Lauren F. Dayton

Lauren Dayton litigates complex disputes – mostly business disputes and antitrust – in state and federal courts, from the filing of a complaint through appeal.  She has litigated on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants in every level of the judicial system, from trial courts to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Lauren is a skilled trial advocate.  She contributes to every stage of the case – drafting pleadings, developing case strategy, taking and defending depositions, drafting motions, and preparing for oral argument.  She has prepared clients for their depositions, and worked directly with expert witnesses.  Lauren’s trial-level cases regularly involve dozens of fact and expert witnesses, tens of thousands of documents, and novel legal issues. 

Lauren has briefed appeals before federal courts in the Second, Fifth, Ninth, and Federal Circuits that involved expansive records and complex legal issues, including patent, antitrust, and administrative law.  She has participated in several cert petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court.  She also has an active practice before New York appellate courts, including cases before the First Department and the New York Court of Appeals.

Before joining MoloLamken LLP, Lauren clerked for the Honorable Steven M. Colloton of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and for the Honorable Brian M. Cogan of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.  Experience at both the district court and court of appeals gave her valuable insight into what judges care about at different stages of the case.  She relies on her practical experience to help craft the best arguments and litigate efficiently.

During her time at Michigan Law, Lauren was a summer law clerk at the United States Department of Justice in the Criminal Division, Fraud Section.  Before law school, she interned for the Honorable Jeffery P. Hopkins of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Representative Matters

• Represents investment entity in two related suits against PDVSA and a PDVSA affiliate over unpaid debt instruments in SDNY, the District of Delaware, and the Second Circuit
• Represents global retailer in appeal to the First Department of breach-of-contract suit relating to COVID-19
• Represents investment fund in breach-of-contract suit involving a portfolio of life insurance policies in SDNY
• Represents monoline insurer in dispute in SDNY against bond trustee related to defaults by the Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corporation (COFINA)
• Represents telecommunications company in Fifth Circuit appeal of dismissal of antitrust suit 
• Represents biopharmaceutical company in Federal Circuit appeal and U.S. Supreme Court cert petition involving patent invalidity (enablement) issues 
• Represented investment manager in suit against Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela over bond default in SDNY
• Represented global financial institution in RMBS suit appeal in New York Court of Appeals
• Represented international asset manager and direct lender, as well as an indenture trustee, in trial over fraudulent-conveyance and tort claims and breaches of intercreditor agreement in U.S Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, as well as parallel litigation in New York Supreme Court 
• Represented business development corporation in SDNY suit to enjoin activist shareholder from illegally soliciting proxies in opposition to proposed merger
• Represented Turkish entity in action to enforce ICSID arbitral award in SDNY 
• Represented university patent holder in Federal Circuit appeal of patent invalidity ruling based on indefiniteness
• Represented biopharmaceutical company in pair of Federal Circuit appeals of denials of preliminary injunctions
• Represented software and technology company in patent appeal before the Federal Circuit
• Represented federal energy regulator in Ninth Circuit appeals of bankruptcy court decision and regulator’s declaratory orders involving division of authority between bankruptcy courts and regulator
• Represented federal energy regulator in Fifth Circuit appeal regarding division of authority between bankruptcy courts and regulator 
• Represented regional transmission organization in amicus brief in M.D. Pa. on scope of federal authority over interstate electricity transmission
• Represented municipality seeking certiorari on administrative law question before the U.S. Supreme Court
• Represented national and state professional associations in amicus brief in support of cert petition before the U.S. Supreme Court  
• Represented interested-party regulator and its employees in a federal criminal trial in SDNY against some of the regulator’s former employees and other individuals
• Represented former employees of defense contractor in civil suit by the government against the defense contractor
• Represented plaintiff in §1983 excessive-force suit against Rikers corrections officers in SDNY (pro bono)

Publications