King & Spalding LLP‘s business litigation team, led by Damien Marshall from New York, draws on the firm’s global disputes practice to advise on multi-jurisdictional and cross-border litigation and arbitration. The group of experienced trial lawyers has a wealth of experience not only before trial and appellate courts, but also before government enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies and arbitral tribunals. Randy Mastro boasts a strong track record in civil disputes, securities litigation and white-collar crime cases and remains a go to in New York for high-profile clients, along with Mark Kirsch. In Atlanta, David Balser’s active business disputes practice sees him represent clients across an impressive range of industries. Joe Akrotirianakis, based in Los Angeles, successfully represents both plaintiffs and defendants, and Livia Kiser in Chicago specializes in deceptive consumer practices lawsuits. Zach McEntyre handles class actions from Atlanta, with particular expertise in consumer fraud and deceptive trade practice matters. Julia Barrett Bates in Austin and LA-based Arwen Johnson are other names to note. Christopher Duffy joined the team in New York in May 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘An impressive collection of talent from top-to-bottom on litigation teams--senior partners all the way down to junior associates. Excellent written work product. Extremely responsive and personable attorneys. Very efficient.’
‘Partners have subject matter expertise and real familiarity with courts, judges, mediators, and opposing counsel. Cannot get better litigators in the southeast. David Balser is an excellent trial lawyer. Zach McEntyre is a go-to attorney for class actions, particularly consumer.’
‘Chris Duffy and Allan Bradley are talented lawyers who have helped us navigate through tricky situations.’
‘Liv Kiser is one of the most exceptional trial lawyers I have ever worked with. Her strategic acumen sets her apart—she has an unparalleled ability to narrow the scope of complex matters. This level of precision and foresight is rare and invaluable, especially in high-stakes litigation. I can attest to her consistently high level of responsiveness and dedication. Liv’s ability to command trust and respect from clients, opposing counsel, and judges alike distinguishes her from her peers. What truly makes Liv stand out is her capacity to balance being both an exceptional litigator and a collaborative teammate. Liv’s combination of strategic brilliance, responsiveness, and client-first focus is unmatched, making her an extraordinary partner and a true leader in her field.’
‘Rich Marooney - our go-to senior trial lawyer at King & Spalding. He knows our industry well and is a very capable trial lawyer. He enlists the help of a talented bench as needed, and is quite good at identifying other partners who may be better lead lawyers before a particular judge or in a certain jurisdiction. Rich is a trusted advisor who always puts our interests first. He is also extremely impressive in court when it's his time to stand up and deliver.’
‘The team is well experienced in litigation and efficient in its activities. Joe Akrotirianakis is a highly talented lawyer with vast experience. Aaron Craig is very detail oriented.’
‘Christopher Duffy is the person I know best - and I can’t rate him highly enough. He is stand-out. He has a first-class legal mind and effortlessly combines legal acuity with business acumen. Judges value his submissions and clients trust his advice.’
‘Extremely focused and effective litigation team. Ability to understand, digest, and explain to the court complicated legal and factual matters. Chris Duffy - Excels at witness examination and argument, in and out of the courtroom. Great rapport with the bench. Very strategic for immediate tasks and life of the case.’
Key clients
- American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
- Americold
- BASF
- Barclays Bank PLC
- Beech-Nut Nutrition Company
- Benefytt Technologies Inc.
- Capital One
- Delta Air Lines, Inc.
- Deloitte Consulting
- Ernst & Young
Work highlights
- Representing Skillz in winning a $43m federal jury verdict for Skillz against a competitor who willfully infringed Skillz’s patented technology and misused it to pit human players against “bots”.
- Representing Ripple Labs on all class action claims against it in a closely watched crypto case in a ruling that entirely disposes of all class action claims — both federal and state — against Ripple.
- Obtained a preliminary injunction freezing more than $600m in assets of Defendants 777 Partners and certain affiliates on behalf of clients Leadenhall Capital Partners LLP and Leadenhall Life Insurance Linked Investments Fund plc.
Lawyers
Hall of fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Practice head
Jessica Corley; Damien Marshall
Other key lawyers
Randy Mastro; Mark Kirsch; David Balser; Joe Akrotirianakis; Livia Kiser; Richard Marooney; Zach McEntyre; Julia Barrett Bates; Arwen Johnson; Laura Harris; Christopher Duffy; Allan Bradley; Aaron Craig