Experience 

Lauren Goldman is a partner in the Supreme Court and Appellate practice in Mayer Brown’s New York office.   In each of the past three years, she has been identified by Legal 500 as one of the country’s leading appellate litigators.  She has briefed numerous appeals involving issues of importance to the business community in the United States Supreme Court and in state and federal appellate courts, and has argued appeals in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits and in New York’s Appellate Division.   Lauren’s practice is not limited to the appellate courts, however:  she has extensive experience litigating complex issues at all levels and handling legal strategy and issue preservation in connection with high-stakes jury trials.

According to Legal 500, clients say that Lauren has an “unmatched ability to work well with other lawyers" and describe her as "smart, hardworking, and very analytical."  Lauren was recently interviewed about Supreme Court developments on CNBC's "Closing Bell" and  FoxBusiness's "Happy Hour," as well as by The American Lawyer, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, and CNNMoney, among other publications.

Lauren is particularly experienced in briefing and arguing punitive damages issues; she has worked on many successful appeals from large punitive awards, including Philip Morris USA v. Williams, 127 S. Ct. 1057 (2007). She regularly works with trial counsel in punitive damages cases around the country to develop defense strategies, preserve claims of error, and draft evidentiary motions and jury instructions.  She also writes and speaks regularly on the subject of punitive damages law. Lauren is a co-author of Mayer Brown’s Federal Appellate Practice treatise, published by BNA Books in December 2008.

Lauren received her JD magna cum laude from New York University School of Law, where she was Order of the Coif and a member of the Law Review. In addition, she won the law school’s moot court competition. Following graduation, she served as a law clerk to Judge Dennis Jacobs of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. 

Notable Engagements 

• Responsible for briefing and argument of all legal issues for Philip Morris USA Inc. in connection with a May 2010 personal-injury trial in Florida that ended with a defense verdict.
• Responsible for legal strategy, legal briefing, and issue preservation for Philip Morris USA Inc. in connection with other recent and upcoming trials in California, West Virginia, and Florida, including a punitive damages retrial that was tried to verdict in Los Angeles Superior Court during the summer of 2009.   
• Represented United Dominion Industries in Moyer v. United Dominion Industries, 473 F.3d 532 (2007), in which the Third Circuit vacated the judgment and remanded for a new trial after finding that the district court had erroneously excluded key evidence proffered by our client. (Briefed and argued.)
• Represented the successful petitioner in Philip Morris USA v. Williams, 127 S. Ct. 1057 (2007). (Briefed.)
• Represented the successful respondent in Adamo v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, 2008 NY Slip Op 9849 (N.Y. 2008), in which we secured judgment in favor of our client, Philip Morris USA Inc., and reversal of a $20 million jury verdict. (Briefed.)
• Represented The Dow Chemical Company in In re “Agent Orange” Products Liability Litigation, 517 F.3d 76 and 517 F.3d 104 (2008), cert. denied, 129 S. Ct. 1523 (2009), in which the Second Circuit held that the defendants were entitled to summary judgment on the basis of the government contractor defense, and that the defendants were entitled to invoke the federal officer removal statute.  We also successfully opposed plaintiffs’ petitions for certiorari, bringing an end to the Agent Orange litigation after more than 25 years. (Briefed.)
• Represented the successful petitioners in Burton Kanter and Claude Ballard v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 544 U.S. 40 (2005).  In this tax case, the Supreme Court accepted our argument by a 7/2 vote that the taxpayers were entitled to disclosure of favorable credibility determinations by a Special Trial Judge of the Tax Court.  The Tax Court adopted new rules guaranteeing transparency of proceedings as a result of this decision, and the Seventh, Eleventh and Fifth Circuits overturned the Tax Court’s ruling against the taxpayers and reinstated the opinion of the Special Trial Judge to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling.  (Briefed.)
• Represented the defendant in CGB Occupational Therapy v. RHA/Pennsylvania, Inc. Nursing Homes, 499 F.3d 184 (3d Cir. 2007), in which we persuaded the district court to reduce the punitive damages award against our client from $30 million to $2 million and the court of appeals to reduce the award further to $750,000.  (Briefed.)
• Represented Barry Trupin in appeal to Second Circuit from tax-evasion conviction and in resentencing proceedings. (Briefed and argued.)
• Represented Wachovia in appeal from a $351 million jury verdict in a conversion action arising from allegedly wrongful setoff.  Mayer Brown secured a complete reversal: the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ultimately granted judgment in favor of First Union. (Briefed.)
• Represented a high-profile investment banker in the successful Second Circuit appeal of his federal obstruction-of-justice conviction. (Briefed.)
• Represented Wachovia in appeal from a $239 million judgment in a case alleging breach of contract and fraud. Mayer Brown secured reversal of the $39 million fraud claim and $200 million punitive damages award (the largest punitive damages award in Maryland history), leaving only the $37 million contract award standing. (Briefed.)

Education 

New York University School of Law, JD, magna cum laude, 1997; Order of the Coif; Associate Editor, New York University Law Review • Cornell University, AB, magna cum laude, 1991; with distinction in all subjects

Admitted

• US Supreme Court, 2006
• US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2006
• US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2005
• Eastern District of New York, 2004
• Southern District of New York, 2004
• New York, 1999