Stuart W. Gold is a partner in Cravath’s Litigation Department. His practice is general litigation, with considerable experience in communications law, securities law, employment law and antitrust. Mr. Gold has appeared in state and Federal courts at all levels, practices before the FTC, FCC and SEC, and has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the antitrust area, Mr. Gold has helped gain regulatory approval of the United Airlines merger with Continental Airlines and successfully defended against a court challenge to the merger in the Ninth Circuit. He has defended CBS against government charges that it, along with ABC and NBC, had monopolized the network television program buying market. Mr. Gold also defended Republic Steel against claims that it conspired with various railroad companies to fix prices in the transport of iron ore on the Great Lakes, and Columbia Gas on charges it conspired with other gas companies to divide territories in Pennsylvania. Additionally, he represented HBO in a challenge by BMI Inc. to HBO’s use of BMI‑licensed music.
In the trade secrets and employment areas, Mr. Gold successfully defeated a wrongful termination claim by an ex‑CEO of a client after an eight‑day trial and recently successfully prosecuted a trade secrets and breach of fiduciary duty action for General Reinsurance Corporation against a group of former employees. Most recently, Mr. Gold represented Liberty Mutual Group in its lawsuit against Aspen Insurance Holdings and a group of former Liberty professional liability underwriters for misappropriation of trade secrets. From 2009 through 2012, Mr. Gold was recognized by The Legal 500 for his work in trade secrets litigation. Mr. Gold advises several clients on employment discrimination issues.
In the communications and First Amendment areas, Mr. Gold has defended Time Warner in numerous First Amendment suits including a jury verdict for Time Magazine in Sharon v. Time, its challenge to the must carry requirement and other parts of the Cable Acts of 1984 and 1992 and argued for Time Warner in the U.S. Supreme Court in Time v. Regan. More recently, Mr. Gold successfully represented Lifetime Entertainment Services in a contract and copyright dispute with NBC Universal and The Weinstein Co. over the reality series “Project Runway.” Mr. Gold has also represented Viacom in its challenge to the station ownership cap and Newsweek Magazine (and its reporter Michael Isikoff) in Julie Hiatt Steele’s lawsuit over articles written regarding President Clinton’s activities that led to the Starr Commission.
In general commercial litigation, Mr. Gold successfully defended at a jury trial The Promus Companies against a $400 million claim that they had defrauded a group of investors out of a 50% interest in the Harrah’s Marina Hotel Casino in Atlantic City. He has defended Columbia University in its dispute with The Bass Family over the Biosphere 2 facility and Deloitte and Touche in a $3 billion malpractice action. Mr. Gold defeated class certification in a 10(b)‑5 action against Nam Tai Electronics. Currently, Mr. Gold represents the former independent directors of Massey Energy in securities, wrongful death and derivative lawsuits arising out of the Upper Big Branch mine explosion.
In Mr. Gold’s pro bono work, he successfully represented Louise Harris who had been on death row in Alabama since 1989, reversing her death sentence. He is a Director of the Legal Aid Society and regularly represents Madison Square Boys and Girls Club and The Center for Court Innovation.
Mr. Gold has lectured at programs run by Practising Law Institute, DRI and the ABA on subjects from dealing with the press in high profile cases to defamation. Mr. Gold is co‑author of the chapter on defending depositions in the ABA Book Effective Depositions.
Mr. Gold received a B.A. from Brooklyn College in 1969 and a J.D. cum laude from New York University School of Law in 1972, where he was Research Editor of the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. After a one‑year clerkship with Hon. Edward Weinfeld of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, he joined Cravath in 1973 and became a partner in 1980.
Mr. Gold may be reached by phone at 212‑474‑1394 or by email at sgold@cravath.com.