Susan Reagan Gittes is a litigation partner whose practice focuses on complex civil litigation and regulatory inquiries. Ms. Gittes is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Group. She has significant experience in federal and state courts, with a focus on representing insurance companies in a broad range of litigation and regulatory matters. Ms. Gittes also represents corporations and their directors and officers in federal securities class actions.
Ms. Gittes also has an active pro bono practice and is a 2012 and 2013 recipient of The Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Publico Award for outstanding service to The Legal Aid Society and its clients. Ms. Gittes joined Debevoise in 2011. From 2010 to 2011 she clerked for the Honorable Barbara S. Jones of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Ms. Gittes received a J.D. from Harvard Law School magna cum laude in 2010, where she served as Training Director of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.
She received a B.A. summa cum laude from Middlebury College in 2004, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to law school, Ms. Gittes was an eighth grade teacher in Newark, NJ through the Teach for America program.
Experience:
- The Prudential Insurance Company of America in an ERISA class action regarding use of retained asset accounts.
- Winged Foot Golf Club, along with certain present and former members of the Board of Directors of the Winged Foot Holding Corporation, in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits pending in the Southern District of New York.
- The Prudential Insurance Company of America in a policyholder class action regarding use of retained asset accounts in connection with service members group life insurance.
- Special Litigation Committee of SandRidge Energy’s Board of Directors in the investigation of allegations made in pending derivative lawsuits.
- Juan Sebastian Montes, a former executive of Petroleos de Venezuela, in litigation involving the Michael Kenwood Group.
- Prudential Financial, Inc. in shareholder class action and derivative lawsuits arising from regulatory inquiries into death benefit payment practices and compliance with unclaimed property laws.
- A multinational bank in affirmative and defensive litigation arising out of a large hotel chain’s data breach.
- Kelso & Company in its $376 million acquisition, with Ajax Resources, of W&T Offshore’s interest in the Yellow Rose field in the Permian Basin of West Texas.
- John Hancock Life Insurance Company in defense against a putative class action brought before the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts on behalf of owners and beneficiaries of its life insurance policies.
- Kellner DiLeo & Co. in successfully settling a class action alleging systemic failure to pay overtime after successfully obtaining dismissal of all state law claims.
- Large life insurance companies in state regulatory inquiries concerning abandoned property and claims handling, as well as in related qui tam lawsuits and a policyholder class action.
- An international insurance company in a joint investigation by the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire regarding the financing of life insurance premiums and related STOLI issues.
- Galderma S.A. in its agreement with Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. on a restructuring of North American aesthetics arrangements in connection with Valeant’s pending $2.6 billion acquisition of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation.
Education:
- Harvard Law School, 2010, J.D.
- Middlebury College, 2004, B.A.
Bar Admissions:
- New York
Cost
Rate : $$$