensures “a holistic focus on learning and development” and incentivizes a culture of collaboration among partners and associates. They also discussed what qualities they look for in bringing on new talent, formal and informal training systems, what the younger generation of associates are looking for in their experience and the ways in which they enjoy mentorship.
Activities
March 23, 2023
On March 20, 2023, Cravath partner Karin A. DeMasi participated in “Securities Litigation 2023: From Investigation to Trial,” a program presented by the Practising Law Institute in New York. Karin spoke on a panel entitled “Prosecuting and Defending the Civil Action: Class Certification, Fact Discovery, Experts and Summary Judgment Motions in Securities Litigation,” which reviewed recent developments in class certification standards, how to prepare and present an expert, the strategies for fact discovery, and how to craft an effective summary judgment motion.
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