Mary Beth Maloney

Mary Beth Maloney is a first-chair trial lawyer for public companies, their boards, and senior executives in their highest-stakes federal and state court litigation, securities matters, and government enforcement actions, with a particular focus on healthcare, life sciences, and financial services. She is regularly retained as lead trial counsel when public companies face existential threats — from regulators and watchdog organizations, in securities class actions and SEC enforcement, and in bet-the-company commercial disputes. Chambers USA calls her a “tenacious litigator” who fights for “the best outcome from every angle possible.” In 2026, the AmLaw Litigation Daily named Mary Beth and her trial team Litigators of the Week for their successful representation of five Tenet Healthcare community hospitals as lead trial counsel in a federal bench trial against The Leapfrog Group. She is ranked by Chambers USA in New York Securities Litigation, among other recognitions.

Recent Trial Wins

In January 2026, Mary Beth served as lead trial counsel for five Tenet Healthcare community hospitals in a federal bench trial against The Leapfrog Group in the Southern District of Florida, securing a sweeping post-trial decision that Leapfrog’s hospital safety grading methodology constituted an unfair and deceptive business practice under Florida law and granting the community hospitals complete injunctive relief. She continues to represent these hospitals in post-judgment proceedings.

In January 2025, Mary Beth co-first-chaired the trial in Alcon v. Aurion Biotech before Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick in the Delaware Court of Chancery, securing a partial win in a corporate governance and voting rights dispute. She continues to represent Alcon in follow-on matters in the Delaware Court of Chancery and other forums.

Life Sciences Representations

Mary Beth represents leading life sciences companies, including Alcon, Novartis, Esperion Therapeutics, and Gilead, in their most complex litigation and arbitration matters.

Pharmaceutical Royalty, Licensing, and Collaboration Disputes. Mary Beth represents pharmaceutical royalty license holders and collaboration agreement parties in active contract disputes and arbitrations, at both the pre-litigation and arbitration stages.

Mary Beth serves as lead litigation counsel for each of the following life sciences clients:

• Novartis, in numerous matters at both the pre-litigation stage and in active litigation
• Gilead, in a confidential commercial dispute
• Esperion Therapeutics, in a pharmaceutical licensing dispute in the Southern District of New York, resolved favorably

Complex Commercial Litigation

Mary Beth serves as lead litigation counsel for Tenet Healthcare across an active portfolio of high-stakes commercial matters, including litigation against Eisenhower Medical Center in California state court. She also advises Citadel Americas, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, in employment mobility and trade secrets disputes across the United States and in foreign jurisdictions.

Her other recent lead counsel representations include:

• Xerox in a pre-litigation commercial dispute, securing $225 million in relief
• Coupang, the “Amazon of South Korea,” in a contract dispute resolved in the Delaware Court of Chancery
• An international hedge fund in a dispute with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation arising from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank
• A group of investment funds in a contract dispute in the Southern District of New York and Delaware Bankruptcy Court, resulting in complete dismissal
• Patriarch Partners Management Services in a contract dispute for management fees in New York Supreme Court

Earlier in her career, Mary Beth was part of the Gibson Dunn team that represented Chevron Corporation in its successful RICO and fraud action barring enforcement of a $9 billion Ecuadorian judgment.

Securities Litigation

Mary Beth’s securities practice covers civil class actions, derivative suits, and SEC investigations and enforcement actions for public companies, financial institutions, and senior executives. Recent representations include:

• Goldman Sachs (underwriter counsel) in a securities litigation in the Southern District of New York
• Hut 8, a FinTech company, in a civil securities fraud class action in the Southern District of New York and numerous follow-on actions
• Estée Lauder in a securities class action in the Southern District of New York, resolved by settlement
• Centerview Partners and one of its managing directors: complete dismissal of civil securities and common law fraud claims, affirmed by the Fifth Circuit
• Sequential Brands Inc. and its former Directors: successful resolution without penalty of a multi-year SEC investigation, and favorable resolution of the related securities fraud class action in the Southern District of New York
• Vale, Brazil’s largest mining company, in a civil securities fraud class action in the Southern District of New York, resolved favorably by settlement
• Immunomedics (a Gilead company) and its former executives in a securities fraud class action in the District of New Jersey, resolved favorably

She also represented Lynn Tilton and Patriarch Partners against SEC fraud charges, defeating debarment and disgorgement of $200 million.

Thought Leadership and Speaking

Mary Beth co-authored Tariffs and Royalties in License Agreements: Key Considerations for Life Sciences (April 2025). She co-led a roundtable on Winning Strategies for License Agreement Disputes at the Consero Legal Leaders in Life Sciences Forum, and has appeared at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference and the TD Cowen Investor Conference on behalf of her life sciences clients.

Boards and Professional Affiliations

Mary Beth serves on the New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice, on the Board of Directors of the Center for Justice Innovation, and on the Board of Directors of the New York City Urban Debate League. She is also an Advisory Board Member for Women in Funds.

Prior Experience

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Mary Beth clerked for the Honorable Alicemarie H. Stotler, then Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. She previously spent six years working in the California State Capitol.

Education

J.D., University of Southern California Gould School of Law (Editor-in-Chief, Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal)

B.A., Barnard College, magna cum laude (Phi Beta Kappa; Erica Jong Writing Fellow; graduated in three years)

Capabilities

• Litigation
• Business Restructuring and Reorganization
• Life Sciences
• Real Estate Disputes
• Securities Litigation
• Transnational Litigation

Credentials

Education:

• University of Southern California - 2007 Juris Doctor
• Barnard College - 1998 Bachelor of Arts

Admissions:

• California Bar
• New York Bar

Clerkships:

• USDC, Central District of California, Hon. Alicemarie H. Stotler, 2007 - 2008