Lezlie Madden

Member

Lezlie Madden focuses her practice on commercial litigation matters and has significant experience in a variety of areas, including antitrust, securities and class action litigation, corporate investigations, and intellectual property disputes at the district and appellate court levels. She has represented, among others, financial services companies, private equity firms, hedge funds and health care companies in matters arising under the federal antitrust and securities laws and in complex commercial litigation as well as represented individuals before federal and state agencies. Her practice has involved conducting internal investigations for corporate clients; MDL litigation; managing pre-trial discovery and motion practice; assisting clients in implementing corporate compliance programs; representing clients in domestic arbitrations; and state and federal appellate briefing and oral argument.

Prior to joining the firm, Lezlie completed two clerkships, serving as a law clerk to the Honorable P. Kevin Castel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2006-2007, and as a law clerk to the Honorable Kent A. Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit from 2008-2009. Lezlie also practiced as a litigation associate with Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.

Lezlie earned her law degree magna cum laude from Fordham University School of Law in 2006. At Fordham, she served as a member of the Fordham Law Review and an editor on the Moot Court Board.

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Experience

Represented Caesars Entertainment Corporation and related entities in litigation stemming from a serious accident that occurred during a horserace at Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack. We settled the matter on terms favorable to the client after jury selection.


Lead counsel for Caesars Entertainment Company in litigation and labor and employment work.


Defended FXI Holdings, Inc. in 45 multi-party industry-wide civil treble-damage antitrust class actions filed to date in the United States. Also, led the coordination of defense of FXI Holdings, Inc. in multiple-class actions filed in Canada.


Lead counsel for Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania in pending MDL class action challenging the Blue System's exclusive geographic licensing system under the antitrust laws.


Represented a large magnesium oxide producer defending against price fixing and market allocation claims in proposed nationwide class actions. The court dismissed the claims of all direct and indirect purchaser plaintiffs with prejudice.


Defended a large international financial institution (Bank) in litigation involving the enforcement of an interest rate swap between the bank and a large central Pennsylvania area school district. After the swap agreements were executed and performed under for some time, the school district filed a declaratory judgment action to void the agreements, in an attempt to avoid payment of a significant termination fee. An issue of first impression involving cross motions for summary judgment, the federal court in Harrisburg, Pa., ruled against the school district's argument that the agreements were unenforceable because the related bonds had never been issued.


Retained after a substantial judgment was entered against a corporation when plaintiff attempted to pierce the corporate veil and collect from the officers, directors and shareholders personally. Represented the officers, directors and shareholders presenting evidence and testimony from lay and expert witnesses and were successful in protecting their personal assets and liability.


Represent financial services firm in FINRA arbitration.


Conducted internal investigation for a publicly traded bank into allegations of mismanagement.


Represented major accounting firm in nationwide securities class action resulting from national company's bankruptcy and civil claims against certain of company's officers.


Conducted internal investigation for New York power authority in connection with alleged mismanagement of assets.


First chair in jury trial Civil Rights action in Eastern District of Pennsylvania.


News

Cozen O’Connor Elects 20 Associates to Membership

March 27, 2013

Ian Blum, Alphonso Collins, Kathryn Crary, Lynnette Espy-Williams, Elizabeth Featherman, Matthew Glazer, Nelsy Gomez, Andrea Hammel, Keenya Harrold, Charles Jesuit, Jr., Lezlie Madden, Marilyn Neiman, Tracey Nguyen, Cartherine Rosato Reilly, Megan Scheib, Daniel Schuch, John Schwartz, Shari Shapiro, Marko Stamenkovic, and Norasha Williams have been elected to membership in the firm.

Publications

3rd Circuit Case Illustrates Certification Procedure's Efficiency [The Legal Intelligencer]

July 09, 2010

3rd Circuit Case Illustrates Certification Procedure's Efficiency - The Legal Intelligencer - Recently, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals invoked the little used procedure of “certification” of questions to the state Supreme Court to clarify an important issue of state law. The use of the certification procedure had the dual effect of providing the court and parties to the action an efficient method for resolution of pivotal and undecided state law issues while simultaneously reminding

Events & Seminars

Past Events

Who's Accountable to Whom?

November 13, 2015 - Mechanicsburg, PA

Industry Sectors

Education

  • Fordham University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2006
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • New York Supreme Court

Honorable P. Kevin Castel, U.S. District Court -- Southern District of New York

Honorable Kent A. Jordan, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

  • American Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Council
  • New York State Bar Association
  • Education Law Center Board Member