Four Decades for Justice
In the face of increasingly expansive mass tort and product liability litigation brought in jurisdictions throughout the country, Cravath’s litigators devise and deliver innovative and successful resolutions for our clients confronting these critical large‑scale disputes.
Cravath’s litigators have extensive experience leading defense strategy and reaching first‑of‑their‑kind resolutions in mass tort and product liability actions for domestic and multi‑national companies across a broad array of industries and jurisdictions. We draw on our technical knowledge to comprehensively address the substantive claims, while our generalist litigation training equips us with the skills to simultaneously manage, coordinate and direct a successful defense. Cravath navigates these complex cases through extensive investigation, fact and expert discovery, motion practice and, when necessary, even trial. In particular, effectively managing discovery in complex litigation is a critical priority, and Cravath’s cutting‑edge e‑discovery approach has achieved savings and litigation superiority in large‑scale cases involving unprecedented amounts of electronically stored information.
Among other matters, Cravath has served as lead counsel for PG&E, the nation’s largest utility, in connection with claims arising out of the unprecedented California wildfires between 2017 and 2021, including one of the largest and most complex sets of mass tort litigation in history. We have also served as national coordinating and advisory counsel for global healthcare companies in major mass tort matters, providing high‑level strategic litigation advice and coordinating resolution strategy. In addition, we have represented Colgate‑Palmolive as lead trial counsel in numerous product liability lawsuits concerning the company’s talcum powder products, and NCR Corporation in Superfund environmental actions, saving NCR from approximately $100 million in liability. Clients turn to us for these matters because we understand their needs against the backdrop of industry‑wide trends and practices, and we are distinctive for providing strategic guidance and commercially reasonable solutions in the face of these complex disputes.
Cravath was named New York Law Journal’s “Litigation Department of the Year” in 2022 and 2019 and its “Class Action Litigation Department of the Year” in 2021. We also received the publication’s 2020 Innovation Award, which recognized the Firm’s success leveraging artificial intelligence to review the massive volume of documents frequently collected in mass tort and other complex litigation. Year after year, the Firm has ranked in the top tier of Benchmark Litigation, Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US and Best Lawyers Best Law Firms.
Our team has earned repeated praise from clients and the market, including:
Cravath’s litigators have extensive experience leading defense strategy and reaching first‑of‑their‑kind resolutions in mass tort and product liability actions for domestic and multi‑national companies across a broad array of industries and jurisdictions. We draw on our technical knowledge to comprehensively address the substantive claims, while our generalist litigation training equips us with the skills to simultaneously manage, coordinate and direct a successful defense. Cravath navigates these complex cases through extensive investigation, fact and expert discovery, motion practice and, when necessary, even trial. In particular, effectively managing discovery in complex litigation is a critical priority, and Cravath’s cutting‑edge e‑discovery approach has achieved savings and litigation superiority in large‑scale cases involving unprecedented amounts of electronically stored information.
Among other matters, Cravath has served as lead counsel for PG&E, the nation’s largest utility, in connection with claims arising out of the unprecedented California wildfires between 2017 and 2021, including one of the largest and most complex sets of mass tort litigation in history. We have also served as national coordinating and advisory counsel for global healthcare companies in major mass tort matters, providing high‑level strategic litigation advice and coordinating resolution strategy. In addition, we have represented Colgate‑Palmolive as lead trial counsel in numerous product liability lawsuits concerning the company’s talcum powder products, and NCR Corporation in Superfund environmental actions, saving NCR from approximately $100 million in liability. Clients turn to us for these matters because we understand their needs against the backdrop of industry‑wide trends and practices, and we are distinctive for providing strategic guidance and commercially reasonable solutions in the face of these complex disputes.
Cravath was named New York Law Journal’s “Litigation Department of the Year” in 2022 and 2019 and its “Class Action Litigation Department of the Year” in 2021. We also received the publication’s 2020 Innovation Award, which recognized the Firm’s success leveraging artificial intelligence to review the massive volume of documents frequently collected in mass tort and other complex litigation. Year after year, the Firm has ranked in the top tier of Benchmark Litigation, Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US and Best Lawyers Best Law Firms.
Our team has earned repeated praise from clients and the market, including:
Deals & Cases
November 27, 2023
On November 20, 2023, the California Supreme Court held that Cravath client PG&E, the country’s largest utility, cannot be sued for losses incurred by customers during public safety power shutoffs that complied with the guidelines set forth by its regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”). In a unanimous decision, the Court held that such claims are barred because their adjudication would interfere with the PUC’s comprehensive supervision and regulation of safety shutoffs.
Accolades
December 04, 2023
On November 29, 2023, The Am Law Litigation Daily featured Cravath partner Omid H. Nasab as “Litigator of the Week” for his representation of client PG&E, the country’s largest utility, in a victory at the California Supreme Court. In a unanimous decision, the Court held that PG&E cannot be sued for losses incurred by customers during public safety power shutoffs that complied with the guidelines set forth by its regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission. Cravath also served as lead counsel for PG&E in related proceedings before the United States Bankruptcy Court, the United States District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Accolades
September 14, 2023
On September 6, 2023, Cravath partner Kevin J. Orsini was honored by The National Law Journal as a “Class Action/Mass Tort Litigation Trailblazer.” The accompanying profile highlights Kevin’s role as lead trial counsel in resolving $50 billion in claims for PG&E in one of the largest and most complex sets of mass tort litigation in recent years, enabling the company to emerge from the largest utility bankruptcy in U.S. history. The profile also includes Kevin’s thoughts on the lasting impact of the settlements for future event‑driven litigation.
Activities & Publications
June 01, 2023
On May 31, 2023, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “Second Circuit Affirms Permissibility of Nonconsensual Third‑Party Releases in Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Case.” The memo examined the significance of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit’s recent opinion reversing the District Court and affirming the permissibility of nonconsensual third‑party releases in bankruptcy plans under appropriate circumstances. Along with allowing the Purdue Pharma debtors to confirm their bankruptcy plan and claimants to receive payments thereunder, the decision reestablishes bankruptcy courts within the Second Circuit as potential venues for future mass tort bankruptcy filings. The memo also outlined the seven factors the Court provided to guide future courts in evaluating the propriety of granting nonconsensual third‑party releases.
Activities & Publications
October 14, 2022
On October 11, 2022, Cravath partner Paul H. Zumbro participated in the 16th Annual Judicial Symposium on Civil Justice Issues, which was hosted by the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School from October 9‑11, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. Paul spoke on a panel entitled “Bankruptcy Law and Mass Tort Litigation Liabilities.” The event featured leading professionals to discuss the rapidly changing civil justice environment in the United States.
Accolades
October 05, 2022
On October 3, 2022, Lawdragon announced the inclusion of 38 Cravath partners in its inaugural list of the “500 Leading Litigators in America.” The list recognized “all‑star litigators,” who “excel” in representing corporations and other organizations in cases spanning the areas of antitrust, finance, government investigations, intellectual property, M&A, product liability and securities, among many others. The publication said of its honorees that their “sustained excellence in trials is nothing short of remarkable.”
Deals & Cases
November 27, 2023
On November 20, 2023, the California Supreme Court held that Cravath client PG&E, the country’s largest utility, cannot be sued for losses incurred by customers during public safety power shutoffs that complied with the guidelines set forth by its regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”). In a unanimous decision, the Court held that such claims are barred because their adjudication would interfere with the PUC’s comprehensive supervision and regulation of safety shutoffs.
Accolades
December 04, 2023
On November 29, 2023, The Am Law Litigation Daily featured Cravath partner Omid H. Nasab as “Litigator of the Week” for his representation of client PG&E, the country’s largest utility, in a victory at the California Supreme Court. In a unanimous decision, the Court held that PG&E cannot be sued for losses incurred by customers during public safety power shutoffs that complied with the guidelines set forth by its regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission. Cravath also served as lead counsel for PG&E in related proceedings before the United States Bankruptcy Court, the United States District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Accolades
September 14, 2023
On September 6, 2023, Cravath partner Kevin J. Orsini was honored by The National Law Journal as a “Class Action/Mass Tort Litigation Trailblazer.” The accompanying profile highlights Kevin’s role as lead trial counsel in resolving $50 billion in claims for PG&E in one of the largest and most complex sets of mass tort litigation in recent years, enabling the company to emerge from the largest utility bankruptcy in U.S. history. The profile also includes Kevin’s thoughts on the lasting impact of the settlements for future event‑driven litigation.
Activities & Publications
June 01, 2023
On May 31, 2023, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “Second Circuit Affirms Permissibility of Nonconsensual Third‑Party Releases in Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Case.” The memo examined the significance of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit’s recent opinion reversing the District Court and affirming the permissibility of nonconsensual third‑party releases in bankruptcy plans under appropriate circumstances. Along with allowing the Purdue Pharma debtors to confirm their bankruptcy plan and claimants to receive payments thereunder, the decision reestablishes bankruptcy courts within the Second Circuit as potential venues for future mass tort bankruptcy filings. The memo also outlined the seven factors the Court provided to guide future courts in evaluating the propriety of granting nonconsensual third‑party releases.
Activities & Publications
October 14, 2022
On October 11, 2022, Cravath partner Paul H. Zumbro participated in the 16th Annual Judicial Symposium on Civil Justice Issues, which was hosted by the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School from October 9‑11, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. Paul spoke on a panel entitled “Bankruptcy Law and Mass Tort Litigation Liabilities.” The event featured leading professionals to discuss the rapidly changing civil justice environment in the United States.
Accolades
October 05, 2022
On October 3, 2022, Lawdragon announced the inclusion of 38 Cravath partners in its inaugural list of the “500 Leading Litigators in America.” The list recognized “all‑star litigators,” who “excel” in representing corporations and other organizations in cases spanning the areas of antitrust, finance, government investigations, intellectual property, M&A, product liability and securities, among many others. The publication said of its honorees that their “sustained excellence in trials is nothing short of remarkable.”
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