Kimberly E. Carson is a partner in Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan's New York office. Carson is a litigator with experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of complex commercial disputes. Her experience includes successfully litigating cases involving employment matters, corporate raids, trade secrets, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, business torts, fraud, and mergers and acquisitions. Carson has an active trial practice, and has appeared and argued in a variety of forums, including in state and federal courts and in arbitrations in New York, Delaware, and around the country.
Kimberly Carson is an expert in employment litigation in particular, including in cases involving employee movement, restrictive covenants (non-competes and non-solicits), trade secret misappropriation, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblowing, wrongful termination, and senior executive/founder departure disputes. Carson has litigated several high-stakes, high-dollar cases involving the movement of large groups of employees between competitors, on both plaintiff and defense sides. For example, Carson handled an expedited case stemming from a large corporate raid termed the “Worst (Non-Lawyer) Lateral Acquisition Ever” by AmLaw Litigation Daily, in which Cadwalader successfully obtained injunctive relief in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Carson also has significant experience litigating issues concerning California’s laws and public policy related to restrictive covenants and employee mobility.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers | 2026 | Employment Litigation |
In addition to her litigation practice, Carson also regularly advises clients on sensitive pre-litigation executive movement and other sensitive personnel matters, advises on risk mitigation, conducts internal investigations, and negotiates separation settlements.
Carson has represented a broad range of companies in employment matters, including employers in technology, insurance, and banking and financial services. Her extensive employment experience on both plaintiff and defense sides uniquely positions her as a master strategist in this space. As a result, Carson is regularly invited to present on trends in restrictive covenant and trade secret litigation across the country.