Karin A. DeMasi is a partner in Cravath’s Litigation Department and serves as the Department’s Managing Partner. Her practice focuses on complex litigation, including class actions, in federal and state courts, primarily in the areas of antitrust, securities, derivative, ERISA and general commercial disputes. Ms. DeMasi also represents companies, boards of directors and individuals in connection with shareholder demands and disputes.
Ms. DeMasi is currently representing the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”) and more than a dozen 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 BCBSA and various member plans in related opt out litigation across the country brought by large subscribers and providers. She is additionally representing BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee in its appeal to the Sixth Circuit of an ERISA lawsuit filed against the New Hampshire Insurance Department.
Ms. DeMasi recently won back-to-back dismissals to defeat putative class action securities litigation filed against First Solar alleging defendants made false and misleading statements regarding the company’s new “Series 6” solar module. She also represented Peabody Energy in purported class action securities litigation and in shareholder derivative litigation which alleged Peabody and certain of its officers and executives made false and misleading statements regarding the company’s North Goonyella mine, which caught fire in September 2018.
Ms. DeMasi previously won the dismissal of putative class action securities litigation filed against GreenSky and its officers and directors alleging disclosure deficiencies in connection with GreenSky’s initial public offering. She additionally secured a favorable settlement for First Solar in a securities class action alleging that First Solar and several of its officers and executives concealed manufacturing issues with its solar modules and committed accounting violations.
Ms. DeMasi devotes a significant portion of her practice to pro bono service. She is one of the lead partners for Cravath’s relationship with Montefiore Children’s Hospital and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, through which the Firm represents children who need legal services related to their medical care.
Ms. DeMasi received a B.S. from Northwestern University in 1993 and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996. After a clerkship with Hon. D. Brock Hornby of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, she joined Cravath in 1997 and was elected a partner in 2004.
Updated August 2024
