Lauren A. Appel

Associate

  • Lauren A. Appel
  • Phone: +1 857 488 4267

    Import to Address Book

  • Duane Morris LLP
    100 High Street, Suite 2400
    Boston, MA 02110-1724
    USA

Lauren A. Appel represents clients in the healthcare, life sciences and technology industries in every stage of business and employment disputes. Her litigation practice includes trade secret and intellectual property litigation, employment litigation, shareholder litigation and class action litigation. She has successfully tried cases in state and federal court and before arbitration panels across the country.

In addition to her commercial litigation practice, Lauren counsels employers on a range of employee-related matters, including non-competition agreements and restrictive covenants, employment agreements, discrimination and retaliation, federal and state leave laws, and wage and hour issues.

Through Duane Morris’ pro bono program, Lauren volunteers with Kids In Need Of Defense (KIND), a nationwide organization dedicated to representation of unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children.

Areas of Practice

  • Commercial Litigation

Representative Matters

  • Represented Little River Healthcare in obtaining a complete victory and an approximately $108 million final award from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Texas; the award included nearly $80 million in breach of contract damages (inclusive of interest) and more than $21 million in penalties against BCBSTX for violating Texas Prompt Payment laws, and also shifted attorneys’ fees and other costs onto BCBSTX and denied all of BCBSTX's counterclaims against Little River.  The decision, confirmed by the Federal Court, included a "take nothing" finding against Blue Cross' $69M counterclaim, which was paid in full with no appeal.

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals v. Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Case No. 15-cv-4126 (Commonwealth of Massachusetts - Leibensperger). Member of the trial team representing Dicerna in a trade secret misappropriation suit concerning RNA interference technology. Resolved before trial on terms the client found favorable.

  • Counsel to a data technology and consulting firm seeking damages and injunctive relief in a case alleging that a competitor used their trade secrets to compete improperly and defame them.

  • Obtained an award of over $1.76 million for a client who had obtained a judgment on a claim for indemnification of expenses against a splinter shareholder group that were incurred acting in his capacity as Shareholders’ Agent on an earlier defense of claims asserted by the acquiring company following a merger agreement.

  • Represent a vertically-integrated operator with licenses in MA, MD, and NH in various aspects of its business, including general corporate, capital raising, and intellectual property.

  • Represented a group of emergency room providers in a four-day arbitration in the American Health Lawyers’ Association. Healthcare payor claimed it had overpaid the emergency room providers for services. We won an arbitrator’s award of substantial money damages and a ruling that the insurer’s audit procedure violated New York insurance law.

  • Advising Lassonde Pappas and Company, Inc., a North American leader in private label beverage manufacturing, on employment issues, as well as providing strategic advice on complex litigation.

Admissions

  • Massachusetts
  • Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Education

  • Boston University School of Law, J.D., 2013
  • The Pennsylvania State University, B.A., with distinction, 2008
    - Phi Beta Kappa

Experience

  • Duane Morris LLP
    - Associate, 2016-present
  • LeClairRyan
    - Associate, 2013-2016

Honors and Awards

  • Named to Best Lawyers "Ones to Watch," 2021-2025

  • Listed in Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars

Professional Activities

  • American Bar Association
  • Boston Bar Association
  • Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Women’s Leadership Program
  • Women's Bar Association

Selected Publications

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, "New England States Legal Update," Duane Morris Institute (DMi), Webinar April 25, 2023