Michael J. Zaken has a broad litigation practice, with a particular focus on antitrust, bankruptcy, class action defense, commercial disputes and intellectual property, as well as antitrust advisory and other advisory work. He has represented a wide range of clients, including Alarm.com, British American Tobacco, Epic Games, Illumina, Louis Dreyfus, PG&E, Qualcomm and Westpac Banking Corporation.
In 2024, Mr. Zaken was named to Global Competition Review’s “40 Under 40” list, which profiles “the next generation of leading antitrust practitioners,” and he was recommended by The Legal 500 US for his work in antitrust litigation and class actions.
Mr. Zaken has been repeatedly named to Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under List,” and has also been included in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers,” “500 Leading Litigators in America” and “500 X – The Next Generation” lists.
Mr. Zaken is from New York City. He received a B.A. cum laude from Columbia College in 2011 and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2014, where he was a James Kent Scholar, a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, a member of the Moot Court and served as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Law and the Arts.
Mr. Zaken joined Cravath in 2014 and was elected a partner in 2022.
Representation of Epic Games as plaintiff in two high‑profile antitrust actions against Google and Apple, alleging anticompetitive behavior in the distribution of mobile apps and the handling of in‑app payments. Mr. Zaken continues to represent Epic in connection with both matters.
Represented Prime Therapeutics in litigation brought by the State of Michigan alleging an agreement to fix pharmacy reimbursement rates for prescription drugs.
Represented Illumina in an administrative challenge brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concerning Illumina’s $8 billion acquisition of GRAIL, a healthcare company developing a cancer screening test for 50 cancer types. The FTC’s Chief Administrative Law Judge ruled in favor of Illumina and rejected the FTC’s challenge to the merger.
Represented Fifth Season Investments, LLC, a Blue Owl life insurance investment portfolio company, in securing a favorable settlement in a dispute against GWG Holdings, Inc. and GWG Life, LLC (together “GWG”) concerning the payment of a break‑up fee owed in connection with GWG’s chapter 11 proceedings.
- Represented Louis Dreyfus, a leading international merchant and processor of agricultural goods, and its subsidiary Imperial Sugar Company in an action brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Delaware federal court seeking to enjoin U.S. Sugar’s proposed acquisition of Imperial Sugar from Louis Dreyfus. The court ruled in favor of the defendants, denying the DOJ’s request for an injunction to block the acquisition, and the Third Circuit unanimously affirmed the ruling.
- Class action
- Commercial disputes
- Competition/antitrust
- Dispute resolution
- B.A. cum laude, Columbia College, 2011
- J.D., Columbia Law School, 2014