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Helam
Gebremariam

Partner, Litigation

hgebremariam@cravath.com
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Helam Gebremariam handles a wide variety of complex litigation, including shareholder derivative, mergers and acquisitions, general commercial and securities matters, and antitrust matters. She handles all stages of critical litigation and has significant trial and arbitration experience.

Ms. Gebremariam has represented a range of clients, including Alcoa, American Express, Avon, Bacardi Limited, Bausch Health Companies, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Citigroup, DuPont, Forward Air Corporation, Merck, Minerals Technologies, Nomura International, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, the Board of Directors of Tesla, Warner Media, Warner Bros Entertainment and Yale New Haven Health.

Some of Ms. Gebremariam’s representative matters include:

Shareholder Derivative and Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Representing Yale New Haven Health in litigation claiming Prospect Medical Holdings has breached an Asset Purchase Agreement concerning the acquisition of three Connecticut hospitals. The claims seek a declaratory judgment that the conditions of closing have not been satisfied due to Prospect’s breach of representations that give rise to a Material Adverse Change and Prospect’s breach of a covenant to operate the hospitals in the Ordinary Course.
  • Representing the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Paramount Global in litigation concerning Paramount’s pending $28 billion merger with Skydance Media.
  • Representing select members of SunPower Corporation’s Board of Directors in a stockholder derivative action filed in connection with the sale of SunPower’s commercial and industrial business to a subsidiary of TotalEnergies.
  • Represented Forward Air Corporation in connection with an action filed by Omni Logistics, LLC in the Delaware Court of Chancery, which sought to compel Forward Air to close its proposed acquisition of Omni. On the day trial was scheduled to begin, the parties announced a settlement, agreeing to amend the merger agreement on terms favorable to Forward Air and dismiss their claims.
  • Represented Tesla CEO and Board member Elon Musk in winning a complete trial victory to defeat a $13 billion stockholder derivative suit filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery related to Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity. Following a highly publicized 11‑day trial, the court granted judgment in favor of Mr. Musk on all counts, and the judgment was affirmed by the Delaware Supreme Court. In connection with this victory, the Cravath team was recognized as The Am Law Litigation Daily’s “Litigators of the Week.”

General Commercial and Securities

  • Representing Citigroup in putative class action litigation asserting breach of contract and fiduciary duty claims for alleged failure to achieve “best execution” in equity trades.
  • Represented affiliates of Bacardi, including Empire Investments, in actions brought by SCLiquor LLC (“SC”), which is majority‑owned by rapper Shawn “Jay‑Z” Carter, in the Delaware Court of Chancery and other state and federal courts related to the value of SC’s 50% ownership interest in D’Ussé, a popular cognac brand. In February 2023, Bacardi acquired a majority interest in D’Ussé in an agreement that also settled all disputes between the parties.
  • Represented Alcoa in an arbitration in Geneva conducted under International Chamber of Commerce rules regarding the shipment of bauxite from West Africa. 
  • Represented Merck and current and former officers and directors in individual and class action securities cases that were part of a multidistrict litigation in New Jersey federal court relating to Merck’s development and sale of the prescription pain medication Vioxx®.
  • Represented Minerals Technologies’ (“MTI”) interests in the bankruptcy estate of Novinda Corporation, including defending MTI against allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract in an arbitration brought by the estate.
  • Represented Warner Bros. Entertainment and New Line Cinema in connection with a dispute with Miramax and the Weinstein brothers related to participation in the proceeds from the second and third motion pictures based upon J.R.R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit.

Antitrust

  • Representing American Express (“Amex”) in a putative class action brought on behalf of more than 5,000 merchants in Rhode Island federal court challenging Amex’s anti‑steering rules as anticompetitive. She also represents Amex in arbitrating more than 1,200 similar claims brought by merchants in separate JAMS and AAA arbitrations.
  • Representing the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”) and more than a dozen member plans in consolidated multidistrict antitrust class action litigation—one of the largest class actions in the country—alleging that the Association and its members have used the Association’s agreements to fix prices and limit competition. She also represents BCBSA and various member plans in related opt‑out litigation across the country brought by large subscribers and providers.
  • Represented Nomura International in antitrust litigation brought against various banks, which alleged that defendants conspired to manipulate the price of European Government Bonds (EGB) in the primary and secondary EGB markets. The parties reached a settlement, which received final court approval in December 2024.
  • Represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals in antitrust litigation brought on behalf of putative classes of direct and indirect purchasers, as well as several plaintiffs suing in an individual capacity, alleging an unlawful agreement with another drug manufacturer to delay generic competition for the drug Exforge®. Shortly before trial, Novartis reached a series of settlements with the parties to end nearly five years of litigation.
  • Represented Bausch Health Companies in federal antitrust litigation concerning an alleged reverse‑payment settlement in a patent lawsuit relating to Glumetza, a type 2 diabetes drug. The action sought treble damages in excess of $6 billion. The parties agreed to settle the litigation just two months before the October 2021 trial date. The court granted final approval of the settlements in February 2022.

  • Represented DuPont in an antitrust class action lawsuit filed in Maryland federal court alleging that DuPont and various co‑defendants conspired to fix the price of titanium dioxide.

Ms. Gebremariam has been recognized by the New York Law Journal as a “Rising Star” and has been included in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America,” “500 X – The Next Generation” and “500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers” lists. She has also been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under List,” which recognizes the “best and brightest litigators across the US and Canada,” and has been named a “Future Star” by the publication. Ms. Gebremariam was additionally honored with New York University School of Law’s Black Allied Law Students Association’s 2023 Trailblazer Award and recognized for her “achievements and contributions to the field of law and beyond.” In 2024, she was selected to serve on Law360’s Securities Editorial Advisory Board.

Ms. Gebremariam previously served as Senior Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates at the U.S. Department of Justice and Senior Counsel in the Department’s Office for Access to Justice. She was later associated with and became Counsel at a law firm in Washington, D.C. where she advised clients on a host of commercial, regulatory, and strategic matters.

After graduating from law school, Ms. Gebremariam served as a law clerk to Judge Robert P. Patterson, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She is a member of the New York University School of Law Board of Trustees and an Executive Board Member of the New York University Law Alumni of Color Association. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Immigrant Justice Corps and the Board of Trustees of the Vera Institute of Justice. In 2022, Ms. Gebremariam was selected to join the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows Program.

Ms. Gebremariam was born in Houston, Texas. She received a B.A. with departmental honors in Political Science from Columbia College in 2007 and a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2010, where she was Editor‑in‑Chief of the Law Review and an AnBryce Scholar.

Ms. Gebremariam joined Cravath in 2011. In 2015, she left the Firm to work at the U.S. Department of Justice. She rejoined Cravath in 2019 and was elected a partner in 2020. Ms. Gebremariam is a partner liaison to the African American/Black Affinity Group and a member of the Pro Bono Committee.

Some of Ms. Gebremariam’s representative matters include:

Shareholder Derivative and Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Representing Yale New Haven Health in litigation claiming Prospect Medical Holdings has breached an Asset Purchase Agreement concerning the acquisition of three Connecticut hospitals. The claims seek a declaratory judgment that the conditions of closing have not been satisfied due to Prospect’s breach of representations that give rise to a Material Adverse Change and Prospect’s breach of a covenant to operate the hospitals in the Ordinary Course.
  • Representing the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Paramount Global in litigation concerning Paramount’s pending $28 billion merger with Skydance Media.
  • Representing select members of SunPower Corporation’s Board of Directors in a stockholder derivative action filed in connection with the sale of SunPower’s commercial and industrial business to a subsidiary of TotalEnergies.
  • Represented Forward Air Corporation in connection with an action filed by Omni Logistics, LLC in the Delaware Court of Chancery, which sought to compel Forward Air to close its proposed acquisition of Omni. On the day trial was scheduled to begin, the parties announced a settlement, agreeing to amend the merger agreement on terms favorable to Forward Air and dismiss their claims.
  • Represented Tesla CEO and Board member Elon Musk in winning a complete trial victory to defeat a $13 billion stockholder derivative suit filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery related to Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity. Following a highly publicized 11‑day trial, the court granted judgment in favor of Mr. Musk on all counts, and the judgment was affirmed by the Delaware Supreme Court. In connection with this victory, the Cravath team was recognized as The Am Law Litigation Daily’s “Litigators of the Week.”

General Commercial and Securities

  • Representing Citigroup in putative class action litigation asserting breach of contract and fiduciary duty claims for alleged failure to achieve “best execution” in equity trades.
  • Represented affiliates of Bacardi, including Empire Investments, in actions brought by SCLiquor LLC (“SC”), which is majority‑owned by rapper Shawn “Jay‑Z” Carter, in the Delaware Court of Chancery and other state and federal courts related to the value of SC’s 50% ownership interest in D’Ussé, a popular cognac brand. In February 2023, Bacardi acquired a majority interest in D’Ussé in an agreement that also settled all disputes between the parties.
  • Represented Alcoa in an arbitration in Geneva conducted under International Chamber of Commerce rules regarding the shipment of bauxite from West Africa. 
  • Represented Merck and current and former officers and directors in individual and class action securities cases that were part of a multidistrict litigation in New Jersey federal court relating to Merck’s development and sale of the prescription pain medication Vioxx®.
  • Represented Minerals Technologies’ (“MTI”) interests in the bankruptcy estate of Novinda Corporation, including defending MTI against allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract in an arbitration brought by the estate.
  • Represented Warner Bros. Entertainment and New Line Cinema in connection with a dispute with Miramax and the Weinstein brothers related to participation in the proceeds from the second and third motion pictures based upon J.R.R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit.

Antitrust

  • Representing American Express (“Amex”) in a putative class action brought on behalf of more than 5,000 merchants in Rhode Island federal court challenging Amex’s anti‑steering rules as anticompetitive. She also represents Amex in arbitrating more than 1,200 similar claims brought by merchants in separate JAMS and AAA arbitrations.
  • Representing the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”) and more than a dozen member plans in consolidated multidistrict antitrust class action litigation—one of the largest class actions in the country—alleging that the Association and its members have used the Association’s agreements to fix prices and limit competition. She also represents BCBSA and various member plans in related opt‑out litigation across the country brought by large subscribers and providers.
  • Represented Nomura International in antitrust litigation brought against various banks, which alleged that defendants conspired to manipulate the price of European Government Bonds (EGB) in the primary and secondary EGB markets. The parties reached a settlement, which received final court approval in December 2024.
  • Represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals in antitrust litigation brought on behalf of putative classes of direct and indirect purchasers, as well as several plaintiffs suing in an individual capacity, alleging an unlawful agreement with another drug manufacturer to delay generic competition for the drug Exforge®. Shortly before trial, Novartis reached a series of settlements with the parties to end nearly five years of litigation.
  • Represented Bausch Health Companies in federal antitrust litigation concerning an alleged reverse‑payment settlement in a patent lawsuit relating to Glumetza, a type 2 diabetes drug. The action sought treble damages in excess of $6 billion. The parties agreed to settle the litigation just two months before the October 2021 trial date. The court granted final approval of the settlements in February 2022.

  • Represented DuPont in an antitrust class action lawsuit filed in Maryland federal court alleging that DuPont and various co‑defendants conspired to fix the price of titanium dioxide.

Ms. Gebremariam has been recognized by the New York Law Journal as a “Rising Star” and has been included in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America,” “500 X – The Next Generation” and “500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers” lists. She has also been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under List,” which recognizes the “best and brightest litigators across the US and Canada,” and has been named a “Future Star” by the publication. Ms. Gebremariam was additionally honored with New York University School of Law’s Black Allied Law Students Association’s 2023 Trailblazer Award and recognized for her “achievements and contributions to the field of law and beyond.” In 2024, she was selected to serve on Law360’s Securities Editorial Advisory Board.

Ms. Gebremariam previously served as Senior Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates at the U.S. Department of Justice and Senior Counsel in the Department’s Office for Access to Justice. She was later associated with and became Counsel at a law firm in Washington, D.C. where she advised clients on a host of commercial, regulatory, and strategic matters.

After graduating from law school, Ms. Gebremariam served as a law clerk to Judge Robert P. Patterson, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She is a member of the New York University School of Law Board of Trustees and an Executive Board Member of the New York University Law Alumni of Color Association. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Immigrant Justice Corps and the Board of Trustees of the Vera Institute of Justice. In 2022, Ms. Gebremariam was selected to join the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows Program.

Ms. Gebremariam was born in Houston, Texas. She received a B.A. with departmental honors in Political Science from Columbia College in 2007 and a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2010, where she was Editor‑in‑Chief of the Law Review and an AnBryce Scholar.

Ms. Gebremariam joined Cravath in 2011. In 2015, she left the Firm to work at the U.S. Department of Justice. She rejoined Cravath in 2019 and was elected a partner in 2020. Ms. Gebremariam is a partner liaison to the African American/Black Affinity Group and a member of the Pro Bono Committee.

Education

  • J.D., 2010, New York University School of Law
    AnBryce Scholar
  • B.A., 2007, Columbia College

Clerkships

  • Hon. Robert P. Patterson, U.S.D.C. for the Southern District of New York

Admitted In

  • New York

Organizations

Immigrant Justice Corps

  • Board of Directors

Law360

  • Member, Editorial Advisory Board - Securities (2024)

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

  • Fellow (2022)

 

New York University School of Law

  • Executive Board Member, Law Alumni of Color Association
  • Member, Board of Trustees

Vera Institute of Justice

  • Board of Trustees

Rankings

Benchmark Litigation

  • Future Star (2025, 2024, 2023)
  • 40 & Under List (2024, 2023, 2022)

Lawdragon

  • 500 Leading Litigators in America (2025, 2024, 2023)
  • 500 X – The Next Generation (2025, 2024, 2023)
  • 500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers (2025)

New York Law Journal

  • Rising Star (2024)

Trailblazer Award, New York University School of Law Black Allied Law Students Association, 2023

Deals & Cases

May 09, 2025

TaskUs’s Take‑Private Acquisition by its Co‑Founders and Blackstone

On May 9, 2025, TaskUs, Inc. (“TaskUs”), a leading provider of outsourced digital services and next‑generation customer experience to companies, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to become a privately held company. Under the terms of the agreement, an affiliate of Blackstone, TaskUs Co‑Founder and Chief Executive Officer Bryce Maddock and TaskUs Co‑Founder and President Jaspar Weir (collectively the “Buyer Group”) will acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock they do not already own for $16.50 per share in an all-cash transaction. Upon completion of the transaction, the Company’s Class A common stock will no longer be listed on any public market. The TaskUs Board of Directors has approved the transaction upon the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of independent directors (the “Special Committee”), which was formed on March 20, 2025, in response to interest expressed by the Buyer Group in exploring a possible transaction. Cravath is representing the Special Committee in connection with the transaction.

Deals & Cases

January 24, 2024

Forward Air’s Amended Agreement to Acquire Omni Logistics, Resolving Previously Announced Litigation

On January 22, 2024, Forward Air Corporation (“Forward”) announced an agreement with Omni Logistics, LLC (“Omni”), a private company that is majority owned by Ridgemont Equity Partners and EVE Partners, LLC, to amend the terms of the existing merger agreement relating to their previously announced acquisition. This agreement ends the litigation between the parties, which will now be dismissed. Under the terms of the amended merger agreement, Omni shareholders will receive $20 million in cash, instead of the $150 million initially agreed, and 35% of Forward’s pro forma common equity (on a fully‑diluted, as‑converted basis), as compared to the 37.7% of Forward’s pro forma common equity (on a fully‑diluted, as‑converted basis) contemplated by the original agreement. Cravath is representing Forward in connection with the transaction and related litigation.

Deals & Cases

December 28, 2023

Cravath’s Incarcerated Survivors Initiative Secures Release of Domestic Abuse Survivor

On November 28, 2023, the Queens County Criminal Court entered an order on consent resentencing pro bono client A.M. and securing her release. A.M. had been incarcerated since June 2010. She was originally sentenced in June 2011, pursuant to a plea agreement, to a 20‑year determinate sentence plus five years’ post‑release supervision for first‑degree manslaughter after her romantic partner, who had subjected her to severe domestic abuse, killed her former partner, who had sex trafficked her and also subjected her to severe domestic abuse.

Deals & Cases

June 09, 2023

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Wins Delaware Supreme Court Decision Affirming $13 Billion Trial Victory Over Tesla’s SolarCity Deal

On June 6, 2023, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the Delaware Court of Chancery’s judgment in favor of Cravath client Elon Musk on all counts in a stockholder derivative suit related to Tesla, Inc.’s (“Tesla”) 2016 acquisition of SolarCity Corp. (“SolarCity”).

Activities

February 25, 2025

John White, Michael Arnold, Helam Gebremariam and Ryan Patrone Speak at 41st Annual Federal Securities Institute

Cravath partners John W. White, Michael L. Arnold, Helam Gebremariam and Ryan J. Patrone participated in the 41st Annual Federal Securities Institute, which was hosted by the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar in Tampa, Florida from February 24‑25, 2025 and brought together corporate, M&A and securities practitioners, in‑house counsel, executives and advisors to discuss various topics in corporate law, including structuring acquisitions and capital‑raising transactions, navigating regulatory enforcement issues and corporate governance.

Activities

August 28, 2024

Helam Gebremariam Featured as a 2024 “Rising Star” by New York Law Journal

On August 26, 2024, Cravath partner Helam Gebremariam was featured as a 2024 “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal. The accompanying profile published by NYLJ highlights Helam’s representation of clients in complex litigation cases, including shareholder derivative, mergers and acquisitions, general commercial, securities and antitrust matters, as well as her pro bono practice work, including on right to counsel and access to justice issues. The feature also highlights Helam’s role as a partner liaison to the Firm’s African American/Black Affinity Group and her roles on the boards of Immigrant Justice Corps, the Vera Institute of Justice, and the NYU School of Law Board of Trustees. Helam also shared advice for young lawyers, emphasizing her belief that “authenticity is critical to forging meaningful connections in all parts of your life.”

Activities

August 12, 2024

Benchmark Litigation Names Seven Partners to its 2024 “40 & Under List”

Cravath partners Helam Gebremariam, Sharonmoyee Goswami, Lauren R. Kennedy, David H. Korn, Lauren M. Rosenberg, Brittany L. Sukiennik and Michael J. Zaken were named by Benchmark Litigation to its 2024 “40 & Under List.” The list honors the “the top emerging talent in litigation” of 40 years old and under and was compiled through a process involving peer and client review, along with examination of individual cases.

Activities

July 11, 2024

Helam Gebremariam Named a 2024 “Rising Star” by New York Law Journal

On July 10, 2024, Cravath partner Helam Gebremariam was named a 2024 “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal. The award recognizes “the New York legal community’s emerging leaders.” Winners will be honored at an event and featured in online coverage in September.

Activities

June 12, 2024

Three Cravath Partners Featured in Vault’s 2024 Guide to Legal Practice Areas

Cravath partners Helam Gebremariam, Evan Norris and Andrew M. Wark were featured in the 2024 edition of “Practice Perspectives: Vault’s Guide to Legal Practice Areas,” which highlights the experiences of practicing lawyers in more than 20 different areas of the law and is published annually.

Helam Gebremariam handles a wide variety of complex litigation, including shareholder derivative, mergers and acquisitions, general commercial and securities matters, and antitrust matters. She handles all stages of critical litigation and has significant trial and arbitration experience.

Ms. Gebremariam has represented a range of clients, including Alcoa, American Express, Avon, Bacardi Limited, Bausch Health Companies, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Citigroup, DuPont, Forward Air Corporation, Merck, Minerals Technologies, Nomura International, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, the Board of Directors of Tesla, Warner Media, Warner Bros Entertainment and Yale New Haven Health.

Some of Ms. Gebremariam’s representative matters include:

Shareholder Derivative and Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Representing Yale New Haven Health in litigation claiming Prospect Medical Holdings has breached an Asset Purchase Agreement concerning the acquisition of three Connecticut hospitals. The claims seek a declaratory judgment that the conditions of closing have not been satisfied due to Prospect’s breach of representations that give rise to a Material Adverse Change and Prospect’s breach of a covenant to operate the hospitals in the Ordinary Course.
  • Representing the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Paramount Global in litigation concerning Paramount’s pending $28 billion merger with Skydance Media.
  • Representing select members of SunPower Corporation’s Board of Directors in a stockholder derivative action filed in connection with the sale of SunPower’s commercial and industrial business to a subsidiary of TotalEnergies.
  • Represented Forward Air Corporation in connection with an action filed by Omni Logistics, LLC in the Delaware Court of Chancery, which sought to compel Forward Air to close its proposed acquisition of Omni. On the day trial was scheduled to begin, the parties announced a settlement, agreeing to amend the merger agreement on terms favorable to Forward Air and dismiss their claims.
  • Represented Tesla CEO and Board member Elon Musk in winning a complete trial victory to defeat a $13 billion stockholder derivative suit filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery related to Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity. Following a highly publicized 11‑day trial, the court granted judgment in favor of Mr. Musk on all counts, and the judgment was affirmed by the Delaware Supreme Court. In connection with this victory, the Cravath team was recognized as The Am Law Litigation Daily’s “Litigators of the Week.”

General Commercial and Securities

  • Representing Citigroup in putative class action litigation asserting breach of contract and fiduciary duty claims for alleged failure to achieve “best execution” in equity trades.
  • Represented affiliates of Bacardi, including Empire Investments, in actions brought by SCLiquor LLC (“SC”), which is majority‑owned by rapper Shawn “Jay‑Z” Carter, in the Delaware Court of Chancery and other state and federal courts related to the value of SC’s 50% ownership interest in D’Ussé, a popular cognac brand. In February 2023, Bacardi acquired a majority interest in D’Ussé in an agreement that also settled all disputes between the parties.
  • Represented Alcoa in an arbitration in Geneva conducted under International Chamber of Commerce rules regarding the shipment of bauxite from West Africa. 
  • Represented Merck and current and former officers and directors in individual and class action securities cases that were part of a multidistrict litigation in New Jersey federal court relating to Merck’s development and sale of the prescription pain medication Vioxx®.
  • Represented Minerals Technologies’ (“MTI”) interests in the bankruptcy estate of Novinda Corporation, including defending MTI against allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract in an arbitration brought by the estate.
  • Represented Warner Bros. Entertainment and New Line Cinema in connection with a dispute with Miramax and the Weinstein brothers related to participation in the proceeds from the second and third motion pictures based upon J.R.R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit.

Antitrust

  • Representing American Express (“Amex”) in a putative class action brought on behalf of more than 5,000 merchants in Rhode Island federal court challenging Amex’s anti‑steering rules as anticompetitive. She also represents Amex in arbitrating more than 1,200 similar claims brought by merchants in separate JAMS and AAA arbitrations.
  • Representing the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”) and more than a dozen member plans in consolidated multidistrict antitrust class action litigation—one of the largest class actions in the country—alleging that the Association and its members have used the Association’s agreements to fix prices and limit competition. She also represents BCBSA and various member plans in related opt‑out litigation across the country brought by large subscribers and providers.
  • Represented Nomura International in antitrust litigation brought against various banks, which alleged that defendants conspired to manipulate the price of European Government Bonds (EGB) in the primary and secondary EGB markets. The parties reached a settlement, which received final court approval in December 2024.
  • Represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals in antitrust litigation brought on behalf of putative classes of direct and indirect purchasers, as well as several plaintiffs suing in an individual capacity, alleging an unlawful agreement with another drug manufacturer to delay generic competition for the drug Exforge®. Shortly before trial, Novartis reached a series of settlements with the parties to end nearly five years of litigation.
  • Represented Bausch Health Companies in federal antitrust litigation concerning an alleged reverse‑payment settlement in a patent lawsuit relating to Glumetza, a type 2 diabetes drug. The action sought treble damages in excess of $6 billion. The parties agreed to settle the litigation just two months before the October 2021 trial date. The court granted final approval of the settlements in February 2022.

  • Represented DuPont in an antitrust class action lawsuit filed in Maryland federal court alleging that DuPont and various co‑defendants conspired to fix the price of titanium dioxide.

Ms. Gebremariam has been recognized by the New York Law Journal as a “Rising Star” and has been included in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America,” “500 X – The Next Generation” and “500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers” lists. She has also been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under List,” which recognizes the “best and brightest litigators across the US and Canada,” and has been named a “Future Star” by the publication. Ms. Gebremariam was additionally honored with New York University School of Law’s Black Allied Law Students Association’s 2023 Trailblazer Award and recognized for her “achievements and contributions to the field of law and beyond.” In 2024, she was selected to serve on Law360’s Securities Editorial Advisory Board.

Ms. Gebremariam previously served as Senior Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates at the U.S. Department of Justice and Senior Counsel in the Department’s Office for Access to Justice. She was later associated with and became Counsel at a law firm in Washington, D.C. where she advised clients on a host of commercial, regulatory, and strategic matters.

After graduating from law school, Ms. Gebremariam served as a law clerk to Judge Robert P. Patterson, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She is a member of the New York University School of Law Board of Trustees and an Executive Board Member of the New York University Law Alumni of Color Association. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Immigrant Justice Corps and the Board of Trustees of the Vera Institute of Justice. In 2022, Ms. Gebremariam was selected to join the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows Program.

Ms. Gebremariam was born in Houston, Texas. She received a B.A. with departmental honors in Political Science from Columbia College in 2007 and a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2010, where she was Editor‑in‑Chief of the Law Review and an AnBryce Scholar.

Ms. Gebremariam joined Cravath in 2011. In 2015, she left the Firm to work at the U.S. Department of Justice. She rejoined Cravath in 2019 and was elected a partner in 2020. Ms. Gebremariam is a partner liaison to the African American/Black Affinity Group and a member of the Pro Bono Committee.

Some of Ms. Gebremariam’s representative matters include:

Shareholder Derivative and Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Representing Yale New Haven Health in litigation claiming Prospect Medical Holdings has breached an Asset Purchase Agreement concerning the acquisition of three Connecticut hospitals. The claims seek a declaratory judgment that the conditions of closing have not been satisfied due to Prospect’s breach of representations that give rise to a Material Adverse Change and Prospect’s breach of a covenant to operate the hospitals in the Ordinary Course.
  • Representing the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Paramount Global in litigation concerning Paramount’s pending $28 billion merger with Skydance Media.
  • Representing select members of SunPower Corporation’s Board of Directors in a stockholder derivative action filed in connection with the sale of SunPower’s commercial and industrial business to a subsidiary of TotalEnergies.
  • Represented Forward Air Corporation in connection with an action filed by Omni Logistics, LLC in the Delaware Court of Chancery, which sought to compel Forward Air to close its proposed acquisition of Omni. On the day trial was scheduled to begin, the parties announced a settlement, agreeing to amend the merger agreement on terms favorable to Forward Air and dismiss their claims.
  • Represented Tesla CEO and Board member Elon Musk in winning a complete trial victory to defeat a $13 billion stockholder derivative suit filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery related to Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity. Following a highly publicized 11‑day trial, the court granted judgment in favor of Mr. Musk on all counts, and the judgment was affirmed by the Delaware Supreme Court. In connection with this victory, the Cravath team was recognized as The Am Law Litigation Daily’s “Litigators of the Week.”

General Commercial and Securities

  • Representing Citigroup in putative class action litigation asserting breach of contract and fiduciary duty claims for alleged failure to achieve “best execution” in equity trades.
  • Represented affiliates of Bacardi, including Empire Investments, in actions brought by SCLiquor LLC (“SC”), which is majority‑owned by rapper Shawn “Jay‑Z” Carter, in the Delaware Court of Chancery and other state and federal courts related to the value of SC’s 50% ownership interest in D’Ussé, a popular cognac brand. In February 2023, Bacardi acquired a majority interest in D’Ussé in an agreement that also settled all disputes between the parties.
  • Represented Alcoa in an arbitration in Geneva conducted under International Chamber of Commerce rules regarding the shipment of bauxite from West Africa. 
  • Represented Merck and current and former officers and directors in individual and class action securities cases that were part of a multidistrict litigation in New Jersey federal court relating to Merck’s development and sale of the prescription pain medication Vioxx®.
  • Represented Minerals Technologies’ (“MTI”) interests in the bankruptcy estate of Novinda Corporation, including defending MTI against allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract in an arbitration brought by the estate.
  • Represented Warner Bros. Entertainment and New Line Cinema in connection with a dispute with Miramax and the Weinstein brothers related to participation in the proceeds from the second and third motion pictures based upon J.R.R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit.

Antitrust

  • Representing American Express (“Amex”) in a putative class action brought on behalf of more than 5,000 merchants in Rhode Island federal court challenging Amex’s anti‑steering rules as anticompetitive. She also represents Amex in arbitrating more than 1,200 similar claims brought by merchants in separate JAMS and AAA arbitrations.
  • Representing the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”) and more than a dozen member plans in consolidated multidistrict antitrust class action litigation—one of the largest class actions in the country—alleging that the Association and its members have used the Association’s agreements to fix prices and limit competition. She also represents BCBSA and various member plans in related opt‑out litigation across the country brought by large subscribers and providers.
  • Represented Nomura International in antitrust litigation brought against various banks, which alleged that defendants conspired to manipulate the price of European Government Bonds (EGB) in the primary and secondary EGB markets. The parties reached a settlement, which received final court approval in December 2024.
  • Represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals in antitrust litigation brought on behalf of putative classes of direct and indirect purchasers, as well as several plaintiffs suing in an individual capacity, alleging an unlawful agreement with another drug manufacturer to delay generic competition for the drug Exforge®. Shortly before trial, Novartis reached a series of settlements with the parties to end nearly five years of litigation.
  • Represented Bausch Health Companies in federal antitrust litigation concerning an alleged reverse‑payment settlement in a patent lawsuit relating to Glumetza, a type 2 diabetes drug. The action sought treble damages in excess of $6 billion. The parties agreed to settle the litigation just two months before the October 2021 trial date. The court granted final approval of the settlements in February 2022.

  • Represented DuPont in an antitrust class action lawsuit filed in Maryland federal court alleging that DuPont and various co‑defendants conspired to fix the price of titanium dioxide.

Ms. Gebremariam has been recognized by the New York Law Journal as a “Rising Star” and has been included in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America,” “500 X – The Next Generation” and “500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers” lists. She has also been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under List,” which recognizes the “best and brightest litigators across the US and Canada,” and has been named a “Future Star” by the publication. Ms. Gebremariam was additionally honored with New York University School of Law’s Black Allied Law Students Association’s 2023 Trailblazer Award and recognized for her “achievements and contributions to the field of law and beyond.” In 2024, she was selected to serve on Law360’s Securities Editorial Advisory Board.

Ms. Gebremariam previously served as Senior Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates at the U.S. Department of Justice and Senior Counsel in the Department’s Office for Access to Justice. She was later associated with and became Counsel at a law firm in Washington, D.C. where she advised clients on a host of commercial, regulatory, and strategic matters.

After graduating from law school, Ms. Gebremariam served as a law clerk to Judge Robert P. Patterson, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She is a member of the New York University School of Law Board of Trustees and an Executive Board Member of the New York University Law Alumni of Color Association. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Immigrant Justice Corps and the Board of Trustees of the Vera Institute of Justice. In 2022, Ms. Gebremariam was selected to join the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows Program.

Ms. Gebremariam was born in Houston, Texas. She received a B.A. with departmental honors in Political Science from Columbia College in 2007 and a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2010, where she was Editor‑in‑Chief of the Law Review and an AnBryce Scholar.

Ms. Gebremariam joined Cravath in 2011. In 2015, she left the Firm to work at the U.S. Department of Justice. She rejoined Cravath in 2019 and was elected a partner in 2020. Ms. Gebremariam is a partner liaison to the African American/Black Affinity Group and a member of the Pro Bono Committee.

Education

  • J.D., 2010, New York University School of Law
    AnBryce Scholar
  • B.A., 2007, Columbia College

Clerkships

  • Hon. Robert P. Patterson, U.S.D.C. for the Southern District of New York

Admitted In

  • New York

Organizations

Immigrant Justice Corps

  • Board of Directors

Law360

  • Member, Editorial Advisory Board - Securities (2024)

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

  • Fellow (2022)

 

New York University School of Law

  • Executive Board Member, Law Alumni of Color Association
  • Member, Board of Trustees

Vera Institute of Justice

  • Board of Trustees

Rankings

Benchmark Litigation

  • Future Star (2025, 2024, 2023)
  • 40 & Under List (2024, 2023, 2022)

Lawdragon

  • 500 Leading Litigators in America (2025, 2024, 2023)
  • 500 X – The Next Generation (2025, 2024, 2023)
  • 500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers (2025)

New York Law Journal

  • Rising Star (2024)

Trailblazer Award, New York University School of Law Black Allied Law Students Association, 2023

Deals & Cases

May 09, 2025

TaskUs’s Take‑Private Acquisition by its Co‑Founders and Blackstone

On May 9, 2025, TaskUs, Inc. (“TaskUs”), a leading provider of outsourced digital services and next‑generation customer experience to companies, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to become a privately held company. Under the terms of the agreement, an affiliate of Blackstone, TaskUs Co‑Founder and Chief Executive Officer Bryce Maddock and TaskUs Co‑Founder and President Jaspar Weir (collectively the “Buyer Group”) will acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock they do not already own for $16.50 per share in an all-cash transaction. Upon completion of the transaction, the Company’s Class A common stock will no longer be listed on any public market. The TaskUs Board of Directors has approved the transaction upon the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of independent directors (the “Special Committee”), which was formed on March 20, 2025, in response to interest expressed by the Buyer Group in exploring a possible transaction. Cravath is representing the Special Committee in connection with the transaction.

Deals & Cases

January 24, 2024

Forward Air’s Amended Agreement to Acquire Omni Logistics, Resolving Previously Announced Litigation

On January 22, 2024, Forward Air Corporation (“Forward”) announced an agreement with Omni Logistics, LLC (“Omni”), a private company that is majority owned by Ridgemont Equity Partners and EVE Partners, LLC, to amend the terms of the existing merger agreement relating to their previously announced acquisition. This agreement ends the litigation between the parties, which will now be dismissed. Under the terms of the amended merger agreement, Omni shareholders will receive $20 million in cash, instead of the $150 million initially agreed, and 35% of Forward’s pro forma common equity (on a fully‑diluted, as‑converted basis), as compared to the 37.7% of Forward’s pro forma common equity (on a fully‑diluted, as‑converted basis) contemplated by the original agreement. Cravath is representing Forward in connection with the transaction and related litigation.

Deals & Cases

December 28, 2023

Cravath’s Incarcerated Survivors Initiative Secures Release of Domestic Abuse Survivor

On November 28, 2023, the Queens County Criminal Court entered an order on consent resentencing pro bono client A.M. and securing her release. A.M. had been incarcerated since June 2010. She was originally sentenced in June 2011, pursuant to a plea agreement, to a 20‑year determinate sentence plus five years’ post‑release supervision for first‑degree manslaughter after her romantic partner, who had subjected her to severe domestic abuse, killed her former partner, who had sex trafficked her and also subjected her to severe domestic abuse.

Deals & Cases

June 09, 2023

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Wins Delaware Supreme Court Decision Affirming $13 Billion Trial Victory Over Tesla’s SolarCity Deal

On June 6, 2023, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the Delaware Court of Chancery’s judgment in favor of Cravath client Elon Musk on all counts in a stockholder derivative suit related to Tesla, Inc.’s (“Tesla”) 2016 acquisition of SolarCity Corp. (“SolarCity”).

Activities

February 25, 2025

John White, Michael Arnold, Helam Gebremariam and Ryan Patrone Speak at 41st Annual Federal Securities Institute

Cravath partners John W. White, Michael L. Arnold, Helam Gebremariam and Ryan J. Patrone participated in the 41st Annual Federal Securities Institute, which was hosted by the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar in Tampa, Florida from February 24‑25, 2025 and brought together corporate, M&A and securities practitioners, in‑house counsel, executives and advisors to discuss various topics in corporate law, including structuring acquisitions and capital‑raising transactions, navigating regulatory enforcement issues and corporate governance.

Activities

August 28, 2024

Helam Gebremariam Featured as a 2024 “Rising Star” by New York Law Journal

On August 26, 2024, Cravath partner Helam Gebremariam was featured as a 2024 “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal. The accompanying profile published by NYLJ highlights Helam’s representation of clients in complex litigation cases, including shareholder derivative, mergers and acquisitions, general commercial, securities and antitrust matters, as well as her pro bono practice work, including on right to counsel and access to justice issues. The feature also highlights Helam’s role as a partner liaison to the Firm’s African American/Black Affinity Group and her roles on the boards of Immigrant Justice Corps, the Vera Institute of Justice, and the NYU School of Law Board of Trustees. Helam also shared advice for young lawyers, emphasizing her belief that “authenticity is critical to forging meaningful connections in all parts of your life.”

Activities

August 12, 2024

Benchmark Litigation Names Seven Partners to its 2024 “40 & Under List”

Cravath partners Helam Gebremariam, Sharonmoyee Goswami, Lauren R. Kennedy, David H. Korn, Lauren M. Rosenberg, Brittany L. Sukiennik and Michael J. Zaken were named by Benchmark Litigation to its 2024 “40 & Under List.” The list honors the “the top emerging talent in litigation” of 40 years old and under and was compiled through a process involving peer and client review, along with examination of individual cases.

Activities

July 11, 2024

Helam Gebremariam Named a 2024 “Rising Star” by New York Law Journal

On July 10, 2024, Cravath partner Helam Gebremariam was named a 2024 “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal. The award recognizes “the New York legal community’s emerging leaders.” Winners will be honored at an event and featured in online coverage in September.

Activities

June 12, 2024

Three Cravath Partners Featured in Vault’s 2024 Guide to Legal Practice Areas

Cravath partners Helam Gebremariam, Evan Norris and Andrew M. Wark were featured in the 2024 edition of “Practice Perspectives: Vault’s Guide to Legal Practice Areas,” which highlights the experiences of practicing lawyers in more than 20 different areas of the law and is published annually.

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