A partner in the Litigation Department, Craig A. Benson focuses his practice on product liability, antitrust, intellectual property and major commercial disputes. Mr. Benson's experience has involved representing clients in industries including financial services, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, automotive, chemicals, oil and gas, tobacco, and hospitality.

Mr. Benson was a member of the winning trial team successfully defending biotechnology company Genentech Inc. in a two-and-a-half week federal jury trial, against allegations of fraud, unfair trade practices, and unjust enrichment, and a damages claim of some $1.16 billion. The jury returned a defense verdict after one day of deliberations.

Other significant trial and major case representations include representing:

• Philip Morris USA, an Altria company, in the company’s first “Lights” class action to reach a jury. The plaintiffs claimed they were entitled to billions of dollars of damages for purchasing and smoking Marlboro Lights. Paul, Weiss secured a mistrial and avoided liability for Philip Morris USA.
• Major biotechnology and chemical companies in critical patent litigations, including disputes concerning Genentech's intellectual property covering innovative treatments for cancer and eye disease, and lawsuits relating to infringement of BASF's patents for a leading insecticide.
• Sharp Corporation in four federal lawsuits relating to allegations of price-fixing.
• Several financial institutions in substantial commercial litigation matters, including the representation of Citibank and Zurich Alternative Asset Management in an arbitration over real estate valuation and a financial services company in an employment arbitration with its former CEO.
• LodgeNet before the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division in connection with its acquisition of On-Command.
• Time Warner Inc. and Time Warner Cable Inc. before the Federal Trade Commission in connection with their acquisition of assets of Adelphia Communications Corp.
• American Skiing Company in connection with a contract dispute in state court.
• MasterCard in connection with federal antitrust claims regarding bank issuance of credit cards.
• ExxonMobil in connection with international tort claims in federal litigation.
• A provider of debtor-in-possession financing in a contested bankruptcy proceeding relating to collective bargaining agreements.

On a pro bono basis, he has represented clients seeking political asylum before the United States Immigration Court, clients seeking disability benefits, and has worked with an area nonprofit providing legal assistance to persons living with HIV.

Mr. Benson was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as articles editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. He co-authored Custodial Interrogation, Twenty-Eighth Annual Review of Criminal Procedure, 87 Geo. L.J. 1683 (1999). Mr. Benson also has served as a member of the editorial board of the Antitrust Practitioner, a publication of the ABA Section of Antitrust Law's Civil Practice and Procedure Committee.

Mr. Benson is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Levine School of Music.