Rory A. Leraris
Broad civil litigation experience, with a focus on M&A-related litigation. Also handles securities, shareholder derivative, antitrust and general commercial disputes.
Rory has extensive experience representing corporations, financial institutions, asset managers, boards of directors and individuals in a broad range of civil litigation matters. Her practice focuses on M&A-related litigation and also spans securities, shareholder derivative, antitrust and complex commercial disputes. She appears regularly in specialized commercial courts across the country, including the Delaware Court of Chancery, the Commercial Division of the New York Supreme Court and the Texas Business Court.
Rory also regularly advises boards, company executives and in house counsel on governance issues and the potential litigation risk of transactions or other corporate events.
Rory is recognized as a U.S. and New York Star by Benchmark Litigation and a Next Generation Partner in M&A litigation by Legal 500, which calls out her “impressive track record” in the space.
She serves on the board of Appleseed, a nonprofit network of justice centers across the U.S. and Mexico.
Experience
- AspenTech in connection with stockholder books and records and appraisal litigation in Delaware Chancery Court
- Inovalon in stockholder litigation challenging a 2021 take-private transaction in Delaware Chancery Court
- EquipmentShare in a dispute brought by a former board member in Texas Business Court
- Equinix and its board of directors in securities and derivative litigation in California and Delaware federal courts
- Albertsons and its directors in connection with stockholder bylaw challenge in Delaware Chancery Court
- Centerview Partners in connection with aiding and abetting claim in Delaware Chancery Court
- A major technology company in connection with securities fraud litigation in the Northern District of California
- The Williams Companies in connection with antitrust litigation against Energy Transfer
- Won summary judgment of a securities class action on behalf of Viatris (formerly Mylan); the decision was affirmed on appeal and remains one of the few resolutions of a federal securities litigation at summary judgment entirely in favor of defendants*
- Won summary judgment for a major asset management company in stockholder litigation challenging Bumble’s dual class voting structure in Delaware Chancery Court*
- Favorably resolved breach of fiduciary duty claims on behalf of Viacom’s special transaction committee relating to the company’s $30 billion merger with CBS*
- Won dismissal of a lawsuit against Buckeye Partners and its officers and directors arising from Buckeye’s $10.3 billion merger with IFM Global Infrastructure Fund*
Obtained a victory for AmEx before the U.S. Supreme Court in an antitrust lawsuit brought by the DOJ and 17 state attorneys general challenging certain provisions in AmEx’s merchant agreements*
* Selected representations before joining Davis Polk
Insights
News
Recognition
Legal 500 U.S. – M&A Litigation: Defense, Next Generation Partner
Benchmark Litigation – United States and New York, Star
Benchmark Litigation – “40 & Under List,” 2017-2021
Law360 – “Rising Star: Competition,” 2019
Euromoney Legal Media Group – “Americas Rising Star: Antitrust/Competition,” 2019
Lawdragon – 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2024-2026
Education
- magna cum laude
Prior experience
- Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, 2017-2024
- Associate, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, 2008-2016
Qualifications and admissions
- State of New Jersey
- State of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court, E.D. New York
- U.S. District Court, New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, S.D. New York