Overview
Stephanie Spies has won landmark victories in numerous high-profile cases across the country and secured well over $3 billion in favorable resolutions for her clients.
Stephanie represents plaintiffs and defendants through every stage of litigation in complex commercial cases, from complaint drafting to discovery to trial and appeal. She has participated in five trials and arbitrations within six years (with one other case settling on the eve of trial) and has played a leading role in each one, including taking witnesses and drafting trial-related submissions.
Named a Rising Star of the Plaintiffs’ Bar in 2025 by National Law Journal as part of its Elite Trial Lawyer series and a Rising Star by New York Super Lawyers every year since 2020, Stephanie maintains a diverse practice. She has litigated cases related to breach of contract, intellectual property, antitrust, construction, defamation, commercial real estate and more. Her clients range from large companies to smaller businesses and individuals.
LANDMARK WINS
Stephanie has established a steady track record of securing massive judgments for her clients—including two judgments over $1 billion in the last two years.
In 2024, Stephanie won a $1.6 billion trial judgment for client BML Properties Ltd. in New York’s Commercial Division on fraud and breach of contract claims arising from the construction of the Baha Mar resort. At trial, Stephanie examined three critical witnesses, playing a significant role in securing this enormous win. The judgment was affirmed in full on appeal by the First Department in April 2025. American Lawyer interviewed Stephanie about her work on the case. Read that story here* and more on the matter here. (*Subscription required).
In 2023, Stephanie represented Everly Health, in a hotly contested AAA arbitration in New York City involving contract and Laham Act claims. At trial, Stephanie examined five key witnesses, including presenting Everly’s damages expert and cross-examining the defendant’s financial witness regarding the Lanham Act damages. After the hearing, the arbitrator awarded Everly more than $987 million – widely acknowledged to be one of the largest trial wins in 2023.The defendant then moved to vacate the arbitration award, arguing that it is “over three times the largest Lanham Act award in history.” In February 2025, the court confirmed the arbitration award in a judgment valued at over $1.03 billion.
Also in 2023, Stephanie helped secure what is believed to be the largest individual defamation award in New York state history. Stephanie represented acclaimed New York hedge funder, Louis Bacon, against Canadian fashion magnate, Peter Nygard, in a high-profile multi-year defamation lawsuit. After obtaining summary judgment against Nygard on liability, Stephanie and her team participated in a damages inquest in which Stephanie gave the opening statement and presented Bacon and a damages expert on direct examination. The Special Referee awarded Bacon $216,725,149.89 in damages. Read more.
Stephanie has secured numerous other plaintiff trial victories. In 2023, Stephanie secured a $959,443.20 judgment for Jeffrey and Elizabeth Leeds and the 740 Corporation following a JAMS arbitration where she cross-examined one of the defendant’s key witnesses. In 2022, Stephanie first-chaired a jury trial and obtained a $67,501 verdict for pro bono plaintiff Anthony Lindsey in S.D.N.Y. on Section 1983 excessive force claims.
BACKGROUND
Stephanie joined Susman Godfrey after clerking on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She earned her J.D. magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from New York University School of Law and graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Northwestern University.
Notable Representations
- Everly Health Litigation (AAA Arbitration & D. Del.) Represented Everly Health, in a AAA arbitration in New York. After extensive discovery and depositions, at trial, Stephanie handled the direct and cross examinations of five witnesses, including a key financial witness. After the hearing, the arbitrator awarded Everly more than $987 million – widely acknowledged to be one of the largest trial wins that year. The defendant then moved to vacate the arbitration award in the District of Delaware, arguing that the award should be vacated because it is “over three times the largest Lanham Act award in history.” In February 2025, the Court confirmed the arbitration award in a judgment valued at over $1.03 billion.
- BML Properties Ltd. v. China Construction America Inc. et al. (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, Commercial Division) Won a $1.6 billion trial verdict for BML Properties Ltd. on fraud and breach of contract claims arising out of the construction of the Baha Mar resort. At trial, Stephanie examined three critical witnesses, playing a significant role in securing this enormous win. The judgment was affirmed in full on appeal by the First Department in April 2025. American Lawyer interviewed Stephanie about her work on the case. Read that story here* and more on the matter here. (*Subscription required).
- Bacon v. Nygard (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York) Secured what is believed to be the largest individual defamation award in New York state history. Stephanie represented acclaimed New York hedge funder, Louis Bacon, against Canadian fashion magnate, Peter Nygard, in a high-profile multi-year defamation lawsuit. After obtaining summary judgment against Nygard on liability, Stephanie and her team participated in a damages inquest before Special Referee, Hon. Layn Phillips (Ret.). Stephanie gave the opening statement and presented Louis Bacon and a damages expert on direct examination. The Special Referee awarded Bacon $216,725,149.89 in damages. Read more.
- Leeds v. I. Grace (JAMS Arbitration) Secured a $959,443.20 judgment for Jeffrey and Elizabeth Leeds and the 740 Corporation against the I. Grace Company, Commissioned Private Residences, following a JAMS arbitration where Stephanie cross-examined one of I. Grace’s key witnesses. The arbitration panel found for Leeds on the claim that I. Grace willfully and intentionally exaggerated the lien it filed against the Leeds’ apartment—a novel claim under New York law.
- In re: WeWork Litigation (Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware) Represented WeWork founder, Adam Neumann, in a breach of contract action against SoftBank after SoftBank withdrew its offer to buy $3 billion in WeWork stock from Neumann. This lawsuit represents one of the largest individual claims to be litigated this century. The litigation was placed on an expedited schedule in the Delaware Chancery Court. A week before trial, the case settled as reported by media outlets throughout the world. The New York Times’ coverage of the lawsuit can be accessed here and here.
- Lindsey v. Butler (S.D.N.Y) Working pro bono, Stephanie first-chaired a jury trial Anthony Lindsey for excessive force claims under Section 1983. During trial, Stephanie led jury selection, gave both opening and closing statements, and presented plaintiff’s two witnesses on direct examination. She also drafted and argued all the motions in limineand drafted the post-trial briefs. The jury rendered a verdict of $67,501 in damages, finding one defendant liable for excessive force and awarding punitive damages against both defendants. On a post-trial motion, the Court vacated the $17,500 punitive damages award against the defendant found not liable but denied all other motions and entered judgment for Plaintiff.
- Hulley Enterprises v. Russian Federation (D.D.C.) Serve as counsel to former investors in Yukos Oil seeking confirmation of $50 billion in arbitral awards against the Russian Federation.
Honors & Distinctions
Honors and Awards
- Rising Star of the Plaintiffs' Bar, National Law Journal's Elite Trial Lawyers (2025)
- Rising Star, New York Super Lawyers – an honor awarded to the top 2.5% of lawyers under the age of 40 in New York (2020 – 2024, Thomson Reuters)
- Articles Editor, New York University Law Review
- Frank H. Sommer Memorial Award
- Weinfeld Prize for Scholarship in Procedure and Courts
- Judge Abraham Lieberman Award
- Pomeroy Scholar
- National Debate Tournament (NDT) Champion and Top Individual Speaker
Clerkships
- Honorable Andrew D. Hurwitz, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2016-2017
- Honorable Kenneth M. Karas, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, 2017-2018
Education
Education
- NYU School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, 2016)
- Northwestern University (B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 2011)
Admissions
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- New York
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Publications
- Note, Malice Aforethought and Self-Defense: Mutually Exclusive Mental States?, 91 N.Y.U. L. REV. 1028 (2016)
