Four Decades for Justice
Vanessa A. Lavely handles a wide variety of litigation cases, including antitrust, intellectual property, environmental, general commercial and securities matters. She has significant trial experience in federal and state court.
Ms. Lavely’s clients have included Atlas Air, Boehringer Ingelheim, Colgate‑Palmolive, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, NCR, Qualcomm and the Board of Directors of Tesla.
Ms. Lavely’s notable matters include:
Representation of Tesla, Inc. and current and former members of its Board of Directors in numerous matters, including:
Representing Tesla in consolidated putative class action antitrust litigation alleging Tesla has monopolized access to parts and services needed to repair its vehicles, and that the company’s actions have resulted in delays and supracompetitive pricing for Tesla vehicle maintenance.
Representing Tesla CEO and Board member Elon Musk and other current and former members of the Tesla Board of Directors in a derivative action filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery concerning Mr. Musk’s compensation package.
Representing the Tesla Board in a separate derivative action related to the Board’s compensation, which plaintiff alleges is unfair and excessive. Plaintiff brings claims for breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment and seeks disgorgement, among other relief.
Ms. Lavely also devotes substantial time to pro bono service. She works extensively with Her Justice (f/k/a inMotion), a group that helps disadvantaged women find pro bono legal representation for a variety of family law matters, including child support and domestic violence cases.
Ms. Lavely is Co‑Chair of the Board of Advisors for UCLA School of Law and a member of the Board of Trustees for Deerfield Academy. She is also a member of the women’s network Chief.
Ms. Lavely is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She has been named to Business Insider’s list of “Rising Stars of the Courtroom” and included in Crain’s New York Business’s list of “Notable Women in Law.” Ms. Lavely has also been named by Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star” and included on its “40 & Under List.” She has also been named to Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America” list. She was also recognized by The Legal 500 US for her work in antitrust, general commercial and patent litigation, and recommended by The Best Lawyers in America for her work in commercial litigation.
Ms. Lavely received an A.B. degree magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2004, where she was captain of the Women’s Lacrosse Team and was awarded Academic All‑Ivy League. She received a J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2008, where she served as the Editor‑in‑Chief of the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. After graduation, she served as a law clerk to Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Ms. Lavely joined Cravath in 2010 and was elected a partner in 2017. She serves as the partner in charge of data analytics and e‑discovery.
Ms. Lavely’s notable matters include:
Representation of Tesla, Inc. and current and former members of its Board of Directors in numerous matters, including:
Representing Tesla in consolidated putative class action antitrust litigation alleging Tesla has monopolized access to parts and services needed to repair its vehicles, and that the company’s actions have resulted in delays and supracompetitive pricing for Tesla vehicle maintenance.
Representing Tesla CEO and Board member Elon Musk and other current and former members of the Tesla Board of Directors in a derivative action filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery concerning Mr. Musk’s compensation package.
Representing the Tesla Board in a separate derivative action related to the Board’s compensation, which plaintiff alleges is unfair and excessive. Plaintiff brings claims for breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment and seeks disgorgement, among other relief.
Ms. Lavely also devotes substantial time to pro bono service. She works extensively with Her Justice (f/k/a inMotion), a group that helps disadvantaged women find pro bono legal representation for a variety of family law matters, including child support and domestic violence cases.
Ms. Lavely is Co‑Chair of the Board of Advisors for UCLA School of Law and a member of the Board of Trustees for Deerfield Academy. She is also a member of the women’s network Chief.
Ms. Lavely is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She has been named to Business Insider’s list of “Rising Stars of the Courtroom” and included in Crain’s New York Business’s list of “Notable Women in Law.” Ms. Lavely has also been named by Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star” and included on its “40 & Under List.” She has also been named to Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America” list. She was also recognized by The Legal 500 US for her work in antitrust, general commercial and patent litigation, and recommended by The Best Lawyers in America for her work in commercial litigation.
Ms. Lavely received an A.B. degree magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2004, where she was captain of the Women’s Lacrosse Team and was awarded Academic All‑Ivy League. She received a J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2008, where she served as the Editor‑in‑Chief of the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. After graduation, she served as a law clerk to Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Ms. Lavely joined Cravath in 2010 and was elected a partner in 2017. She serves as the partner in charge of data analytics and e‑discovery.
American Bar Foundation
Law360
Benchmark Litigation
Best Lawyers in America
Business Insider
Crain’s New York Business
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 US
Deals & Cases
January 24, 2024
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
June 09, 2023
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”).
Deals & Cases
May 02, 2022
On April 27, 2022, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted judgment in favor of Cravath client Elon Musk on all counts in a stockholder derivative suit regarding the 2016 acquisition of SolarCity Corp. (“SolarCity”) by Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”). The Court of Chancery’s 131‑page opinion in favor of Mr. Musk followed a highly publicized 11‑day trial in July and August 2021, and post‑trial briefing and oral argument held in January 2022.
Deals & Cases
July 11, 2012
On July 3, 2012, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin ruled that Cravath client NCR Corporation was not liable as an “arranger” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as the “Superfund Statute.” Based on testimony and evidence presented during a seven-day bench trial in February 2012, Judge William Griesbach decided that NCR and facilities previously owned by NCR had not “arranged” for the disposal of hazardous waste into the Fox River in Wisconsin through the sale of PCB-containing paper scrap that resulted from the manufacturing of carbonless copy paper. This ruling saves NCR from approximately $100 million in liability to other corporations for the remediation of the Fox River and may have important implications in other actions, including a pending lawsuit brought by corporations seeking reimbursement for remediation of the Kalamazoo River in Michigan.
Activities & Publications
November 20, 2023
On November 16, 2023, Cravath partner Vanessa A. Lavely co‑moderated a discussion as part of CSC’s Delaware Seminar Series, which is part of the organization’s Continuing Legal Education and Professional Development Programs. The discussion featured The Honorable Collins J. Seitz Jr., Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Delaware, and reviewed recent trends in Delaware corporate law.
Accolades
March 23, 2023
On March 20, 2023, Cravath was honored by Legaltech News at its 2023 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards, which celebrates “the achievements of law firms, legal departments and vendors leading the legal profession into the future through technology and innovation.” The Firm was announced as the winner in the “Litigation and E‑Discovery” category for its e‑discovery team’s use of artificial intelligence and other tools to identify and evaluate documents and search for key documents in a litigation.
Accolades
July 27, 2022
Cravath partners Margaret T. Segall, Vanessa A. Lavely, Lauren R. Kennedy, Michael P. Addis, Justin C. Clarke, Sharonmoyee Goswami, Lauren M. Rosenberg, Helam Gebremariam, David H. Korn and Brittany L. Sukiennik were named by Benchmark Litigation to its 2022 “40 & Under List.” The list honors the achievements of the nation’s most accomplished litigators of 40 years old and under who have worked on high stakes and precedent setting cases. The list was compiled through a process involving peer and client review, along with examination of individual cases.
Accolades
June 27, 2022
Cravath partner Vanessa A. Lavely was named to Business Insider’s 2022 list of “Rising Stars of the Courtroom,” which was published on June 21, 2022. The feature recognizes “the next crop of great litigators” who are “driven by the thrill of a live courtroom and a sense of mission to help clients get their day in court.” Business Insider noted Vanessa’s successful representation of clients including Tesla, Qualcomm, Minerals Technologies Inc. and Colgate‑Palmolive, on a wide range of litigation matters, noting she “has worked on big cases but also had big roles in ones that have gone under the radar.” Cravath partner Evan Chesler spoke to Insider about impressive client feedback on Vanessa’s performance as a junior associate, which led to her being handed early responsibility for witness examination in a pivotal trial for client NCR.
Accolades
May 09, 2022
On May 6, 2022, The Am Law Litigation Daily featured a Cravath team as “Litigators of the Week” for its successful defense of client Elon Musk in a stockholder derivative suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery related to Tesla’s 2016 acquisition of SolarCity, in which Plaintiffs sought $13 billion in damages. The publication noted that the Court’s decision in favor of Mr. Musk followed an 11‑day trial held in July and August 2021 and additional oral argument in January 2022, and in the Q&A feature, Cravath partners Evan R. Chesler, Daniel Slifkin and Vanessa A. Lavely spoke about the Firm’s introduction to the case; the collaborative approach of the team, which also included partner Helam Gebremariam; key themes that emerged over the course of the trial; as well as important takeaways from the decision, including as they relate to corporate governance.
Vanessa A. Lavely handles a wide variety of litigation cases, including antitrust, intellectual property, environmental, general commercial and securities matters. She has significant trial experience in federal and state court.
Ms. Lavely’s clients have included Atlas Air, Boehringer Ingelheim, Colgate‑Palmolive, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, NCR, Qualcomm and the Board of Directors of Tesla.
Ms. Lavely’s notable matters include:
Representation of Tesla, Inc. and current and former members of its Board of Directors in numerous matters, including:
Representing Tesla in consolidated putative class action antitrust litigation alleging Tesla has monopolized access to parts and services needed to repair its vehicles, and that the company’s actions have resulted in delays and supracompetitive pricing for Tesla vehicle maintenance.
Representing Tesla CEO and Board member Elon Musk and other current and former members of the Tesla Board of Directors in a derivative action filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery concerning Mr. Musk’s compensation package.
Representing the Tesla Board in a separate derivative action related to the Board’s compensation, which plaintiff alleges is unfair and excessive. Plaintiff brings claims for breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment and seeks disgorgement, among other relief.
Ms. Lavely also devotes substantial time to pro bono service. She works extensively with Her Justice (f/k/a inMotion), a group that helps disadvantaged women find pro bono legal representation for a variety of family law matters, including child support and domestic violence cases.
Ms. Lavely is Co‑Chair of the Board of Advisors for UCLA School of Law and a member of the Board of Trustees for Deerfield Academy. She is also a member of the women’s network Chief.
Ms. Lavely is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She has been named to Business Insider’s list of “Rising Stars of the Courtroom” and included in Crain’s New York Business’s list of “Notable Women in Law.” Ms. Lavely has also been named by Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star” and included on its “40 & Under List.” She has also been named to Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America” list. She was also recognized by The Legal 500 US for her work in antitrust, general commercial and patent litigation, and recommended by The Best Lawyers in America for her work in commercial litigation.
Ms. Lavely received an A.B. degree magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2004, where she was captain of the Women’s Lacrosse Team and was awarded Academic All‑Ivy League. She received a J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2008, where she served as the Editor‑in‑Chief of the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. After graduation, she served as a law clerk to Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Ms. Lavely joined Cravath in 2010 and was elected a partner in 2017. She serves as the partner in charge of data analytics and e‑discovery.
Ms. Lavely’s notable matters include:
Representation of Tesla, Inc. and current and former members of its Board of Directors in numerous matters, including:
Representing Tesla in consolidated putative class action antitrust litigation alleging Tesla has monopolized access to parts and services needed to repair its vehicles, and that the company’s actions have resulted in delays and supracompetitive pricing for Tesla vehicle maintenance.
Representing Tesla CEO and Board member Elon Musk and other current and former members of the Tesla Board of Directors in a derivative action filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery concerning Mr. Musk’s compensation package.
Representing the Tesla Board in a separate derivative action related to the Board’s compensation, which plaintiff alleges is unfair and excessive. Plaintiff brings claims for breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment and seeks disgorgement, among other relief.
Ms. Lavely also devotes substantial time to pro bono service. She works extensively with Her Justice (f/k/a inMotion), a group that helps disadvantaged women find pro bono legal representation for a variety of family law matters, including child support and domestic violence cases.
Ms. Lavely is Co‑Chair of the Board of Advisors for UCLA School of Law and a member of the Board of Trustees for Deerfield Academy. She is also a member of the women’s network Chief.
Ms. Lavely is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She has been named to Business Insider’s list of “Rising Stars of the Courtroom” and included in Crain’s New York Business’s list of “Notable Women in Law.” Ms. Lavely has also been named by Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star” and included on its “40 & Under List.” She has also been named to Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America” list. She was also recognized by The Legal 500 US for her work in antitrust, general commercial and patent litigation, and recommended by The Best Lawyers in America for her work in commercial litigation.
Ms. Lavely received an A.B. degree magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2004, where she was captain of the Women’s Lacrosse Team and was awarded Academic All‑Ivy League. She received a J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2008, where she served as the Editor‑in‑Chief of the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. After graduation, she served as a law clerk to Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Ms. Lavely joined Cravath in 2010 and was elected a partner in 2017. She serves as the partner in charge of data analytics and e‑discovery.
American Bar Foundation
Law360
Benchmark Litigation
Best Lawyers in America
Business Insider
Crain’s New York Business
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 US
Deals & Cases
January 24, 2024
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
June 09, 2023
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”).
Deals & Cases
May 02, 2022
On April 27, 2022, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted judgment in favor of Cravath client Elon Musk on all counts in a stockholder derivative suit regarding the 2016 acquisition of SolarCity Corp. (“SolarCity”) by Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”). The Court of Chancery’s 131‑page opinion in favor of Mr. Musk followed a highly publicized 11‑day trial in July and August 2021, and post‑trial briefing and oral argument held in January 2022.
Deals & Cases
July 11, 2012
On July 3, 2012, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin ruled that Cravath client NCR Corporation was not liable as an “arranger” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as the “Superfund Statute.” Based on testimony and evidence presented during a seven-day bench trial in February 2012, Judge William Griesbach decided that NCR and facilities previously owned by NCR had not “arranged” for the disposal of hazardous waste into the Fox River in Wisconsin through the sale of PCB-containing paper scrap that resulted from the manufacturing of carbonless copy paper. This ruling saves NCR from approximately $100 million in liability to other corporations for the remediation of the Fox River and may have important implications in other actions, including a pending lawsuit brought by corporations seeking reimbursement for remediation of the Kalamazoo River in Michigan.
Activities & Publications
November 20, 2023
On November 16, 2023, Cravath partner Vanessa A. Lavely co‑moderated a discussion as part of CSC’s Delaware Seminar Series, which is part of the organization’s Continuing Legal Education and Professional Development Programs. The discussion featured The Honorable Collins J. Seitz Jr., Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Delaware, and reviewed recent trends in Delaware corporate law.
Accolades
March 23, 2023
On March 20, 2023, Cravath was honored by Legaltech News at its 2023 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards, which celebrates “the achievements of law firms, legal departments and vendors leading the legal profession into the future through technology and innovation.” The Firm was announced as the winner in the “Litigation and E‑Discovery” category for its e‑discovery team’s use of artificial intelligence and other tools to identify and evaluate documents and search for key documents in a litigation.
Accolades
July 27, 2022
Cravath partners Margaret T. Segall, Vanessa A. Lavely, Lauren R. Kennedy, Michael P. Addis, Justin C. Clarke, Sharonmoyee Goswami, Lauren M. Rosenberg, Helam Gebremariam, David H. Korn and Brittany L. Sukiennik were named by Benchmark Litigation to its 2022 “40 & Under List.” The list honors the achievements of the nation’s most accomplished litigators of 40 years old and under who have worked on high stakes and precedent setting cases. The list was compiled through a process involving peer and client review, along with examination of individual cases.
Accolades
June 27, 2022
Cravath partner Vanessa A. Lavely was named to Business Insider’s 2022 list of “Rising Stars of the Courtroom,” which was published on June 21, 2022. The feature recognizes “the next crop of great litigators” who are “driven by the thrill of a live courtroom and a sense of mission to help clients get their day in court.” Business Insider noted Vanessa’s successful representation of clients including Tesla, Qualcomm, Minerals Technologies Inc. and Colgate‑Palmolive, on a wide range of litigation matters, noting she “has worked on big cases but also had big roles in ones that have gone under the radar.” Cravath partner Evan Chesler spoke to Insider about impressive client feedback on Vanessa’s performance as a junior associate, which led to her being handed early responsibility for witness examination in a pivotal trial for client NCR.
Accolades
May 09, 2022
On May 6, 2022, The Am Law Litigation Daily featured a Cravath team as “Litigators of the Week” for its successful defense of client Elon Musk in a stockholder derivative suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery related to Tesla’s 2016 acquisition of SolarCity, in which Plaintiffs sought $13 billion in damages. The publication noted that the Court’s decision in favor of Mr. Musk followed an 11‑day trial held in July and August 2021 and additional oral argument in January 2022, and in the Q&A feature, Cravath partners Evan R. Chesler, Daniel Slifkin and Vanessa A. Lavely spoke about the Firm’s introduction to the case; the collaborative approach of the team, which also included partner Helam Gebremariam; key themes that emerged over the course of the trial; as well as important takeaways from the decision, including as they relate to corporate governance.
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