Helam Gebremariam is a partner in Cravath’s Litigation Department. She focuses her practice on complex civil litigation related to antitrust, contractual disputes and securities and shareholder derivative suits.
Ms. Gebremariam recently represented Tesla CEO and board member Elon Musk in winning a complete trial victory to defeat a $13 billion stockholder derivative suit related to Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity. Ms. Gebremariam was part of the Cravath team that tried the highly publicized case over eleven days in July and August 2021, and the court ruled in favor of Mr. Musk on all counts in April 2022. The decision was affirmed on appeal before the Delaware Supreme Court in June 2023.
Ms. Gebremariam represents the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and various member plans in consolidated multidistrict antitrust class action litigation—one of the largest class actions in the country—alleging that the Association and its members have used the Association’s agreements to fix prices and limit competition. She also represents Citigroup in putative class action litigation asserting breach of contract and fiduciary duty claims for alleged failure to achieve “best execution” in equity trades, as well as Nomura International in antitrust litigation brought against various banks alleging that defendants conspired to manipulate the price of European Government Bonds (“EGB”) in the primary and secondary EGB markets. She is additionally representing select members of SunPower Corporation’s Board of Directors in a stockholder derivative action filed in connection with the sale of SunPower’s commercial and industrial business to a subsidiary of TotalEnergies.
Ms. Gebremariam recently represented affiliates of Bacardi in actions brought by SCLiquor (“SC”), which is majority owned by rapper Shawn “Jay Z” Carter, related to the value of SC’s 50% ownership interest in D’Usse, a popular cognac brand. In February 2023, Bacardi acquired a majority interest in D’Usse in an agreement that also settled all disputes between the parties.
Ms. Gebremariam previously served as Senior Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates at the U.S. Department of Justice and Senior Counsel in the Department’s Office for Access to Justice. In those roles, Ms. Gebremariam provided legal and policy analysis on issues related to indigent defense, fines and fees, bail reform and the right to counsel.
Ms. Gebremariam received a B.A. with departmental honors in Political Science from Columbia College in 2007 and a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2010, where she was Editor in Chief of the Law Review and an AnBryce Scholar. After graduating from law school, she served as a law clerk to Judge Robert P. Patterson, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Ms. Gebremariam joined Cravath in 2011. In 2015, she left the Firm to work at the U.S. Department of Justice. She rejoined Cravath in 2019 and was elected a partner in 2020. Ms. Gebremariam is a partner liaison to the African American/Black Affinity Group and a member of the Pro Bono Committee.
Updated July 2023
