Davis Polk today announced that Rory Leraris has joined the firm as a partner in the Civil Litigation practice in New York.

“I am pleased to welcome Rory to the firm,” said Neil Barr, Davis Polk’s Managing Partner. “Rory is an important addition to our exceptional civil litigation practice and will augment the terrific work being done by our M&A litigation team.”

Ms. Leraris has extensive experience representing and counseling corporations, financial institutions, asset managers, boards of directors and individuals in a broad range of complex civil litigation matters. Her practice focuses on M&A-related litigation and also spans securities, shareholder derivative, antitrust and general commercial disputes. She represents clients from a variety of industries, including financial institutions, energy, manufacturing, consumer products, technology and telecommunications. She joins Davis Polk from Cravath, where she was a partner in the Litigation Department since 2017.

“Rory is a talented litigator with deep experience across the full range of civil litigation matters that we handle and will be a key member of our fantastic M&A litigation team,” said Dana Seshens, co-head of Davis Polk’s Civil Litigation practice. “We are thrilled to welcome her to Davis Polk.”

The recipient of numerous awards and accolades throughout her career, Ms. Leraris is recognized as a “Future Star” by Benchmark Litigation and a “Next Generation Partner” in M&A litigation by Legal 500 U.S., which calls out Ms. Leraris’s “impressive track record” in the space. She also has been named a “Rising Star” by Law360, received an “Americas Rising Star” award from Euromoney Legal Media Group, and for several years was named to Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under List.

Ms. Leraris said, “Davis Polk has an esteemed litigation practice and an unmatched reputation for excellence. I am excited to join the firm and look forward to working alongside my incredible new colleagues on M&A litigation and advisory and other complex litigation matters.”

She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Amherst College in 2003 and J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 2008. She serves as co-chair of the Board of Directors of Appleseed, a network of justice centers across the United States and Mexico working together to reduce poverty, combat discrimination, and invigorate democracy.