Lauren O. Casazza, P.C.
Overview
Lauren Casazza is a partner in Kirkland’s Litigation and Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations practice groups and has been at Kirkland for more than 20 years. Lauren is an established litigator, representing clients in a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters at both the trial and appellate court levels, and in arbitration. She also represents corporations in highly sensitive and complex investigations, including those related to government enforcement matters, workplace compliance and unlawful harassment issues.
Lauren established Kirkland’s Crisis Response Practice Group and regularly advises boards of directors and officers in mitigating and managing legal and reputational crises across a broad spectrum of industries. Lauren has extensive experience in counseling clients on internal and external communications in high-profile litigation, government investigations and enterprise-level risk matters. In this unique role, Lauren has been a critical advisor on many of the most-publicized legal crises in recent years, including serving as lead legal communications advisor to BP regarding the Deepwater Horizon accident and oil spill and to 3M for its Combat Arms earplugs litigation.
Lauren has been recognized for her work in the 2022–2024 editions of Chambers Crisis and Risk Management Guide where clients note, “Lauren is incredibly thorough and fantastic at seeing around all the corners,” and that she “is like a quarterback. She has a great balance of being able to figure out who all the best players are for the case at hand.” Lauren and her colleagues also have been recognized in the 2024 edition of The Legal 500 U.S. for Environmental Litigation, with clients noting that “each is superb in their areas of expertise,” and that “their skills are top-notch and their sterling reputations well deserved.”
Lauren serves as Co-Chair of Kirkland’s Firmwide Associate Review Committee, is a key leader for Kirkland’s Women’s Leadership Initiative and helps drive various Firmwide diversity programs.
Experience
Representative Matters
Representative Crisis Response Matters
- For BP, lead advisor on legal communications regarding litigation and government investigations associated with the Deepwater Horizon accident and oil spill.
- For 3M, lead advisor on legal communications regarding Combat Arms earplugs products liability litigation, the largest MDL in history.
- For Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company, led investigation and crisis response counseling regarding allegations of inappropriate relationships between CFO and company employees.
- For Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company, lead advisor on legal communications involving criminal investigation into allegedly false government disclosures about chemical weapon antidotes.
- For Fortune 100 construction equipment company, lead advisor on legal communications regarding government investigation into tax and export issues.
- For global automobile parts supplier, lead advisor on legal communications regarding highly publicized MDL involving product liability claims.
- For leading global resources company, lead advisor on legal communications regarding investigations arising from dam breach incident in Brazil.
- For professional sports team, lead advisor on legal communications regarding criminal investigation into employee misconduct.
Representative Commercial Litigation Matters
- Represented International Automotive Components Group North America, Inc. and one of its private equity sponsors, Gamut Capital Management, as plaintiff in litigation involving breach of non-competition agreement and tortious interference with contract. Settled on favorable terms.
- Represented Education Networks of America, Inc., a portfolio company of Zelnick Media Capital, in litigation as plaintiff involving fraudulent inducement and breach of contract regarding misrepresentations during the sale of TeleQuality, Inc. Settled on favorable terms.
- Represented Safeguard Aggregator LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of certain private equity funds managed by ABRY Partners II, LLC, as plaintiff in litigation involving breach of contract in connection with an asset purchase agreement for Smart Start, Inc. a manufacturer of ignition interlock devices. Settled on favorable terms.
- Represented General Motors in putative class action alleging violations of securities laws in connection with the company’s initial public offering. Obtained pre-discovery dismissal with prejudice, affirmed on appeal by the Second Circuit.
- Represented former employee of a Motorola, Inc. subsidiary in case asserting antitrust, RICO and state law claims in connection with an alleged bid-rigging scheme for New York governmental contracts. Obtained pre-discovery dismissal with prejudice, affirmed on appeal by the Second Circuit.
Representative Investigation Matters
- For global non-profit education institution, led internal investigation spanning more than 20 countries involving allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by CEO.
- For board of directors of global healthcare company, led internal investigation into allegations of national origin discrimination by CEO.
- For board of directors of global manufacturer of pest control products, led internal investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by CEO.
- For board of directors of leading gaming company, led the development of industry-leading workplace compliance program in wake of misconduct allegations against former-CEO.
- For national professional sports league, conducted investigation into fraud allegations relating to class action settlement program.
- For major global chemical company, conducted investigation into alleged metals trading violations.
Clerk & Government Experience
Law ClerkHonorable Peter K. LeisureUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York
More
Recognition
Recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. for Environment: Litigation, 2024
Recognized by Chambers Crisis & Risk Management for Crisis Management, 2022–2024
Memberships & Affiliations
American Bar Association
Board Member, Connecticut Children’s Foundation
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- 2002New York
- 2002Illinois
Courts
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Education
- Georgetown University Law CenterJ.D.cum laude2001
Dean's List
Primary Editor, Georgetown University Law Journal
- Duke UniversityB.A., Public Policysumma cum laude1998
Phi Beta Kappa
Graduation with Highest Distinction in Public Policy Studies
News &
Insights
Ten Questions for Board Chairs to Ask to Prepare for Shareholder Activism, Hostile Takeovers, Short Attacks, (Anti-)ESG Pressure and Other Emergent Threats