Four Decades for Justice
Rachel G. Skaistis focuses her practice on advising boards of directors and management in connection with government and internal investigations, shareholder demands, derivative actions and accounting restatements. Ms. Skaistis represents clients in matters involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, insider trading, accounting and securities fraud and governance issues. She also handles a wide variety of general litigation, arbitration and appellate matters, including employment disputes, securities, bankruptcy and commercial/contract.
Ms. Skaistis represented a Special Committee of the Board of Twitter, Inc. in connection with a shareholder litigation demand letter. She recently advised a special litigation committee of the Board of Directors of Alphabet Inc. (the parent company of Google) in connection with various shareholder legal proceedings related to past workplace conduct and data privacy issues. Ms. Skaistis has also represented a special committee of the Board of Directors of Prudential Financial; the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Campbell Soup; a special committee of the Board of Directors of Cognizant Technology Solutions; special committees of the Board of Directors of MetLife; special committees of the Board of Directors of The Hartford Financial Services Group; a special committee of the Board of Directors of Bank of New York Mellon; and the Board of Directors of General Electric Company and its various committees since 2007 in connection with a variety of matters.
In addition to her special committee work, Ms. Skaistis has a robust litigation practice. Recent matters include:
Represented Biogen in a qui tam action alleging that Biogen caused the submission of false claims to multiple federal healthcare programs through purported kickback schemes related to certain of Biogen’s multiple sclerosis drugs, which settled.
Representing 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®.
In the global investigations space, Ms. Skaistis represented Telia Company in connection with FCPA investigations by the SEC, DOJ and Swedish and Dutch authorities, resulting in one of the largest FCPA resolutions ever. The resolution did not require the company to retain a compliance monitor, implement changes to its compliance program or periodically self-report on its compliance program to the DOJ or SEC.
Many of the other matters that Ms. Skaistis handles are non-public government and internal investigations, including FCPA investigations in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, insider trading investigations and investigations related to workplace misconduct. Ms. Skaistis’s other clients have included: Credit Suisse, Deloitte & Touche, INEOS, JPMorgan Chase, Novartis and Time Warner/Warner Media.
Multiple publications such as Global Investigations Review, Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, Benchmark Litigation, Lawdragon and The Best Lawyers in America have recognized Ms. Skaistis for her work in investigations, securities and business litigation, white collar criminal defense and regulatory enforcement. In 2021, she was included in Crain’s New York Business’s list of “Notable Women in Law.” Ms. Skaistis was named by Lawdragon as a nationwide “Legend” in 2023.
Ms. Skaistis devotes substantial time to pro bono service. She is one of the liaison partners for Cravath’s relationship with Montefiore Children’s Hospital and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, through which the Firm represents patients who need legal services related to their medical care. She also is the liaison partner for Her Justice, an organization that procures pro bono legal services for low‑income women and children. She also serves on the boards of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) and The After‑School Corporation, on the advisory committee of the National Women’s Law Center and as a member of the New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice.
Ms. Skaistis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received a B.A. in 1992 from Yale College. After graduating from Yale, Ms. Skaistis worked as a newspaper reporter in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1997, she received a J.D. cum laude from Cornell, where she was Managing Editor of the Cornell Law Review.
Ms. Skaistis joined Cravath in 1997. In 1999, Ms. Skaistis served as a law clerk to Hon. Shira A. Scheindlin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She rejoined Cravath in 2000 and was elected a partner in 2004. Ms. Skaistis is Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee.
Ms. Skaistis represented a Special Committee of the Board of Twitter, Inc. in connection with a shareholder litigation demand letter. She recently advised a special litigation committee of the Board of Directors of Alphabet Inc. (the parent company of Google) in connection with various shareholder legal proceedings related to past workplace conduct and data privacy issues. Ms. Skaistis has also represented a special committee of the Board of Directors of Prudential Financial; the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Campbell Soup; a special committee of the Board of Directors of Cognizant Technology Solutions; special committees of the Board of Directors of MetLife; special committees of the Board of Directors of The Hartford Financial Services Group; a special committee of the Board of Directors of Bank of New York Mellon; and the Board of Directors of General Electric Company and its various committees since 2007 in connection with a variety of matters.
In addition to her special committee work, Ms. Skaistis has a robust litigation practice. Recent matters include:
Represented Biogen in a qui tam action alleging that Biogen caused the submission of false claims to multiple federal healthcare programs through purported kickback schemes related to certain of Biogen’s multiple sclerosis drugs, which settled.
Representing 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®.
In the global investigations space, Ms. Skaistis represented Telia Company in connection with FCPA investigations by the SEC, DOJ and Swedish and Dutch authorities, resulting in one of the largest FCPA resolutions ever. The resolution did not require the company to retain a compliance monitor, implement changes to its compliance program or periodically self-report on its compliance program to the DOJ or SEC.
Many of the other matters that Ms. Skaistis handles are non-public government and internal investigations, including FCPA investigations in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, insider trading investigations and investigations related to workplace misconduct. Ms. Skaistis’s other clients have included: Credit Suisse, Deloitte & Touche, INEOS, JPMorgan Chase, Novartis and Time Warner/Warner Media.
Multiple publications such as Global Investigations Review, Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, Benchmark Litigation, Lawdragon and The Best Lawyers in America have recognized Ms. Skaistis for her work in investigations, securities and business litigation, white collar criminal defense and regulatory enforcement. In 2021, she was included in Crain’s New York Business’s list of “Notable Women in Law.” Ms. Skaistis was named by Lawdragon as a nationwide “Legend” in 2023.
Ms. Skaistis devotes substantial time to pro bono service. She is one of the liaison partners for Cravath’s relationship with Montefiore Children’s Hospital and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, through which the Firm represents patients who need legal services related to their medical care. She also is the liaison partner for Her Justice, an organization that procures pro bono legal services for low‑income women and children. She also serves on the boards of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) and The After‑School Corporation, on the advisory committee of the National Women’s Law Center and as a member of the New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice.
Ms. Skaistis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received a B.A. in 1992 from Yale College. After graduating from Yale, Ms. Skaistis worked as a newspaper reporter in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1997, she received a J.D. cum laude from Cornell, where she was Managing Editor of the Cornell Law Review.
Ms. Skaistis joined Cravath in 1997. In 1999, Ms. Skaistis served as a law clerk to Hon. Shira A. Scheindlin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She rejoined Cravath in 2000 and was elected a partner in 2004. Ms. Skaistis is Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee.
American Bar Association
The After‑School Corporation
National Women’s Law Center
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Benchmark Litigation
Benchmark Top 250 Women in Litigation (2023‑2018)
Best Lawyers in America
Chambers USA
Crain’s New York Business
Global Investigations Review
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 US
Super Lawyers ‑ New York
Deals & Cases
September 11, 2023
Cravath represented Amgen, one of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies, in successfully defending against a Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) challenge to Amgen’s pending $27.8 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics (“Horizon”)—securing a consent order on September 1, 2023 that The Wall Street Journal described as “a rare instance” of the FTC “throwing in the towel on litigation.”
Deals & Cases
September 25, 2017
Cravath Leads FCPA Resolution with DOJ and SEC; Coordinates with International Counsel Team to Conclude Investigations Worldwide
Deals & Cases
June 16, 2017
On June 16, 2017, the Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed a stockholder derivative lawsuit brought against current and former directors and officers of Qualcomm Incorporated alleging, among other claims, that defendants breached their fiduciary duties by allegedly failing to prevent purported FCPA violations by the company. In granting the dismissal, Vice Chancellor Tamika R. Montgomery‑Reeves held that the complaint did not plead sufficient facts to infer that the individual defendants had acted in bad faith or that the directors faced a substantial likelihood of personal liability such that plaintiffs’ failure to make a demand on the board to bring a suit was excused.
Deals & Cases
December 02, 2016
On December 2, 2016, Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock III of the Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed two shareholder derivative lawsuits alleging that The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation improperly handled foreign exchange transactions. His decision was based in part on an independent internal investigation conducted by Cravath that concluded the claims had no sound legal basis.
Deals & Cases
March 23, 2016
On March 23, 2016, the SEC announced a settlement with Cravath client Novartis AG that ended an investigation concerning Novartis’s use of travel agencies in China. Pursuant to the settlement, Novartis agreed to pay $25 million to settle claims that it had violated the FCPA’s internal controls and books and records provisions, without admitting or denying the charges.
Accolades
February 10, 2023
On February 10, 2023, Cravath partners Antony L. Ryan, Rachel G. Skaistis and Benjamin Gruenstein were named to Lawdragon’s 2023 list of Lawdragon Legends, which this year recognizes 23 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 “for their inspiring work as leaders in the legal profession.”
Accolades
January 09, 2023
On December 16, 2022, Global Investigations Review (“GIR”) published a profile of Cravath’s investigations practice in connection with the Firm’s inclusion in the “GIR 100”, a global guide to the world’s leading cross‑border investigations practices. The profile highlights the Firm’s experience with cross‑border cases, including recent representation of multi‑national pharmaceutical company Novartis and Swedish telecoms company Telia. GIR described Cravath partners Rachel G. Skaistis, John D. Buretta, Benjamin Gruenstein, David M. Stuart and Evan Norris as “top‑tier lawyers” in the space and noted the success of partners John W. White, Evan R. Chesler and Peter T. Barbur on client matters including FCPA, SEC and criminal investigations.
Accolades
August 05, 2022
Cravath partners Christine A. Varney, Karin A. DeMasi, Rachel G. Skaistis and Lauren A. Moskowitz were recognized by Benchmark Litigation in the 2022 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 recent case work, client feedback surveys and one‑on‑one interviews. This is the ninth consecutive year in which Christine has been selected for inclusion in the publication. Karin and Rachel are recognized for the fifth year, and Lauren is recognized for the second year.
Activities & Publications
July 05, 2022
On June 28, 2022, Cravath partner Rachel G. Skaistis participated in “Compliance & Ethics Essentials 2022,” a program presented by the Practising Law Institute in New York. Rachel spoke on a panel entitled “Ethics for Compliance Lawyers and Compliance Officers,” which discussed ethical obligations for those parties, risk and program assessments and attorney‑client privilege, and which compliance program communications can and should be privileged.
Accolades
February 25, 2022
On February 22, 2022, Cravath was featured by Law360 as a “Compliance Practice Group of the Year.” The Firm was recognized for its experience with cross‑border cases, including recent representation of Swedish telecom company Telia and the global Department of Justice monitorship of Japanese auto parts company Takata Corporation and Department of Transportation monitorship of Takata and 19 affected automakers.
Rachel G. Skaistis focuses her practice on advising boards of directors and management in connection with government and internal investigations, shareholder demands, derivative actions and accounting restatements. Ms. Skaistis represents clients in matters involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, insider trading, accounting and securities fraud and governance issues. She also handles a wide variety of general litigation, arbitration and appellate matters, including employment disputes, securities, bankruptcy and commercial/contract.
Ms. Skaistis represented a Special Committee of the Board of Twitter, Inc. in connection with a shareholder litigation demand letter. She recently advised a special litigation committee of the Board of Directors of Alphabet Inc. (the parent company of Google) in connection with various shareholder legal proceedings related to past workplace conduct and data privacy issues. Ms. Skaistis has also represented a special committee of the Board of Directors of Prudential Financial; the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Campbell Soup; a special committee of the Board of Directors of Cognizant Technology Solutions; special committees of the Board of Directors of MetLife; special committees of the Board of Directors of The Hartford Financial Services Group; a special committee of the Board of Directors of Bank of New York Mellon; and the Board of Directors of General Electric Company and its various committees since 2007 in connection with a variety of matters.
In addition to her special committee work, Ms. Skaistis has a robust litigation practice. Recent matters include:
Represented Biogen in a qui tam action alleging that Biogen caused the submission of false claims to multiple federal healthcare programs through purported kickback schemes related to certain of Biogen’s multiple sclerosis drugs, which settled.
Representing 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®.
In the global investigations space, Ms. Skaistis represented Telia Company in connection with FCPA investigations by the SEC, DOJ and Swedish and Dutch authorities, resulting in one of the largest FCPA resolutions ever. The resolution did not require the company to retain a compliance monitor, implement changes to its compliance program or periodically self-report on its compliance program to the DOJ or SEC.
Many of the other matters that Ms. Skaistis handles are non-public government and internal investigations, including FCPA investigations in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, insider trading investigations and investigations related to workplace misconduct. Ms. Skaistis’s other clients have included: Credit Suisse, Deloitte & Touche, INEOS, JPMorgan Chase, Novartis and Time Warner/Warner Media.
Multiple publications such as Global Investigations Review, Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, Benchmark Litigation, Lawdragon and The Best Lawyers in America have recognized Ms. Skaistis for her work in investigations, securities and business litigation, white collar criminal defense and regulatory enforcement. In 2021, she was included in Crain’s New York Business’s list of “Notable Women in Law.” Ms. Skaistis was named by Lawdragon as a nationwide “Legend” in 2023.
Ms. Skaistis devotes substantial time to pro bono service. She is one of the liaison partners for Cravath’s relationship with Montefiore Children’s Hospital and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, through which the Firm represents patients who need legal services related to their medical care. She also is the liaison partner for Her Justice, an organization that procures pro bono legal services for low‑income women and children. She also serves on the boards of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) and The After‑School Corporation, on the advisory committee of the National Women’s Law Center and as a member of the New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice.
Ms. Skaistis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received a B.A. in 1992 from Yale College. After graduating from Yale, Ms. Skaistis worked as a newspaper reporter in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1997, she received a J.D. cum laude from Cornell, where she was Managing Editor of the Cornell Law Review.
Ms. Skaistis joined Cravath in 1997. In 1999, Ms. Skaistis served as a law clerk to Hon. Shira A. Scheindlin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She rejoined Cravath in 2000 and was elected a partner in 2004. Ms. Skaistis is Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee.
Ms. Skaistis represented a Special Committee of the Board of Twitter, Inc. in connection with a shareholder litigation demand letter. She recently advised a special litigation committee of the Board of Directors of Alphabet Inc. (the parent company of Google) in connection with various shareholder legal proceedings related to past workplace conduct and data privacy issues. Ms. Skaistis has also represented a special committee of the Board of Directors of Prudential Financial; the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Campbell Soup; a special committee of the Board of Directors of Cognizant Technology Solutions; special committees of the Board of Directors of MetLife; special committees of the Board of Directors of The Hartford Financial Services Group; a special committee of the Board of Directors of Bank of New York Mellon; and the Board of Directors of General Electric Company and its various committees since 2007 in connection with a variety of matters.
In addition to her special committee work, Ms. Skaistis has a robust litigation practice. Recent matters include:
Represented Biogen in a qui tam action alleging that Biogen caused the submission of false claims to multiple federal healthcare programs through purported kickback schemes related to certain of Biogen’s multiple sclerosis drugs, which settled.
Representing 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®.
In the global investigations space, Ms. Skaistis represented Telia Company in connection with FCPA investigations by the SEC, DOJ and Swedish and Dutch authorities, resulting in one of the largest FCPA resolutions ever. The resolution did not require the company to retain a compliance monitor, implement changes to its compliance program or periodically self-report on its compliance program to the DOJ or SEC.
Many of the other matters that Ms. Skaistis handles are non-public government and internal investigations, including FCPA investigations in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, insider trading investigations and investigations related to workplace misconduct. Ms. Skaistis’s other clients have included: Credit Suisse, Deloitte & Touche, INEOS, JPMorgan Chase, Novartis and Time Warner/Warner Media.
Multiple publications such as Global Investigations Review, Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, Benchmark Litigation, Lawdragon and The Best Lawyers in America have recognized Ms. Skaistis for her work in investigations, securities and business litigation, white collar criminal defense and regulatory enforcement. In 2021, she was included in Crain’s New York Business’s list of “Notable Women in Law.” Ms. Skaistis was named by Lawdragon as a nationwide “Legend” in 2023.
Ms. Skaistis devotes substantial time to pro bono service. She is one of the liaison partners for Cravath’s relationship with Montefiore Children’s Hospital and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, through which the Firm represents patients who need legal services related to their medical care. She also is the liaison partner for Her Justice, an organization that procures pro bono legal services for low‑income women and children. She also serves on the boards of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) and The After‑School Corporation, on the advisory committee of the National Women’s Law Center and as a member of the New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice.
Ms. Skaistis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received a B.A. in 1992 from Yale College. After graduating from Yale, Ms. Skaistis worked as a newspaper reporter in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1997, she received a J.D. cum laude from Cornell, where she was Managing Editor of the Cornell Law Review.
Ms. Skaistis joined Cravath in 1997. In 1999, Ms. Skaistis served as a law clerk to Hon. Shira A. Scheindlin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She rejoined Cravath in 2000 and was elected a partner in 2004. Ms. Skaistis is Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee.
American Bar Association
The After‑School Corporation
National Women’s Law Center
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Benchmark Litigation
Benchmark Top 250 Women in Litigation (2023‑2018)
Best Lawyers in America
Chambers USA
Crain’s New York Business
Global Investigations Review
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 US
Super Lawyers ‑ New York
Deals & Cases
September 11, 2023
Cravath represented Amgen, one of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies, in successfully defending against a Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) challenge to Amgen’s pending $27.8 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics (“Horizon”)—securing a consent order on September 1, 2023 that The Wall Street Journal described as “a rare instance” of the FTC “throwing in the towel on litigation.”
Deals & Cases
September 25, 2017
Cravath Leads FCPA Resolution with DOJ and SEC; Coordinates with International Counsel Team to Conclude Investigations Worldwide
Deals & Cases
June 16, 2017
On June 16, 2017, the Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed a stockholder derivative lawsuit brought against current and former directors and officers of Qualcomm Incorporated alleging, among other claims, that defendants breached their fiduciary duties by allegedly failing to prevent purported FCPA violations by the company. In granting the dismissal, Vice Chancellor Tamika R. Montgomery‑Reeves held that the complaint did not plead sufficient facts to infer that the individual defendants had acted in bad faith or that the directors faced a substantial likelihood of personal liability such that plaintiffs’ failure to make a demand on the board to bring a suit was excused.
Deals & Cases
December 02, 2016
On December 2, 2016, Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock III of the Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed two shareholder derivative lawsuits alleging that The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation improperly handled foreign exchange transactions. His decision was based in part on an independent internal investigation conducted by Cravath that concluded the claims had no sound legal basis.
Deals & Cases
March 23, 2016
On March 23, 2016, the SEC announced a settlement with Cravath client Novartis AG that ended an investigation concerning Novartis’s use of travel agencies in China. Pursuant to the settlement, Novartis agreed to pay $25 million to settle claims that it had violated the FCPA’s internal controls and books and records provisions, without admitting or denying the charges.
Accolades
February 10, 2023
On February 10, 2023, Cravath partners Antony L. Ryan, Rachel G. Skaistis and Benjamin Gruenstein were named to Lawdragon’s 2023 list of Lawdragon Legends, which this year recognizes 23 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 “for their inspiring work as leaders in the legal profession.”
Accolades
January 09, 2023
On December 16, 2022, Global Investigations Review (“GIR”) published a profile of Cravath’s investigations practice in connection with the Firm’s inclusion in the “GIR 100”, a global guide to the world’s leading cross‑border investigations practices. The profile highlights the Firm’s experience with cross‑border cases, including recent representation of multi‑national pharmaceutical company Novartis and Swedish telecoms company Telia. GIR described Cravath partners Rachel G. Skaistis, John D. Buretta, Benjamin Gruenstein, David M. Stuart and Evan Norris as “top‑tier lawyers” in the space and noted the success of partners John W. White, Evan R. Chesler and Peter T. Barbur on client matters including FCPA, SEC and criminal investigations.
Accolades
August 05, 2022
Cravath partners Christine A. Varney, Karin A. DeMasi, Rachel G. Skaistis and Lauren A. Moskowitz were recognized by Benchmark Litigation in the 2022 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 recent case work, client feedback surveys and one‑on‑one interviews. This is the ninth consecutive year in which Christine has been selected for inclusion in the publication. Karin and Rachel are recognized for the fifth year, and Lauren is recognized for the second year.
Activities & Publications
July 05, 2022
On June 28, 2022, Cravath partner Rachel G. Skaistis participated in “Compliance & Ethics Essentials 2022,” a program presented by the Practising Law Institute in New York. Rachel spoke on a panel entitled “Ethics for Compliance Lawyers and Compliance Officers,” which discussed ethical obligations for those parties, risk and program assessments and attorney‑client privilege, and which compliance program communications can and should be privileged.
Accolades
February 25, 2022
On February 22, 2022, Cravath was featured by Law360 as a “Compliance Practice Group of the Year.” The Firm was recognized for its experience with cross‑border cases, including recent representation of Swedish telecom company Telia and the global Department of Justice monitorship of Japanese auto parts company Takata Corporation and Department of Transportation monitorship of Takata and 19 affected automakers.
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