Kaplan Martin

Commercial Litigation; Corporate Governance; Securities Litigation; Trials; Investigations and Crisis Management; Food & Beverage; Employment Law; Discrimination; Sexual Misconduct; Estates; Class Actions

Ellen V. Holloman is a leading litigator trusted to handle the most complex, high-stakes commercial disputes, investigations, and business-critical conflicts involving governance matters. She represents prominent financial institutions, corporations, boards of directors, special committees and senior executives, as well as individuals, in matters involving significant legal, regulatory, and reputational exposure. Known for her strategic judgment, commitment to her clients and their causes, and disciplined approach, Holloman regularly manages disputes across multiple forums and delivers effective outcomes in matters of significant consequence.

Holloman’s work is distinguished by her role as a long-term trusted advisor to business executives, making her uniquely positioned to manage high-sensitivity matters, often conducted under significant confidentiality constraints. She guides clients through issues involving senior leadership and complex factual records, where legal, business, governance, and reputational considerations are closely intertwined. Her experience enables her to anticipate how disputes will be assessed by regulators, opposing parties, and the public, and to develop strategies that account for those dynamics from the outset.

Ellen has significant experience with white-collar criminal defense matters, and has represented clients responding to regulatory inquires, requests and enforcement proceedings initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Reserve, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, National Association of Securities Dealers, FINRA, Internal Revenue Service, the Office of the New York State Attorney General, New York Stock Exchange, European Commission, and the UK Serious Frauds Office, among others.

Among her significant active representations, Holloman plays a leading role in representing a leading global beverage company in a series of putative consumer class actions filed across the United States and Canada. In that role, she coordinates fast-moving litigation strategy across multiple jurisdictions while advising the client on related reputational considerations. She also represents Kituwah LLC, the investment arm of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and its CEO in complex federal litigation in the Southern District of New York involving claims of racketeering, trade secret misappropriation, and breach of contract arising from a high-profile commercial venture.

In addition to her expansive commercial practice, Holloman represents individuals in highly confidential employment and personal disputes, often involving senior executives or public-facing figures. These matters frequently present significant personal and professional implications and require both discretion and careful strategic judgment. Her work in this area includes representation of television personality Wendy Williams in litigation concerning the production of a documentary during a period of court-ordered guardianship, raising issues related to autonomy and consent.

The focus on individual representation extends to Holloman’s pro bono work and public service, which form an integral part of her practice. She has secured major wins for clients including veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and asylum seekers. Her appellate work on behalf of a death row inmate earned her the prestigious Thurgood Marshall Award from the New York City Bar Association. She serves on the boards of nonprofit organizations focused on employment access and public interest law.

Holloman brings to her practice top litigation experience honed at leading firms, including Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where she was a partner, and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, where she practiced in both New York and London. She is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, member of the Federal Bar Council and National Bar Association, and a lifetime member of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association. Her work has been recognized by Crain’s New York, which has named her a Notable Woman in Law, Notable Diverse Leader in Law, Notable Litigator and Trial Attorney, and a two-time Notable Black Leader. She is recommended by Legal 500 in Securities Litigation: Defense.

J.D., Harvard Law School B.A., Swarthmore College, cum laude