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Lauren S. Kuley
Partner
Lauren Kuley is co-chair of the Appellate & Supreme Court Practice. She leads complex appeals and critical motions practice in courts nationwide. She simplifies complex issues and develops creative arguments to curtail legal disputes and overturn bad outcomes. Deploying this strategy, Lauren has argued and won reversals of significant verdicts on appeal, led the strategy and briefing for winning appeals nationwide and obtained dismissal of high stakes claims at the pleading stage in federal courts. She frequently collaborates with trial counsel to preserve and craft the strongest arguments for appeal. Lauren also serves as national appellate counsel for a major insurer in a large portfolio of cases arising from the pandemic.
Lauren previously served in the Ohio Solicitor General’s office, representing the State of Ohio in matters before the Ohio Supreme Court and the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Before that, she served as a law clerk for Judge Karen Nelson Moore of the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and Harvard College.
Lauren serves as immediate past President of the Federal Bar Association of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, which supports relationships between the federal judiciary and the federal bar. She has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, teaching the Sixth Circuit Appellate Clinic and representing indigent individuals. She regularly presents on appellate practice and is a contributor to the firm’s appellate group’s Sixth Circuit Appellate Blog.
- Argued and won reversal by the Sixth Circuit in favor of client international shipping terminal in a dispute over the interpretation of the Labor Management Relations Act and its application to the disruption of international shipping activities at client’s port.
- Argued and won decision by the Fifth Circuit reversing jury verdict and ordering judgment as a matter of law in favor of large annuity issuer following the client’s loss at trial over acquisition of structured settlement payments and issues of fraudulent transfer.
- Argued and won reversal and vacatur of 10 counts of conviction in an Ohio white-collar criminal case following a multi-week trial.
- Secured reversal by the Sixth Circuit of employee-classification ruling in certified class action, which exposed the hiring party to more than US$1 billion in potential damages and defeated subsequent appeal.
- Lead author of successful cert. petition and merits briefs leading to unanimous reversal by the US Supreme Court in case involving standards for imposing monetary sanctions under inherent powers.
- Argued and won affirmance as Fifth Circuit appellate counsel in dispute regarding standards for diversity jurisdiction where plaintiff attempted to avoid federal court through an assignment to a non-diverse related party.
- Argued and won affirmance as Tenth Circuit appellate counsel in dispute regarding the construction of state-specific endorsements in insurance policies.
- Recently argued as lead Sixth Circuit counsel in interlocutory appeal addressing issue of first impression in the federal courts of appeals concerning the interpretation of the FLSA regulations governing the reimbursement of employee expenses in the pizza delivery context.
- Currently serving as national appellate counsel for leading insurer in appeals relating to COVID-19 business interruption claims, leading the briefing and strategy that has resulted in appellate wins in courts nationwide.
- Currently serving as appellate counsel in bad-faith lawsuit against insurer seeking US$1 billion in damages where issues include proper construction of policy limits.
- Currently serving as appellate counsel for financial services company in putative class action alleging violations of wage and labor laws.
- Served as lead counsel in appeal of first impression in the Eleventh Circuit concerning federal jurisdiction over reimbursement disputes in the Medicare program (settled before a decision).
- Served as Sixth Circuit counsel for global manufacturer’s appeal from US$40 million verdict in multidistrict litigation and advisor on appellate strategy in trial proceedings.
- Successfully represented Ohio medical groups as amicus in Ohio Supreme Court proceedings regarding statute of repose for medical malpractice claims.
- Successfully defended appeal in Sixth Circuit concerning US$40 million in environmental liability transferred under asset purchase agreement.
- Served as lead Sixth Circuit counsel in appeal for major television retailer following extensive trial on contract, election-of-remedies and fraud claims.
- Appellate counsel in Second Circuit appeal regarding the efforts of parties to a civil case in Spain to obtain discovery in New York pursuant to 28 USC §1782.
- Represented defendant real estate entities in a US DOJ federal court action alleging violations at multistate housing developments under the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Obtained an order striking class allegations at the pleading stage in putative class action filed in federal court against a Fortune 50 client.
- Secured dismissal of RICO and other tort claims against a reinsurer and third party claims administrator by policyholder alleging interference in administration of policy.
- Won dismissal at the pleading stage of federal claims in payor-provider dispute concerning emergency treatment issues.
- Prevailed in arbitration on behalf of financial services company in dispute over attempted rescission of redemption agreement
Education
- Harvard Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 2010
- Harvard University, A.B., magna cum laude, 2006
Admissions
- Ohio, 2012
- New York, 2011
Courts
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Ct. of App., Federal Circuit
- U.S. Ct. of App., District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Ct. of App., Second Circuit
- U.S. Ct. of App., Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Ct. of App., Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Ct. of App., Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Ct. of App., Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Ct. of App., Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Ct. of App., Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Ct. of App., Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Dist. Ct., S. Dist. of Ohio
- U.S. Dist. Ct., E. Dist. of Michigan
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation since 2021
- Received Amicus Service Awards from the International Municipal Lawyers Association for authoring US Supreme Court brief that provided winning argument not set forth by the parties