Rebekah E.Blake

Partner

New York + 1.212.326.3743

Rebekah Blake defends corporations in a variety of cutting-edge litigations in federal and state courts and in arbitration. Her active caseload includes product liability lawsuits, class actions, pharmaceutical/life sciences litigation, and mass tort chapter 11 proceedings.

Rebekah plays a significant role in the defense of the industry in PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) litigation, which includes the largest ever proposed class action, a nationwide multidistrict litigation, and dozens of other individual lawsuits alleging nuisance and other claims.

She has represented pharmaceutical and laboratory companies in qui tam whistleblower False Claims Act actions relating to claims of off-label marketing and improper pricing. In addition, she has represented defendant-companies in consumer class action cases, ESG (environmental, social, and governance) cases, real estate disputes, shareholder derivative lawsuits, and bankruptcy adversary proceedings. She also has experience advising financial institutions on compliance and regulatory matters and conducting internal company investigations.

Rebekah is committed to providing pro bono legal representation for those with limited means of access to legal services. She has worked with organizations, including Kids in Need of Defense, Her Justice, and the Legal Aid Society, to represent victims of abuse; asylum seekers in removal proceedings in federal court and women detained at the border in Laredo, Texas; left-behind parents in international child abduction cases; and female-prisoner victims of sexual assault. She has also assisted nonprofit companies in achieving tax-exempt status.

Rebekah is co-chair of the New York Office's Women's Initiative and co-chair of the New York Office New Lawyers Group.

Experience

  • Sanofi defeats class certification in putative nationwide consumer class actionThe United States District Court for the District of New Jersey recently denied a motion for class certification brought by plaintiffs seeking to represent all consumers nationwide who purchased insulin products sold by Jones Day’s client Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC.
  • Celgene wins complete defense verdict in case filed by health insurer, Humana Inc., relating to off-label use of cancer medicationsOn March 2, 2023, Jones Day prevailed in a five-week jury trial on behalf of Celgene Corporation in a lawsuit brought by health insurance company Humana, Inc.
  • Port Authority defeats class action certification surrounding "Bridgegate" lane closuresJones Day is defending the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in a putative class action lawsuit brought by both private and commercial commuters who assert that they suffered damages as a result of traffic approaching and surrounding the George Washington Bridge following the reassignment of certain local access lanes during September 2013.
  • IBM defends software services agreement lawsuit brought by Pennsylvania Dep’t of Labor & IndustryIn a lawsuit brought by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Jones Day is defending International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) against breach-of-contract and other claims premised on allegations that IBM failed to deliver a computer system that would aid the administration of both the tax assessment and benefit payment sides of Pennsylvania's unemployment compensation system.
  • Celgene resolves False Claims Act case related to alleged off-label promotion of Thalomid® and Revlimid®Jones Day represented Celgene Corporation in a False Claims Act lawsuit related to allegations that Celgene promoted the cancer treatment drugs Thalomid® and Revlimid® for off-label uses prior to their FDA approval for such uses, and paid kickbacks to physicians in order to get them to promote and prescribe those drugs.
  • Wendy's board of directors obtains dismissal of shareholder derivative action alleging breach of fiduciary dutyJones Day defended the board of directors of The Wendy's Company, obtaining dismissal of a shareholder derivative action brought against ten board members.
  • Banorte obtains dismissal of claims it tortiously interfered with financial services consulting agreementJones Day successfully defended Banorte, a major Mexican bank, and its affiliates and certain of their directors and officers who were sued in New York Supreme Court on the allegation that they had tortiously interfered with plaintiffs' financial services consulting agreement with co-defendant Metrofinanciera in connection with the termination of a foreign exchange swap agreement between Metrofinanciera and a Banorte affiliate.
  • Global financial institution responds to FINRA arbitrationJones Day represented a global financial institution in a FINRA arbitration concerning sale of TRUPs, CDOs, and CLOs to community bank.
  • SiriusXM Radio obtains summary judgment in shareholders derivative lawsuit filed against their directorsJones Day obtained summary judgment in a shareholders derivative lawsuit filed against the directors of Sirius XM Radio Inc.