Supreme Court and Appellate Decisions of 2025

The Supreme Court and Appellate Practice at Sullivan & Cromwell achieved significant victories in 2025, marked by successes in the U.S. Supreme Court and various federal and state appellate courts. The firm also received recognition for its appellate work, including being named “Appellate Practice Group of the Year” by Law360 and being listed on the National Law Journal’s “Appellate Hot List.”

Yaira Dubin joined the firm as the new co-head of the Supreme Court and Appellate Practice in New York, bringing expertise in areas such as prediction markets and AI-copyright. Jeff Wall, the other co-head, was recognized as “Appellate Attorney of the Year” by the National Law Journal and was a finalist for American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Year.”

Landmark Wins

The firm secured a victory for Tesla Inc. in the Delaware Supreme Court, reinstating a 10-year, $60-billion incentive compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk. In the U.S. Supreme Court, they assisted Valero Energy in obtaining a ruling on standing that allows targets of government regulation to challenge those regulations. Representing the Broadband Industry, Sullivan & Cromwell persuaded the Sixth Circuit to strike down the FCC’s net neutrality rules. For FirstEnergy, the firm obtained two rulings from the Sixth Circuit that mitigated securities litigation, including a ruling preserving attorney-client privilege. The firm also achieved results for the Republic of Argentina, securing affirmation of the dismissal of claims related to hedge fund speculation and staying an order requiring the Republic to turn over its stake in YPF. Standard Chartered Bank was represented in a case under anti-terrorism statutes, resulting in a unanimous Second Circuit ruling.

High-Stakes Appeals

Beyond precedent-setting wins, the practice secured appeals involving billions of dollars for clients. For Allianz SE and Allianz Global Investors U.S., the Ninth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a securities fraud class action. Representing Canadian Pacific, the firm secured affirmation of the dismissal of bondholder claims and successfully defended the acquisition of Kansas City Southern before the D.C. Circuit. For CPI Security, the Fourth Circuit upheld a $180 million jury award in a dispute with Vivint Smart Home Security. Spirit AeroSystems achieved a second appellate victory in the Tenth Circuit, and Sumitomo entities obtained a reversal in a New York appellate court regarding a contractual tax-allocation provision.

Looking Ahead

The firm anticipates continued success in 2026, with upcoming arguments in the Supreme Court and various courts of appeals. Cases include representing Exxon against the Cuban government, AT&T and Verizon challenging FCC penalty powers, Argentina in post-judgment appeals, CVS challenging an Arkansas law, Citibank in a case brought by New York’s Attorney General, and Boeing in a securities fraud action.