SUSAN LEADER
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
University of Virginia School of Law
Akin Gump partner Susan Leader is a leading litigator in California with an impressive track record for securing favorable verdicts in highly publicized, bet-the-company cases. It is her intense focus in these high stakes matters as well as her well-honed trial skills that make her a “go-to” lawyer for many global players including Bliss Media, DirecTV and Playboy. Among her significant matters in the past 12-18 months, Leader successfully represented Bliss Media in a marquee arbitration against Das Films, which received significant coverage from esteemed publications including Daily Journal, Bloomberg Law, China Business Law and Deadline Hollywood. In 2016, Das Films sued Bliss Media for breach of contract and fraud – alleging that it violated the parties’ agreement by wrongfully terminating the development and production of a Bliss Media-owned film and proceeding with production without Das Films. Following a four-day arbitration, the arbitrator returned an award entirely in Bliss Media’s favor.
