Cravath’s London Office Moves to 100 Cheapside
Joe Wesley Earnhardt (Wes) is a first-chair trial and appellate lawyer with significant experience in antitrust, general commercial, intellectual property, securities, and financial restructuring and reorganization matters. He is described as a “careful and thorough” litigator and praised for having a “gift for communicating complicated concepts in an accessible way.” (Chambers USA)
Named a “Litigation Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal and a “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation, Mr. Earnhardt regularly represents clients in their most business‑critical disputes. Some of his clients have included Atlas Air, Epic Games, ESPN, GTT Communications, Illumina, Ingevity, JPMorgan Chase, PG&E, Qualcomm, Root, Spirit AeroSystems, Starz Entertainment, Time Warner, The Walt Disney Company and Xerox.
Mr. Earnhardt has a broad trial and appellate practice. He has tried numerous cases in jurisdictions nationwide on a wide range of issues, and has extensive arbitration experience both domestically and internationally. Mr. Earnhardt has led appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, Sixth, Ninth and Federal Circuits; as well as several state appellate courts, including the Supreme Courts of Delaware, Kentucky and South Carolina.
Mr. Earnhardt’s representative matters include:
Antitrust
General Commercial and Intellectual Property
Santos Laguna v. The Walt Disney Company (Cal. Super.): Represented Disney and its subsidiary FSLA Holdings LLC as lead trial counsel in an action filed by Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V., which alleged breach of contract and other claims arising out of Disney’s divestment of certain broadcasting assets in Mexico. After securing pretrial rulings that reduced Santos’s claimed damages by 70%, the parties subsequently reached a settlement partway through a jury trial on the remaining claims.
Cargo on Demand, Inc. v. Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.): Won the complete dismissal of litigation filed against Polar Air by Cargo on Demand (“COD”) alleging violations of the federal RICO statute and common law fraud claiming that former members of Polar senior management conspired to overcharge COD by demanding COD make payments to them as a condition of doing business with Polar.
Securities
Financial Restructuring & Reorganization
Pro Bono Matters
Mr. Earnhardt also devotes substantial time to pro bono service, including by serving as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of The Adams Street Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the students of The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice.
Additional Recognitions and Awards
Mr. Earnhardt has been recognized by numerous leading professional publications, including consistent recommendations by The Legal 500 US for his work in appellate, general commercial, media and entertainment, patent and securities litigation. Lawdragon has featured him in several of its guides, including “500 Leading Litigators in America,” “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers,” “500 Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers” and “500 Leading Global IP Lawyers.”
Mr. Earnhardt was honored as a “Media and Entertainment MVP” by Law360, has been repeatedly selected to serve as a member of Law360’s Media & Entertainment Editorial Advisory Board, and is ranked by Chambers USA for media and entertainment litigation. He and his colleagues have earned the Firm distinction as a Law360 “Media and Entertainment Practice Group of the Year.” Mr. Earnhardt was recently named by the Sports Business Journal as a “Power Player” in Sports Law.
Mr. Earnhardt received the New York County Lawyers’ Association’s 2013 Boris Kostelanetz President’s Medal for his work co‑authoring a chapter in the book Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts (Third Edition) and is a co‑author of a chapter in the book’s fourth edition. He is also a co‑author of the chapter “Trials” in the book Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts (Fourth Edition).
Mr. Earnhardt is from Denver, North Carolina. He received a B.A. in Economics with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. with high honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2004, where he was an Articles Editor of the Law Review.
Mr. Earnhardt joined Cravath in 2004 and was elected a partner in 2011.
Mr. Earnhardt has a broad trial and appellate practice. He has tried numerous cases in jurisdictions nationwide on a wide range of issues, and has extensive arbitration experience both domestically and internationally. Mr. Earnhardt has led appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, Sixth, Ninth and Federal Circuits; as well as several state appellate courts, including the Supreme Courts of Delaware, Kentucky and South Carolina.
Mr. Earnhardt’s representative matters include:
Antitrust
General Commercial and Intellectual Property
Santos Laguna v. The Walt Disney Company (Cal. Super.): Represented Disney and its subsidiary FSLA Holdings LLC as lead trial counsel in an action filed by Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V., which alleged breach of contract and other claims arising out of Disney’s divestment of certain broadcasting assets in Mexico. After securing pretrial rulings that reduced Santos’s claimed damages by 70%, the parties subsequently reached a settlement partway through a jury trial on the remaining claims.
Cargo on Demand, Inc. v. Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.): Won the complete dismissal of litigation filed against Polar Air by Cargo on Demand (“COD”) alleging violations of the federal RICO statute and common law fraud claiming that former members of Polar senior management conspired to overcharge COD by demanding COD make payments to them as a condition of doing business with Polar.
Securities
Financial Restructuring & Reorganization
Pro Bono Matters
Mr. Earnhardt also devotes substantial time to pro bono service, including by serving as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of The Adams Street Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the students of The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice.
Additional Recognitions and Awards
Mr. Earnhardt has been recognized by numerous leading professional publications, including consistent recommendations by The Legal 500 US for his work in appellate, general commercial, media and entertainment, patent and securities litigation. Lawdragon has featured him in several of its guides, including “500 Leading Litigators in America,” “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers,” “500 Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers” and “500 Leading Global IP Lawyers.”
Mr. Earnhardt was honored as a “Media and Entertainment MVP” by Law360, has been repeatedly selected to serve as a member of Law360’s Media & Entertainment Editorial Advisory Board, and is ranked by Chambers USA for media and entertainment litigation. He and his colleagues have earned the Firm distinction as a Law360 “Media and Entertainment Practice Group of the Year.” Mr. Earnhardt was recently named by the Sports Business Journal as a “Power Player” in Sports Law.
Mr. Earnhardt received the New York County Lawyers’ Association’s 2013 Boris Kostelanetz President’s Medal for his work co‑authoring a chapter in the book Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts (Third Edition) and is a co‑author of a chapter in the book’s fourth edition. He is also a co‑author of the chapter “Trials” in the book Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts (Fourth Edition).
Mr. Earnhardt is from Denver, North Carolina. He received a B.A. in Economics with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. with high honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2004, where he was an Articles Editor of the Law Review.
Mr. Earnhardt joined Cravath in 2004 and was elected a partner in 2011.
International Bar Association
The Adams Street Foundation
The Fund for Modern Courts
Law360
Am Law Litigation Daily
Benchmark Litigation
Chambers USA
Law360
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 US
Managing IP
National Law Journal
New York Law Journal
Super Lawyers - Rising Stars - New York
Boris Kostelanetz President’s Medal, New York County Lawyers’ Association, 2013
Deals & Cases
January 06, 2025
On January 6, 2025, The Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) and FuboTV Inc. (“Fubo) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Disney to combine its Hulu + Live TV business with Fubo, forming a combined virtual MVPD company of which Disney will become the majority owner.
Deals & Cases
October 15, 2024
On October 7, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California entered a post‑trial order in favor of Cravath client Epic Games imposing a nationwide three‑year permanent injunction against Google. The injunction, which follows Epic’s jury trial win against Google last year, prohibits Google from paying competitors not to compete and requires Google to distribute alternative app stores on the Google Play Store and provide alternative app stores with access to the Google Play Store’s catalog of apps.
Deals & Cases
May 11, 2024
On May 9, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cravath client Sherman Nealy, affirming the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling that the Copyright Act entitles a copyright owner to obtain damages for any timely filed infringement claim, regardless of when the infringement occurred. The Supreme Court’s decision resolves a split between the Ninth and Eleventh Circuits and the Second Circuit and holds that Nealy may seek damages for copyright infringement claims against Warner Chappell Music.
Deals & Cases
May 02, 2024
On April 29, 2024, a three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled in favor of Cravath clients Root, Inc., an insurance company primarily focused on automobile insurance, and certain of its officers and directors (collectively, “Root”) in affirming the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio’s dismissal of a purported class action securities complaint. The decision is a precedential opinion that creates new law of the circuit.
Deals & Cases
December 19, 2023
On December 11, 2023, a jury unanimously ruled in favor of Cravath client Epic Games (“Epic”) on all counts in its closely watched antitrust case against Google in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, determining—after a multiweek trial—that Google has engaged in anticompetitive behavior in the distribution of mobile apps and in the handling of in‑app payments.
Activities
March 20, 2025
Seven Cravath partners were selected to serve on Law360’s 2025 Editorial Advisory Boards: Wes Earnhardt (Media & Entertainment), Brittany L. Sukiennik (Trials), Douglas Dolan (Capital Markets), Arvind Ravichandran (Tax Authority International), Jeffrey T. Dinwoodie (Banking), Adam M. Sanchez (Private Equity) and Benjamin G. Joseloff (International Trade). As Editorial Advisory Board members, they will provide feedback on Law360’s coverage and expert insight on how best to shape future coverage.
Activities
February 03, 2025
On January 30, 2025, Cravath was featured by Law360 as a “Media & Entertainment Practice Group of the Year.” The article highlights the Firm’s work across its Corporate and Litigation departments representing clients in the industry, including Disney in litigation stemming from its 2018 acquisition of Twenty‑First Century Fox, Inc., in which Cravath had also represented the company, and the Paramount Special Committee in connection with Paramount’s $28 billion merger agreement with Skydance.
Activities
November 21, 2024
On November 20, 2024, Cravath partner Wes Earnhardt was featured as a 2024 Media & Entertainment MVP by Law360. The article highlighted his role arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court to secure a major victory that brought clarity to copyright law by resolving a split between the Ninth, Eleventh and Second Circuits. It also summarized his representation of Starz in its precedential Ninth Circuit win in a copyright infringement and breach of contract action against MGM, and several matters for Disney. In the profile, Wes discussed his commitment to associate training, advising junior attorneys to “Find ways to be indispensable on whatever the firm is working on,” and reflected on his 20‑year experience at Cravath: “To this day, I can’t imagine being as challenged and supported by colleagues who are world‑class lawyers than I am here.”
Activities
March 21, 2024
Five Cravath partners were selected to serve on Law360’s 2024 Editorial Advisory Boards: Wes Earnhardt (Media & Entertainment), Evan Norris (Cybersecurity & Privacy), Helam Gebremariam (Securities), Bethany A. Pfalzgraf (Mergers & Acquisitions) and Maurio A. Fiore (Private Equity). As Editorial Advisory Board members, they will provide feedback on Law360’s coverage and expert insight on how best to shape future coverage.
Publications
April 06, 2023
Cravath partner Wes Earnhardt, lead attorney for data analytics and e‑discovery Scott Reents, and senior discovery attorney James Canning authored an expert Q&A on best practices for remote depositions, which was published in the April 2023 issue of Practical Law The Journal. In the article, Wes, Scott and James highlight considerations for both deposing and defending counsel, including possible challenges presented by the virtual format and how to mitigate them.
Joe Wesley Earnhardt (Wes) is a first-chair trial and appellate lawyer with significant experience in antitrust, general commercial, intellectual property, securities, and financial restructuring and reorganization matters. He is described as a “careful and thorough” litigator and praised for having a “gift for communicating complicated concepts in an accessible way.” (Chambers USA)
Named a “Litigation Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal and a “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation, Mr. Earnhardt regularly represents clients in their most business‑critical disputes. Some of his clients have included Atlas Air, Epic Games, ESPN, GTT Communications, Illumina, Ingevity, JPMorgan Chase, PG&E, Qualcomm, Root, Spirit AeroSystems, Starz Entertainment, Time Warner, The Walt Disney Company and Xerox.
Mr. Earnhardt has a broad trial and appellate practice. He has tried numerous cases in jurisdictions nationwide on a wide range of issues, and has extensive arbitration experience both domestically and internationally. Mr. Earnhardt has led appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, Sixth, Ninth and Federal Circuits; as well as several state appellate courts, including the Supreme Courts of Delaware, Kentucky and South Carolina.
Mr. Earnhardt’s representative matters include:
Antitrust
General Commercial and Intellectual Property
Santos Laguna v. The Walt Disney Company (Cal. Super.): Represented Disney and its subsidiary FSLA Holdings LLC as lead trial counsel in an action filed by Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V., which alleged breach of contract and other claims arising out of Disney’s divestment of certain broadcasting assets in Mexico. After securing pretrial rulings that reduced Santos’s claimed damages by 70%, the parties subsequently reached a settlement partway through a jury trial on the remaining claims.
Cargo on Demand, Inc. v. Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.): Won the complete dismissal of litigation filed against Polar Air by Cargo on Demand (“COD”) alleging violations of the federal RICO statute and common law fraud claiming that former members of Polar senior management conspired to overcharge COD by demanding COD make payments to them as a condition of doing business with Polar.
Securities
Financial Restructuring & Reorganization
Pro Bono Matters
Mr. Earnhardt also devotes substantial time to pro bono service, including by serving as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of The Adams Street Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the students of The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice.
Additional Recognitions and Awards
Mr. Earnhardt has been recognized by numerous leading professional publications, including consistent recommendations by The Legal 500 US for his work in appellate, general commercial, media and entertainment, patent and securities litigation. Lawdragon has featured him in several of its guides, including “500 Leading Litigators in America,” “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers,” “500 Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers” and “500 Leading Global IP Lawyers.”
Mr. Earnhardt was honored as a “Media and Entertainment MVP” by Law360, has been repeatedly selected to serve as a member of Law360’s Media & Entertainment Editorial Advisory Board, and is ranked by Chambers USA for media and entertainment litigation. He and his colleagues have earned the Firm distinction as a Law360 “Media and Entertainment Practice Group of the Year.” Mr. Earnhardt was recently named by the Sports Business Journal as a “Power Player” in Sports Law.
Mr. Earnhardt received the New York County Lawyers’ Association’s 2013 Boris Kostelanetz President’s Medal for his work co‑authoring a chapter in the book Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts (Third Edition) and is a co‑author of a chapter in the book’s fourth edition. He is also a co‑author of the chapter “Trials” in the book Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts (Fourth Edition).
Mr. Earnhardt is from Denver, North Carolina. He received a B.A. in Economics with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. with high honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2004, where he was an Articles Editor of the Law Review.
Mr. Earnhardt joined Cravath in 2004 and was elected a partner in 2011.
Mr. Earnhardt has a broad trial and appellate practice. He has tried numerous cases in jurisdictions nationwide on a wide range of issues, and has extensive arbitration experience both domestically and internationally. Mr. Earnhardt has led appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, Sixth, Ninth and Federal Circuits; as well as several state appellate courts, including the Supreme Courts of Delaware, Kentucky and South Carolina.
Mr. Earnhardt’s representative matters include:
Antitrust
General Commercial and Intellectual Property
Santos Laguna v. The Walt Disney Company (Cal. Super.): Represented Disney and its subsidiary FSLA Holdings LLC as lead trial counsel in an action filed by Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V., which alleged breach of contract and other claims arising out of Disney’s divestment of certain broadcasting assets in Mexico. After securing pretrial rulings that reduced Santos’s claimed damages by 70%, the parties subsequently reached a settlement partway through a jury trial on the remaining claims.
Cargo on Demand, Inc. v. Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.): Won the complete dismissal of litigation filed against Polar Air by Cargo on Demand (“COD”) alleging violations of the federal RICO statute and common law fraud claiming that former members of Polar senior management conspired to overcharge COD by demanding COD make payments to them as a condition of doing business with Polar.
Securities
Financial Restructuring & Reorganization
Pro Bono Matters
Mr. Earnhardt also devotes substantial time to pro bono service, including by serving as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of The Adams Street Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the students of The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice.
Additional Recognitions and Awards
Mr. Earnhardt has been recognized by numerous leading professional publications, including consistent recommendations by The Legal 500 US for his work in appellate, general commercial, media and entertainment, patent and securities litigation. Lawdragon has featured him in several of its guides, including “500 Leading Litigators in America,” “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers,” “500 Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers” and “500 Leading Global IP Lawyers.”
Mr. Earnhardt was honored as a “Media and Entertainment MVP” by Law360, has been repeatedly selected to serve as a member of Law360’s Media & Entertainment Editorial Advisory Board, and is ranked by Chambers USA for media and entertainment litigation. He and his colleagues have earned the Firm distinction as a Law360 “Media and Entertainment Practice Group of the Year.” Mr. Earnhardt was recently named by the Sports Business Journal as a “Power Player” in Sports Law.
Mr. Earnhardt received the New York County Lawyers’ Association’s 2013 Boris Kostelanetz President’s Medal for his work co‑authoring a chapter in the book Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts (Third Edition) and is a co‑author of a chapter in the book’s fourth edition. He is also a co‑author of the chapter “Trials” in the book Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts (Fourth Edition).
Mr. Earnhardt is from Denver, North Carolina. He received a B.A. in Economics with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. with high honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2004, where he was an Articles Editor of the Law Review.
Mr. Earnhardt joined Cravath in 2004 and was elected a partner in 2011.
International Bar Association
The Adams Street Foundation
The Fund for Modern Courts
Law360
Am Law Litigation Daily
Benchmark Litigation
Chambers USA
Law360
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 US
Managing IP
National Law Journal
New York Law Journal
Super Lawyers - Rising Stars - New York
Boris Kostelanetz President’s Medal, New York County Lawyers’ Association, 2013
Deals & Cases
January 06, 2025
On January 6, 2025, The Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) and FuboTV Inc. (“Fubo) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Disney to combine its Hulu + Live TV business with Fubo, forming a combined virtual MVPD company of which Disney will become the majority owner.
Deals & Cases
October 15, 2024
On October 7, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California entered a post‑trial order in favor of Cravath client Epic Games imposing a nationwide three‑year permanent injunction against Google. The injunction, which follows Epic’s jury trial win against Google last year, prohibits Google from paying competitors not to compete and requires Google to distribute alternative app stores on the Google Play Store and provide alternative app stores with access to the Google Play Store’s catalog of apps.
Deals & Cases
May 11, 2024
On May 9, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cravath client Sherman Nealy, affirming the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling that the Copyright Act entitles a copyright owner to obtain damages for any timely filed infringement claim, regardless of when the infringement occurred. The Supreme Court’s decision resolves a split between the Ninth and Eleventh Circuits and the Second Circuit and holds that Nealy may seek damages for copyright infringement claims against Warner Chappell Music.
Deals & Cases
May 02, 2024
On April 29, 2024, a three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled in favor of Cravath clients Root, Inc., an insurance company primarily focused on automobile insurance, and certain of its officers and directors (collectively, “Root”) in affirming the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio’s dismissal of a purported class action securities complaint. The decision is a precedential opinion that creates new law of the circuit.
Deals & Cases
December 19, 2023
On December 11, 2023, a jury unanimously ruled in favor of Cravath client Epic Games (“Epic”) on all counts in its closely watched antitrust case against Google in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, determining—after a multiweek trial—that Google has engaged in anticompetitive behavior in the distribution of mobile apps and in the handling of in‑app payments.
Activities
March 20, 2025
Seven Cravath partners were selected to serve on Law360’s 2025 Editorial Advisory Boards: Wes Earnhardt (Media & Entertainment), Brittany L. Sukiennik (Trials), Douglas Dolan (Capital Markets), Arvind Ravichandran (Tax Authority International), Jeffrey T. Dinwoodie (Banking), Adam M. Sanchez (Private Equity) and Benjamin G. Joseloff (International Trade). As Editorial Advisory Board members, they will provide feedback on Law360’s coverage and expert insight on how best to shape future coverage.
Activities
February 03, 2025
On January 30, 2025, Cravath was featured by Law360 as a “Media & Entertainment Practice Group of the Year.” The article highlights the Firm’s work across its Corporate and Litigation departments representing clients in the industry, including Disney in litigation stemming from its 2018 acquisition of Twenty‑First Century Fox, Inc., in which Cravath had also represented the company, and the Paramount Special Committee in connection with Paramount’s $28 billion merger agreement with Skydance.
Activities
November 21, 2024
On November 20, 2024, Cravath partner Wes Earnhardt was featured as a 2024 Media & Entertainment MVP by Law360. The article highlighted his role arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court to secure a major victory that brought clarity to copyright law by resolving a split between the Ninth, Eleventh and Second Circuits. It also summarized his representation of Starz in its precedential Ninth Circuit win in a copyright infringement and breach of contract action against MGM, and several matters for Disney. In the profile, Wes discussed his commitment to associate training, advising junior attorneys to “Find ways to be indispensable on whatever the firm is working on,” and reflected on his 20‑year experience at Cravath: “To this day, I can’t imagine being as challenged and supported by colleagues who are world‑class lawyers than I am here.”
Activities
March 21, 2024
Five Cravath partners were selected to serve on Law360’s 2024 Editorial Advisory Boards: Wes Earnhardt (Media & Entertainment), Evan Norris (Cybersecurity & Privacy), Helam Gebremariam (Securities), Bethany A. Pfalzgraf (Mergers & Acquisitions) and Maurio A. Fiore (Private Equity). As Editorial Advisory Board members, they will provide feedback on Law360’s coverage and expert insight on how best to shape future coverage.
Publications
April 06, 2023
Cravath partner Wes Earnhardt, lead attorney for data analytics and e‑discovery Scott Reents, and senior discovery attorney James Canning authored an expert Q&A on best practices for remote depositions, which was published in the April 2023 issue of Practical Law The Journal. In the article, Wes, Scott and James highlight considerations for both deposing and defending counsel, including possible challenges presented by the virtual format and how to mitigate them.
Celebrating 200 years of partnership. In 2019, we celebrated our bicentennial. Our history mirrors that of our nation. Integral to our story is our culture.
Attorney Advertising. ©2025 Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.