Stephanie Ainbinder works with clients to enact elegant solutions to complex problems. Stephanie’s practice involves complex commercial litigation, pre-suit investigations and risk assessment, efficient settlement negotiation and structuring, and appeals. In particular, she represents and advises clients in breach-of-contract suits, fraud claims, post-closing litigation, bankruptcy proceedings, and shareholder actions.
When private equity firms, public companies, sports teams and leagues, universities, or individual officers and directors need to resolve disputes—all while managing the impact on other pending deals, shareholders, or public perception—they can turn to Stephanie for help. Clients trust Stephanie to move quickly to protect their interests, whether an issue arises the day after a deal closes or years after a settlement is agreed upon.
Stephanie maintains an active pro bono practice, with a focus on LGBTQ+ rights.
Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, Stephanie completed clerkships with The Honorable O. Rogeriee Thompson of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, The Honorable Indira Talwani of the United State District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and The Honorable Elspeth Cypher of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Appeals Unit of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, an adjunct law professor at Northeastern University School of Law, and a litigation associate in the Boston office of another global law firm.
Experience
- Advised private equity firm about risks of potential acquisition where target company faced breach of contract claims and adversary complaints in bankruptcy proceeding.
- Negotiated favorable resolution for pharmaceutical company in dispute over post-deal adjustment payments.
- Obtained complete defense verdict at arbitration for major financial services company in breach-of-contract case related to the sale of a subsidiary, avoiding a multi-million dollar award.
- Represented private equity company in multi-jurisdictional breach-of-contract and fraud case, including protecting officers named personally in proceedings.
- Secured favorable settlements for university with hundreds of claimants alleging harm.
- Protected more than a dozen verdicts on appeal, including obtaining a decision resulting in a change of law.
- Investigated and resolved trade secret theft and breach-of-contract case for private institution in under four weeks, with no public disclosure of conflict and zero settlement cost to client.
- Defended directors and officers in shareholder litigation challenging change-in-control sale process.