What are some of the department’s most satisfying successes of the past year and why? Our most satisfying successes are those that resolve our clients’ greatest litigation challenges while aligning with their business goals. This past year, we won several hard-fought and high-profile trials for clients, including leading Johnson & Johnson to a defense jury verdict in a notoriously plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction in a case that alleged Johnson’s Baby Powder causes ovarian cancer. In one of the most highly anticipated antitrust rulings of the last decade, we represented Sprint in obtaining the rejection of the merger challenge filed by attorneys general of 13 states and the District of Columbia against Sprint’s merger with T-Mobile. After a two-week bench trial, the court agreed with our argument that the merger was necessary for Sprint to remain competitive. We also secured a complete victory for The Coca-Cola Company in an arbitration involving its worldwide launch of its energy drink, Coca-Cola Energy, allowing the product to be sold in over 25 countries. We are also at the forefront of emerging trends, including disputes stemming from new forms of technology, such as Telegram Group Inc.’s landmark federal securities action concerning the offering of its digital currency “Grams.”  We also prevailed on behalf of ride-hail company Lyft, Inc., in a lawsuit seeking to implement a “cruising cap” that would have arbitrarily favored taxi cabs over Lyft drivers. Other successes include high-profile appellate wins on behalf of Express Scripts Holding Company and the CEO and CFO of Republic Airways and the company’s board of directors; and a series of wins for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, arising from a one-of-a-kind, billion-dollar structured finance transaction.

A prospective client in crisis calls and asks why your team should be retained. What is you answer? Our dedication to client service, with an emphasis on creativity, collaboration and efficiency, has resulted in a proven track record of success. That ongoing success keeps clients coming back to us time and again, and also leads new clients to knock on our door. According to data from Lex Machina, more defendants in 2019 trusted Skadden as their legal counsel in nationwide federal securities litigation than any other firm. And this year, Skadden currently leads securities litigation defense filings once again.