Michael J. Zaken is a partner in Cravath’s Litigation Department. He has a has a broad litigation practice, with a particular focus on antitrust, bankruptcy, class action defense, commercial disputes and intellectual property, as well as antitrust advisory and other advisory work.
Mr. Zaken represents Epic Games as plaintiff in two actions against Google and Apple, alleging anticompetitive behavior in the distribution of mobile apps and the handling of in app payments. Following a multiweek trial in the case against Google, a jury unanimously ruled in favor of Epic on all counts. Following a three week bench trial in the Apple case, the court issued a nationwide permanent injunction against Apple’s anti steering policies.
Mr. Zaken recently represented Louis Dreyfus, a leading international merchant and processor of agricultural goods, and its subsidiary Imperial Sugar Company in an action brought by the DOJ seeking to enjoin U.S. Sugar’s proposed acquisition of Imperial Sugar from Louis Dreyfus. In September 2022, the court ruled in favor of the defendants, denying the DOJ’s request for an injunction to block the acquisition, and the Third Circuit unanimously affirmed the ruling in July 2023.
Mr. Zaken has previously represented Qualcomm in numerous high stakes disputes and investigations around the world, including actions against the FTC and Apple. He also represented Westpac Banking Corporation in a putative class action asserting, inter alia, antitrust, RICO and Commodity Exchange Act claims premised upon alleged manipulation of the Australian Bank Bill Swap Reference Rate (“BBSW”). He additionally represented Westpac in a separate putative class action securities litigation concerning the reporting of over 19.5 million international funds transfer instructions to the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (“AUSTRAC”), contrary to Australian law.
Mr. Zaken received a B.A. degree cum laude from Columbia College in 2011 and a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School in 2014, where he was a James Kent Scholar, a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, a member of the Moot Court and served as the managing editor of the Journal of Law and the Arts.
Mr. Zaken joined Cravath in 2014 and was elected a partner in 2022.
Updated August 2024
