Education
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, J.D. – 2007
- Articles Editor, Cardozo Law Review
- Cum Laude
- Order of the Coif
Georgetown University, B.S.F.S. – 2003
Professional Associations
Member, New York City Bar Association
Bar Admissions/Licensed Jurisdictions
- New York
- U.S. Circuit Courts
- Second and Ninth Circuits
- U.S. District Courts
- Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Honors & Awards
Mr. Harris is recognized by Legal 500
Contact Info
Adam Harris has more than 15 years of experience in representing companies, financial institutions, boards of directors, senior management, and other sophisticated clients in a broad array of commercial and corporate disputes – with an emphasis on representing defendants and plaintiffs in complex business litigation, corporate governance disputes, securities class actions, and shareholder derivative lawsuits. He has successfully litigated numerous high-stakes lawsuits at the trial court and appellate levels in federal and state courts throughout the United States, and in domestic and international arbitration proceedings. Mr. Harris has earned national acclaim as a dynamic courtroom advocate and a thoughtful, creative strategist.
Prior to joining Israel David LLC as Managing Partner, Mr. Harris was a partner from 2019 to 2023 at the elite international law firm Ropes & Gray LLP and was an associate and then counsel at that firm from 2016 to 2019. Previously, Mr. Harris was an associate at the elite international law firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP from 2007 through 2015.
Prior to joining Israel David LLC as Managing Partner, Mr. Harris was a partner from 2019 to 2023 at the elite international law firm Ropes & Gray LLP and was an associate and then counsel at that firm from 2016 to 2019. Previously, Mr. Harris was an associate at the elite international law firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP from 2007 through 2015.
Among his notable representations are:
Securities Class Action Litigation
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of TG Therapeutics and several of its officers in a putative class action in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York concerning disclosures regarding the prospects for certain oncological drugs developed by TG.
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of underwriter defendants, including Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, and Credit Suisse, in federal securities litigation in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York concerning the IPO of China-based retailer Yunji.
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of Stemline Therapeutics and its officers and directors in a putative class action in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York arising from Stemline’s alleged failure to disclose adverse events in a clinical drug trial that occurred just prior to a public offering of securities.
- Counsel to Osmotica Pharmaceuticals and its officers and directors in a putative class action in New Jersey state court, in which plaintiffs allege Osmotica failed to disclose an alleged decline in pricing of one of its generic drug products at the time of its IPO.
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of the independent directors of ChinaCast Education Corporation in a putative securities class action in the US District Court for the Central District of California arising from a scheme by ChinaCast’s former CEO and CFO to loot ChinaCast of cash and other assets.
- Counsel to CIT Group Inc., its Board of Directors, and several of its senior-most officers in securities litigation in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York relating to CIT’s subprime mortgage and student lending businesses.
Corporate Governance Disputes
- Counsel to Oxbow Carbon & Mineral Holdings, Inc. and William I. Koch in litigation in Delaware arising from a multibillion-dollar dispute in which minority investors sought to force a sale of Oxbow Carbon, resulting in a favorable unanimous en banc decision by the Delaware Supreme Court.
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of life sciences company Chromocell Corporation and two of its founders in an action in New York State Supreme Court brought by Chromocell’s third co-founder based on allegations that his two co-founders had agreed to increase his ownership share, allegedly entitling him to one-third of the company.
- Counsel to Goldman Sachs in shareholder litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery in connection with its role as an advisor on a multibillion-dollar take-private transaction.
- Counsel to affiliates of leading private equity firm New Mountain Capital in shareholder litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery alleging aiding and abetting alleged breaches of fiduciary duty in connection with the multibillion-dollar sale of a portfolio company.
- Counsel to the directors of a clinical stage biotech company in a series of shareholder derivative cases alleging breach of fiduciary duty in connection with compensation and disclosure issues.
Complex Commercial Litigation
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of an affiliate of Invesco Ltd. in a litigation in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York brought by the sellers of an investment management business, who claimed a breach of a merger agreement based on an alleged failure to use “best efforts” to cause an earn-out to be achieved.
- Counsel to Invesco Ltd. and Oppenheimer Funds in a litigation in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York brought by developers of certain exchange-traded funds who claimed a breach of an acquisition agreement relating to earn-out payments connected to the performance of the funds.
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of pharmaceutical company Shire of a $425 million breach of contract claim in the Delaware Court of Chancery brought by shareholders of a company acquired by Shire, who claimed they were entitled to earn-out milestone payments under an acquisition agreement based upon the results of clinical drug trials.
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of Costco Wholesale Corporation in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York of an action in which plaintiffs alleged that Costco aided and abetted fraud and entered into a conspiracy to defraud in connection with a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. On appeal, the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal.
- Counsel to a leading clinical research organization in a contract dispute with a pharmaceutical company arising in connection with investigator misconduct in a clinical drug trial.
Restructuring Litigation
- Obtained dismissal of $1 billion in fraudulent conveyance claims in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York as lead defense counsel for funds that invested in Jones Group Inc. (later known as Nine West) prior to its leveraged buyout and subsequent bankruptcy, including funds affiliated with BlackRock, Fidelity, and Vanguard.
- Trial counsel for the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of LINN Energy, an independent oil and natural gas production company, in Chapter 11 proceedings in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Mr. Harris is frequently sought out for his deep experience and thought leadership in complex commercial litigation, securities litigation and class action litigation. Mr. Harris is a prolific author and commentator on litigation issues.