New Trial Firm Elsberg Baker & Maruri PLLC Launches With Six Founding Partners From Selendy Gay Elsberg, Quinn Emanuel

A group of six renowned litigators led by David Elsberg, most recently a name partner at Selendy Gay Elsberg, and Rollo Baker IV and Silpa Maruri, former practice group leaders at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, today launched a new trial law firm, Elsberg Baker & Maruri PLLC. The firm’s founding partners also include two former partners at Selendy Gay Elsberg, Michael Duke and Vivek Tata, as well as Jared Ruocco, a former partner at LTL Attorneys who previously practiced at Quinn Emanuel.

The name partners of Elsberg Baker & Maruri formerly practiced together at Quinn Emanuel and have acted as lead counsel in numerous high-profile and precedent-setting cases. One of the top trial lawyers in the country, Elsberg is described by Chambers and Partners as “fabulously smart” and “fearless”—as well as “very creative, thoughtful, and collaborative.” Law360 named Elsberg a “Securities MVP,” referring to his “artful and measured cross-examination style” and describing him as an “aggressive, passionate, and first-rate thinker,” whose “ability to read people and think numerous questions ahead is uncanny.”

Elsberg’s major cases include winning a “resounding” defense verdict following trial in Quadrant Structured Products Co. Ltd. v. Vertin, a “literal bet-the-company case” (AmLaw Litigation Daily) in which the plaintiff sought hundreds of millions of dollars and the shutdown of the defendant’s business. He won an $850 million settlement after trial in an RMBS putback action, which is the largest recovery ever obtained in such a case; recovered more than $6 billion for Washington Mutual creditors in connection with the largest bank failure in history; won at trial on behalf of an investment fund against the billionaire William Koch; and won one of the largest investor awards on record in a FINRA arbitration.

Baker co-chaired Quinn Emanuel’s Corporate Governance Litigation Practice, and Maruri co-chaired Quinn Emanuel’s Delaware Litigation Practice. Baker successfully tried the first fully litigated COVID-19 busted M&A case, a result he successfully defended on appeal, resulting in a unanimous decision from the Supreme Court of Delaware allowing the buyer to walk away from a $6 billion acquisition. Maruri recently secured a record-setting $1 billion settlement on behalf of former stockholders of Dell Technologies—the largest cash settlement on behalf of shareholders in Delaware history. Baker and Maruri both have deep experience in securities and corporate governance matters, and have received numerous accolades, including selection by Lawdragon as being among the “500 Leading Litigators in America.” In 2022, Maruri became one of just two lawyers to be named “Litigator of the Week” twice by The American Lawyer.

Duke, Tata, and Ruocco all maintain active national commercial litigation practices. Duke and Tata litigated numerous cases to successful outcomes at Selendy Gay Elsberg. Tata was named a Best Lawyers “One to Watch” in commercial litigation and securities litigation in 2024, while Duke has been named a “Rising Star” in business litigation by Super Lawyers. Ruocco, who specializes in M&A and corporate governance disputes, practiced with Elsberg Baker & Maruri’s name partners at Quinn Emanuel. He recently secured a complete plaintiff’s jury verdict and punitive damages award in Los Angeles federal court for the acclaimed chemist and entrepreneur Anton Toutov in a complex shareholder dispute concerning the clinical testing laboratory he helped to build.

“Elsberg Baker & Maruri’s partners are aggressive, battle-tested trial lawyers with extensive track records pursuing clients’ interests with grit and creativity which has resulted in victories in clients’ most complex and high-stakes cases,” said Elsberg. “We are launching with veteran trial lawyers—not just litigators, but lawyers who know their way around a courtroom—and associates who operate at the highest level of excellence and want early trial experience on their way to becoming veteran trial lawyers.”

A fact sheet with further information on the name partners of Elsberg Baker & Maruri follows this release.

About Elsberg Baker & Maruri PLLC

Founded in 2024—by David Elsberg, Rollo Baker IV, Silpa Maruri, Michael Duke, Vivek Tata, and Jared Ruocco—Elsberg Baker & Maruri is a trial law firm based in Manhattan, New York. We deploy exceptionally skilled trial lawyers, an aggressive orientation, and an unrelenting commitment to successfully pursuing our clients’ interests in commercial disputes of the highest stakes.

Fact Sheet

David Elsberg

• Experience

- Selendy Gay Elsberg

- Founding and Managing Partner, 2018-2024

- Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

- Partner, co-chair of Investment Fund Practice, 2006-2018

- Miller & Wrubel

- Partner, 2002-2006

- Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

- Associate, 1997-2002

- Law Clerk to the Hon. Amalya L. Kearse

- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1995-1996

• Credentials

- Chambers-ranked

- Securities MVP, Law360

- 500 Leading Lawyers in America, Lawdragon

- Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation

- Leading Commercial Litigator, Legal 500

- Plaintiff’s Lawyers Trailblazer, The National Law Journal

- Distinguished Leader, New York Law Journal

- Harvard Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 1995)

- Harvard Law Review

• Developments Editor & Supervising Editor, 1994-1995
• Editor, 1993-1994

- Duke University (B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, distinction in History major, 1992)

• Select cases

- Won a “resounding” defense verdict following trial in Quadrant Structured Products Co. Ltd. v. Vertin, a “literal bet-the-company case” (AmLaw Litigation Daily) in which the plaintiff sought hundreds of millions of dollars and the shutdown of the defendant’s business.

- Won an $850 million settlement after trial in an RMBS putback action, which is the largest recovery ever obtained in such a case.

- Recovered more than $6 billion for Washington Mutual creditors in connection with the largest bank failure in history.

- Won at trial on behalf of an investment fund against the billionaire William Koch.

- Won one of the largest investor awards on record in a FINRA arbitration.

- Represented ResCap Liquidating Trust against dozens of loan originators for the sale of defective mortgage loans which resulted in recoveries of $590 million.

- Represented Washington Mutual in connection with the largest bank failure in history, which resulted in a recovery of more than $6 billion.

• Commentary: “It is an honor to join up with the immensely talented group of trial lawyers who are my co-founding partners and I am energized by our mission to make Elsberg Baker & Maruri the destination for the finest litigation talent and the most significant commercial disputes.”

Rollo Baker IV

• Experience

- Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

- Partner, co-chair of Corporate Governance Practice, 2011-2024

- Law clerk to Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera

- Maryland Court of Appeals, 2010-2011

• Credentials

- Future Star, Benchmark Litigation (2023-2024)

- 500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon

- Rising Star, New York Super Lawyers (2019-2021)

- Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., cum laude, 2010)

- Dean’s List

- Franklin & Marshall College (B.A., magna cum laude, Political Science and Economics, 2007)

• Select cases

- Represented Mirae Asset Management in trial via Zoom over $6 billion terminated transaction, securing return of Mirae’s $580 million deposit and award of $33.5 million in attorneys’ fees. Affirmed 5-0 by Delaware Supreme Court.

- Represented leading venture capital funds against WeWork, Adam Neumann, and Artie Minson for alleged fraud in connection with an M&A transaction. Matter settled on confidential terms.

- Secured jury verdict for no damages following trial in which New York City Transit Authority sought $100 million against Express Scripts.

- Defended Essar Global against $1.4 billion fraudulent transfer claims in SDNY, ending in confidential settlement.

- Representing largest commercial bank in Ukraine against Ukrainian oligarchs in an action described as the “most detailed study of large-scale money laundering” and seeking more than $600 million in damages.

• Commentary: “The deep familiarity and complementary practices that David, Silpa, and I possess will allow us to operate at a high level from the day of our launch. We intend to set the bar for trial work in securities, corporate governance, and other commercial disputes.”

Silpa Maruri

• Experience

- Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

- Partner, co-chair of Delaware Practice, 2011-2024

- Law clerk to Judge Legrome Davis

- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2011-2012

• Credentials

- Litigator of the Week, The American Lawyer (September 2022)

- 500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon (Financial Litigation, 2023)

- Recommended Lawyer, Legal 500 USA (Dispute Resolution: General Commercial Disputes 2023)

- Private Equity Rising Star, Law360 (2021)

- Cornell Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 2011)

- Cornell Law Review

- Articles Editor, 2010-2011

- University of Chicago (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, General and Departmental Honors in English major, 2006)

• Select cases

- Acted as lead counsel to Dell stockholders in a class action relating to a 2018 stock-for-stock exchange, resulting in a historic settlement of $1 billion.

- Represented Elon Musk in Twitter v. Musk, the headline-grabbing dispute over whether Elon Musk would be required to close on his deal to acquire Twitter.

- Represented Snow Phipps Group in COVID-19 busted deal trial regarding whether private equity acquirer Kohlberg & Co. would be required to close on its deal to acquire target company.

- Obtained nine-figure arbitration victory for confidential client in dispute regarding termination of oil storage agreement, following nine-day arbitral hearing.

• Commentary: “I am thrilled to join this endeavor with partners whose talent matches their ambitions. Our firm is hungry to participate in our clients’ most important business disputes—and even hungrier to win them. We aim to make our mark as an arbitration, litigation, and trial firm that is at the very top of the list when businesses are involved in bet-the-company disputes.”

 

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