Ellen is a celebrated civil and commercial litigator who has been trusted for decades by multi-national financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies, in-house counsel, boards, and individuals in high-stakes civil litigation, arbitration, and trials. Her unflinching dedication to her clients has earned Ellen their fierce loyalty and many followed her to Kaplan Martin when she joined from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP in 2025.
Ellen’s practice is broad-based, reflecting her versatility as an advisor and advocate. She has extensive experience in securities litigation and in complex commercial disputes. She regularly advises companies, boards, special committees and investors in connection with corporate governance matters, including contests for corporate control and post-acquisition disputes. She has advised creditors and debtors in bankruptcy and financial restructuring litigation matters across a wide range of industries.
Ellen also is highly experienced in sensitive, C-suite level employment-related claims and crisis situations. She advises in-house counsel and boards of directors on minimizing legal risks in executive disputes concerning disciplinary and termination decisions, and she has extensive experience in conducting sensitive internal investigations. At Kaplan Martin, Ellen also frequently represents plaintiffs against powerful institutions and individuals in employment-related disputes.
In the last year, Ellen has helped lead the firm’s representation of a massive global beverage company in connection with multiple matters including a cross-border series of class actions challenging the authenticity of the company’s leading tequila brands; successfully helped settle Wendy Williams’ lawsuit against Lifetime and A&E Networks for exploiting Williams while she was suffering from dementia; is currently representing Jay-Z in a high-profile federal lawsuit against two Texas attorneys for conspiring to extort the iconic rapper and entrepreneur; and is defending Kituwah LLC in a massive multi-district class action litigation that includes more than 25 direct and derivative claims. In addition to these public cases, Ellen maintains a diverse docket of confidential employment, discrimination, sexual assault, and estate matters.
Ellen has been honored by the New York City Bar with the prestigious Thurgood Marshall Award, the New York County Lawyers Association (the Award for Conspicuous Service), the National Association of Women Lawyers (the 2026 Impact List), and received the “Distinguished Honors” Award for client service from Diageo North America. She is an elected Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and sits on the boards of multiple non-profits and legal associations, including New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and the New York City Bar Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She is a lifetime member of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association.
Ellen has been recognized by Benchmark as one of the “Top 250 Women in Law,” a Litigation Star, and a Litigation National Practice Area Star, by Crain’s New York as a Notable Black Leader, Notable Diverse Leader and Notable Woman in Law, and has been recognized by Lawdragon in multiple categories, including as a “Lawdragon Legend.”
- B.A., Swarthmore College, 1995
J.D., Harvard Law School, 1999
- American Bar Foundation (Life Fellow)
- New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (Board Member)
- New York City Bar Association Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
- Metropolitan Black Bar Association (Lifetime Member)