Lauren Roberta Kennedy is a partner in Cravath’s Litigation Department. She focuses her practice on complex civil litigation related to antitrust, contractual disputes, intellectual property and securities. She represents clients in all stages of critical litigation, with particularly significant trial experience in state and federal courts around the country.
Currently, Ms. Kennedy is 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 opt out and related litigation across the country in federal and state court.
Ms. Kennedy also recently represented Florida Blue in winning the dismissal in February 2021 of antitrust litigation filed by competitor Oscar Insurance alleging that Florida Blue’s exclusive agency relationships violated the Sherman Act. She also won the dismissal in April 2020 of putative class action securities litigation filed against GreenSky, Inc. and its officers and directors in New York state court alleging disclosure deficiencies in connection with GreenSky’s initial public offering.
Among other notable matters, Ms. Kennedy represented American Express in a lawsuit in New York federal court brought by the DOJ and 17 state attorneys general alleging that certain provisions in AmEx’s merchant agreements violate the antitrust laws. The case culminated in a seven-week bench trial in July-August 2014, which was followed by successful appeals in favor of AmEx in both the Second Circuit and the Supreme Court.
Ms. Kennedy received an A.B. degree summa cum laude in English from Georgetown University in 2007 and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2010. Following her graduation, she served as a law clerk to Hon. Robert S. Smith of the New York Court of Appeals. She joined Cravath in 2012 and was elected a partner in 2018.
Updated August 2024
