June 07, 2021

Faegre Drinker Grows National Litigation Practice With Four-Partner Trial Team in New York, Washington, D.C. and Denver

Faegre Drinker announced today that Larry Scarborough, Jake Kramer, Jessica Maziarz and Desmonne Bennett have joined as partners in the litigation practice in New York, Washington, D.C. and Denver. The firm also announced the addition of associates Rachel Beck and Kathryn Bettini to the practice in Washington, D.C. The group comes to Faegre Drinker from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.

“This versatile team of litigators brings a sophisticated practice and decades of top trial experience, which boosts our complex litigation capabilities and deepens the bench strength of our national litigation group,” Faegre Drinker co-chairs Tom Froehle and Andrew Kassner said in a joint statement. “Their outstanding talent, collaborative approach and unwavering commitment to client service make each of them an excellent fit at Faegre Drinker, and we are pleased to welcome them.”

Scarborough, Kramer, Maziarz and Bennett are the latest to join Faegre Drinker’s growing litigation practice, which has already added seven partners in 2021. Since the start of the year, Faegre Drinker has welcomed 18 total partners.

“Larry, Jake, Jessica and Desmonne are highly accomplished and well-respected attorneys with deep experience in complex litigation, including antitrust, intellectual property and class action defense,” said the firm’s litigation group co-leaders Debbie Ellingboe and Dan Collins in a joint statement. “Their addition further strengthens our litigation team and brings our clients greater peace of mind in knowing they can turn to us to help them navigate today’s changing regulatory environment while minimizing risks to their businesses.”

Scarborough joined the firm’s New York office and serves clients as lead trial counsel in complex litigation matters including those involving antitrust, intellectual property, class action defense, and mergers and acquisitions. Known for his experience in bet-the-company cases and those presenting difficult risk mitigation challenges, Scarborough has represented clients in a broad range of industries, including health care, medical devices, computers, semiconductors, semiconductor equipment, telecommunications, defense and insurance. During his tenure at Bryan Cave, Scarborough served in prominent leadership positions, including as office managing partner and as a member of the firm's executive committee. He earned his bachelor’s degree with honors and distinction from Stanford University and his Juris Doctor from New York University.

Kramer joined Faegre Drinker’s Washington, D.C. office. He is a seasoned trial attorney who serves clients in all phases of antitrust and complex litigation, with a long track record of helping clients, judges and juries understand complex legal issues. Kramer also provides thoughtful and pragmatic antitrust counseling to help clients evaluate antitrust risk and navigate antitrust issues. In addition to general antitrust experience, he has particular experience with competition issues that arise from “razors and razor blades” business models that rely on recurring aftermarket revenue. Kramer earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and his Juris Doctor from George Washington University, graduating with high honors and as a member of the Order of the Coif.

Maziarz also joined the firm in Washington, D.C. and is a litigator with extensive experience managing and mitigating risk for her clients. Maziarz focuses her practice on defense of class action lawsuits, antitrust litigation, and complex commercial litigation involving a wide array of allegations and legal theories. She represents clients in a broad range of industries, including health care, medical devices, hospitality, sports, insurance, financial services and manufacturing. Maziarz also represents clients in commercial and international arbitration proceedings. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, magna cum laude, with honors and Phi Beta Kappa; and her Juris Doctor from Arizona State University, magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, where she sat on the executive board of the Arizona State Law Journal.

Bennett joined Faegre Drinker’s Denver office. She is a business litigator who advocates for her clients on antitrust and competition law, class action defense and complex commercial disputes. She has advised clients in a wide array of industries, and her experience spans diverse issues and legal theories, including M&A disputes, trade secret issues, competition, food and product labeling, sham litigation, and monopolization. Bennett earned her bachelor’s degree with distinction from the University of Colorado and her Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado, graduating as a member of the Order of the Coif.

With 250 litigators licensed in key jurisdictions throughout the United States, China and the U.K., Faegre Drinker’s litigation team provides unparalleled counsel services, comprehensive on-the-ground litigation support and key local court relationships.