Trials

On December 11, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously affirmed the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California’s finding that Apple Inc. (“Apple”) committed civil contempt based on Apple’s willful violations of a permanent injunction that Cravath client Epic Games, Inc. (“Epic”) previously secured against Apple. The Court of Appeals affirmed several contempt sanctions imposed by the District Court against Apple, while modifying or reversing in part certain other sanctions and remanding to the District Court for further proceedings. The Court also unanimously affirmed the denial of Apple’s request to vacate or modify the permanent injunction based on recent California state court decisions and denied Apple’s request to reassign the case to a different district judge on remand.

On August 28, 2025, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York unanimously concluded that Cravath clients American Express Company and American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., (together, “Amex”) are not liable for antitrust claims in a class action suit, brought by a class of debit card users and non‑rewards credit card users from eight states and Washington, D.C., alleging that the company’s non‑discrimination provisions are anticompetitive.

On July 31, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously affirmed a jury verdict won by Cravath client Epic against Google in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that Google has engaged in illegal anticompetitive behavior in the distribution of mobile apps and in the handling of in‑app payments. The Ninth Circuit also unanimously affirmed the district court’s permanent injunction against Google. The district court’s injunction prohibits Google from providing benefits to phone manufacturers, app developers and others in exchange for favoring the Google Play Store, prohibits Google from requiring the use of its own payment solution and also requires Google to take steps to restore competition, such as carrying other app stores on the Google Play Store.

On April 30, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted Cravath client Epic Games, Inc.’s (“Epic”) motion to enforce a nationwide permanent injunction against Apple, Inc.’s (“Apple”) anti‑steering policies for in‑app payments. Epic secured the injunction to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and fees, following a three‑week bench trial in May 2021, in which Cravath also represented Epic. In its April decision, the Court ruled that Apple was in willful violation of the 2021 injunction, having thwarted the injunction’s goals and continued its anticompetitive conduct. The Court noted that “Apple willfully chose not to comply with this Court’s Injunction. It did so with the express intent to create new anticompetitive barriers which would, by design and in effect, maintain a valued revenue stream; a revenue stream previously found to be anticompetitive. That it thought this Court would tolerate such insubordination was a gross miscalculation.” As a result, the Court enjoined Apple from implementing its new restrictions and fees that violated the injunction, effective immediately.

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.

On February 11, 2026, Cravath was featured by Law360 as a “Competition Practice Group of the Year” in recognition of the Firm’s work on high‑stakes antitrust litigation and merger clearance. The profile highlighted the Firm’s trial victory for American Express, in which a jury unanimously found the company not liable for antitrust claims in a class action suit, and the successful dismissal of more than 50 lawsuits in MDL proceedings for Louis Dreyfus Co. The profile also recognized Cravath’s work for Epic Games, which includes securing a nationwide permanent injunction against Google after a trial victory that was later affirmed on appeal, and its representation of a Special Committee of Paramount Global’s board of directors in the company’s $28 billion merger with Skydance Media.

On February 23, 2026, Crain’s New York Business featured Cravath partner Brittany L. Sukiennik in its 2026 list of “Notable Women in Law,” which recognizes “the women defining New York’s next era of law” and “leading the work that keeps systems functioning and rights protected.” Crain’s recognized Brittany, a member of Cravath’s Litigation Department, for her representation of clients including Xcel Energy in securing a favorable settlement before a trial related to the Colorado Marshall Wildfire, and Robinhood in securing the dismissal of antitrust and state law claims and defeating class certification of securities claims in the high‑profile “meme stock” litigation. The publication also highlighted Brittany’s active pro bono practice and work with Cravath’s Incarcerated Survivors Initiative.

On February 13, 2026, Cravath published the latest edition of its Quarterly Review, which provides insight into practical points, key takeaways and relevant developments across the M&A, activism, tax, regulatory and corporate governance landscape. This edition covers:

On December 9, 2025, Cravath partner Gary A. Bornstein was featured as a 2025 Competition MVP by Law360, which highlighted his representation of Epic Games in separate antitrust lawsuits against Apple and Google, including securing a District Court decision that Apple violated an anti‑steering injunction, and a victory at the Ninth Circuit affirming Epic Games’ antitrust trial victory and permanent injunction against Google. In the profile, Gary discussed the satisfaction of winning difficult cases, explaining it’s “always a more gratifying victory when the outcome is not assured.” Gary also addressed the challenges of antitrust work, noting that antitrust issues are “company‑defining” and that “working as outside counsel on those cases is really counseling the senior people at the company on issues that go to the heart of their business. It requires you to have a commercial perspective on what's going on.” 

On August 12, 2025, Cravath partner Helam Gebremariam was featured in Bloomberg Law’s “They’ve Got Next: 40 Under 40” series, which recognizes young lawyers who are “raising the bar in the legal profession,” based on their work on key client matters, assumption of leadership roles, pro bono commitments and more.