Joshua E. Roberts’ practice focuses on complex commercial litigation. He represents private equity firms, financial institutions, publicly-traded and closely held corporations, high net worth individuals, executives and board members in high-stakes and complex disputes in federal and state court. He has experience in a broad array of matters, including contract disputes, fiduciary duty claims, mergers and acquisition disputes, class actions, multi-district litigation, violations of civil RICO and bankruptcy adversary proceedings.
Joshua has also represented various companies and individuals in investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice as well as various state attorneys general.
Joshua is currently representing Jewish and Israeli students at Columbia, Barnard, and the University of Pennsylvania, in federal courts in the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, respectively, concerning allegations that the universities enable hostile antisemitic educational environments, including pervasive acts of discrimination, harassment, and intimidation, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He represented Jewish and Israeli students at New York University and Harvard in successfully settling their Title VI claims and obtaining first-of-their-kind settlements, including the creation of an independent Title VI office. Before settling Harvard, Joshua helped defeat Harvard’s motion to dismiss. The court’s seminal opinion set a new standard and means for combating antisemitism through the Civil Rights Act.
Prior to joining the firm, Joshua spent six years at a national law firm handling various aspects of civil litigation and white-collar matters.
Joshua clerked for The Honorable Arthur D. Spatt, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York.
WORK HIGHLIGHTS
- MLW Media in prosecuting antitrust claims against World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), alleging that WWE undermined competition and monopolized the market for the sale or licensing of media rights for professional wrestling programming in the United States. Kasowitz defeated WWE’s motion to dismiss.
- Lifestar Family Holdings and its investors, as lead counsel in an enforcement proceeding filed by the New York Attorney General alleging that the respondents engaged in fraudulent conduct. The Court, following a five-day bench hearing, found that the Attorney General had not met its burden on multiple counts of Executive Law § 63(12) and refused to order relief under Executive Law § 63-c (also known as the “Tweed Law”) or common law unjust enrichment.
- Energy Transfer Partners against Greenpeace in the largest case in the history of North Dakota, alleging that Greenpeace incited terrorist acts and vandalism as well as published repeated defamatory statements to generate publicity and interfere with the construction and operations of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
- An individual in the successful representation of claims for defamation. In granting the motion to strike under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, the Court held that the speech at issue was absolutely privileged under California and District of Columbia law.
Prior to joining Kasowitz:
- A major foreign energy company in successfully defeating claims for billions of dollars in damages that were brought by minority shareholders in the Southern District of New York.
- A major pharmaceutical company in defeating nine motions to certify classes of consumers and third-party payors and obtaining dismissal of all related MDL actions alleging RICO and consumer fraud violations based on alleged fraudulent promotion of antidepressants.
- A private equity fund and certain fund partners as defendants in shareholder litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery challenging a multibillion dollar stock-for-stock merger of a portfolio company.
- Former directors and shareholders of a pharmaceutical company regarding prescription opioid litigation in various fora across the country, including a federal multi-district litigation and action brought by state attorneys general.
- A major fantasy sports provider in multiple issues relating to the legalization of daily fantasy sports and allegations of false advertising.
Media