Sarah M. Gragert

Ms. Gragert’s experience includes representing:

Sports Litigation

• The US Soccer Federation in its summary judgment win against the US Women’s National Team players in litigation relating to equal pay and working conditions discrimination
• The NCAA in cutting-edge lawsuits pertaining to concussions in intercollegiate sports, including a wrongful death matter
• The NFL Players Association in its widely publicized lawsuit against the National Football League in connection with the 2011 NFL labor lockout, in which the court ruled in the players’ favor, which Sports Illustrated declared a “major victory”
• The NFL Players Association in a licensing dispute against former NFL players

Sexual Abuse Allegations

• Clients in multiple litigations in which dozens of children, through their parents, sued a large religious organization in connection with child sexual abuse committed by members of the religion
• The NCAA in several litigation matters arising from the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal, including a lawsuit brought by late Coach Joe Paterno’s estate, as well as related claims of breach of contract and tortious interference
• Gibbons, as special counsel to Seton Hall University, on conducting an independent investigation into allegations that, while serving as Archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000, former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick engaged in sexual misconduct with seminarians studying at the school

Trade-Secret Misappropriation, Contract, and Business Torts

• LG Energy Solutions in securing a US$1.8 billion settlement in its trade secrets dispute with SK Innovation regarding electric vehicle batteries, after obtaining a complete victory in the International Trade Commission
• Peloton in securing dismissal of a patent infringement suit filed by competitor Mad Dogg Athletics
• A client sued for breach of contract related to the manufacture of certain equipment in related matters pending in China and the United States, for which the client successfully counterclaimed that the contract would unlawfully misappropriate trade secrets
• A pharmaceuticals company in a trade libel matter for defamatory articles written in a trade journal about a long-lasting analgesic
• Vistra in securing a favorable settlement that fully resolved several breach of contract arbitration matters regarding transportation of coal
• A software development company in two litigation matters against a competitor and former employees for trade-secret misappropriation and breach of contract regarding the theft of proprietary financial services software
• An outdoor sports equipment store in successfully settling several litigation matters regarding trade secrets and enforcing employee restrictive covenants
• A data company in various matters enforcing employee restrictive covenants
• A refined products and crude oil company in obtaining complete recovery in a breach of contract matter regarding defendant’s failure to pay amounts owed related to the transportation of natural gas
• A direct marketing company in a series of large-scale litigations, including a class action, a mass action, and a variety of spin-off individual actions, as well as a related government investigation, related to claims of injury caused by a hair product
• A marketing company in a class action regarding the Telephone Consumer Protections Act in connection with a mass-text message advertising effort

Insurance Recovery

• Northland, a real estate investment, management, and development company, in litigation against its insurers, who had refused to fully fund litigation or sought to rescind policies that would otherwise cover litigation related to a class action and several individual suits relating to Northland's ownership and development of a property in New Haven, Connecticut
• A manufacturing client in successfully obtaining large insurance recoveries relating to multiple denied claims arising from disruptions at its overseas manufacturing plants