Elizabeth Papez is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and a member of the firm’s litigation group.  Her practice focuses on high-stakes class actions, complex commercial litigation, and related government investigations and appeals.

As a seasoned litigator and former U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Ms. Papez has substantial experience representing clients in the financial services, pharmaceutical, consumer, and product sectors.  She regularly handles federal class actions, multidistrict litigation (MDLs) and other complex commercial disputes under federal and state antitrust statutes, banking and securities laws, and false claims acts, as well as parallel regulatory investigations with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Ms. Papez has been repeatedly recognized as one of Benchmark USA’s Top 250 Women in Litigation nationwide, which named her a “client favorite” who is “extremely smart and practical and very charismatic,” and is praised by peers as a “fierce, dynamic, bright, powerhouse of a litigator.”  Ms. Papez is also recognized in The Legal 500  for her antitrust and appellate work, and by The Best Lawyers in America 2019  for her appellate practice.

Representative Matters – Class and Complex Commercial Actions

• Washington County Hosp., et al. v. Baxter International, et al. (NDIL 2019) – lead counsel for pharmaceutical company in consolidated nationwide antitrust class actions
• In re LIBOR Antitrust Litigation (SDNY 2018) – lead counsel for global financial institution and affiliates in U.S. discovery disputes
• B&R Supermarket et al. v. Visa, Inc. et al. (NDCA/EDNY 2018) – lead counsel for credit card network in nationwide class action alleging antitrust violations in chip card rollout*
• In re Treasury Securities Auction Antitrust Litigation (SDNY 2018) – counsel for global dealer bank in MDL involving alleged antitrust violations in the market for U.S. Treasury securities*
• Tirado et al. v. Bank of America, NA et al. (NDIL 2018) – lead counsel for national bank in class action alleging violations of federal housing regulations*
• In re Interest Rates Swaps Antitrust Litigation (SDNY 2018) – counsel for global financial institution in MDL of nationwide antitrust class actions involving U.S. interest rate swaps*
• Tera Exchange et al. v. Bank of America et al. (SDNY 2017) – counsel for global financial institution in antitrust action alleging collusion in the market for CFTC-regulated CDS trading*
• In re Credit Default Swaps Antitrust Litigation (SDNY 2016) – counsel for global financial institution in multi-billion dollar MDL alleging antitrust violations in the global CDS market*
• Municipal Bond Qui Tam Litigation (2012-2018) – counsel for global financial institution in multiple qui tam actions alleging fraud on issuers by municipal bond underwriting syndicates*
• IVI-IPO v Widawsky, Comptroller (2015-2016) – lead counsel for garage concessionaire in successful defense of taxpayer constitutional challenges to public-private partnership*
• IVI-IPO et al. v Chicago Parking Meters, LLC et al. (2012-2015) – counsel for Morgan Stanley investment consortium in successful defense in trial court through state supreme court of taxpayer constitutional challenge to $1.15 billion public-private partnership*

Representative Matters – Appeals

• Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Research Ass’n, Inc. v. FDA (D.C. Cir. 2019) – lead appellate counsel for pharmaceutical manufacturer in APA appeal concerning new drug application
• US Bank National Association v. Bank of America, NA (2d Cir. 2019) – lead appellate counsel for national bank in jurisdictional appeal involving securitized CMBS portfolio
• Love Terminal Partners LLP et al. v. United States (US 2019) – lead appellate counsel for amicus curiae JetBlue Airlines Corporation in support of petitioners in federal takings action
• In re Containerboard Antitrust Litigation (7th Cir. 2018) – lead appellate counsel in successful defense of summary judgment win in $11 billion MDL of several antitrust class actions*
• Douglas Leone, et ux., as Trustees v. Maui County, Hawaii, et al. (US 2018) – lead appellate counsel for amicus curiae U.S. Chamber of Commerce in state takings action*
• United States v. American Express Co., et al. (2nd Cir. 2017) – lead appellate counsel for credit card network in support of U.S. Department of Justice enforcement action*
• US ex rel. Oliver v. Philip Morris USA (DC Cir. 2016) – lead appellate counsel for national consumer products company in successful defense of multi-billion dollar qui tam action*
• Ross et al. v. Bank of America et al. (2d Cir. 2015) – lead appellate counsel for credit card network in successful appellate defense of five-week trial verdict in nationwide antitrust MDL*
• Samsung Elec. Co., Ltd. v. SD-3C LLC (US, 9th Cir. 2015) – appellate counsel for global electronics manufacturer in appeals of dispositive rulings in nationwide antitrust class actions*

Ms. Papez has been honored for her advisory work with corporate general counsel, and regularly speaks before Congress and professional organizations on legal developments relevant to her practice.  She is a Trustee of the U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society, a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee on Administrative Law & Regulation and Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court, a board member of the New Civil Liberties Alliance, and the recipient of an award from the Innocence Project for her pro bono defense work.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Ms. Papez was a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, where she served as Co-Chair of the Financial Services Litigation Practice.  She also served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Office of Legal Counsel, and as a litigation partner at Kirkland and Ellis LLP.

Ms. Papez clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Judge Danny Boggs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and received her law degree from Harvard Law School, where she was the Supreme Court Chair and Notes Editor of the Harvard Law Review.

*Engagements prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher