Cory is the former practice group leader for Business & Commercial Litigation. He represents clients in a wide array of complex litigation, as well as investigative, administrative and regulatory matters at the federal, state and local levels. Many of Cory’s matters have involved parallel criminal investigations, enforcement actions, suits by state attorneys general, and follow-on civil litigation.
Cory has played a substantial role in representative trial-level matters that include defending a national retailer in a state attorney general’s investigation and lawsuit (and follow-on class action lawsuits); defending a major accounting firm in a nationwide class action lawsuit; defending an international airline against antitrust claims in Multidistrict Litigation; enforcing a cable network’s ability to control the content of its programming; and challenging a city’s plan to build a new professional football stadium.
Cory also has significant appellate experience before the Supreme Court of the United States and in several of the federal courts of appeals. Representative appellate-level matters in which he has played a substantial role include twice challenging the legality of the SEC’s controversial mutual fund governance rule on behalf of a national business association; enforcing a nationwide class action settlement on behalf of a national managed care company; seeking to overturn a nationwide class certification order on behalf of a large automaker; and defending the immunity of a national self-regulatory organization before an en banc court.
Cory has substantial experience conducting internal corporate investigations. He has also represented companies and individuals before federal agencies and departments, in both civil and criminal matters. Recently, he represented a large cryptocurrency legal platform in state proceedings and prepared a token issuer for SEC depositions. He has helped clients navigate through several types of investigations and actions, including securities enforcement, antitrust, accounting, and fraud, while advising clients regularly on administrative and regulatory issues.
“Cory is easy to work with, representing his client very strongly. I found him to be extremely intelligent and very well versed in the court.” – Chambers USA
“Cory Skolnick is an excellent litigator. He has strong negotiation skills, great case management and communication skills. Cory is able to take complex legal issues and make them very simple for business input.” – Chambers USA
Associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Washington, D.C., 2001-2008
Duke University School of Law, J.D. & LL.M, 2000, with honors
Duke Law Journal, Editorial Board
Moot Court Board, Member
Princeton University, A.B., 1997, with honors
Law Clerk to the Honorable Eugene E. Siler, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2000-2001
Judicial Extern to the Honorable Danny J. Boggs, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Summer 1998
District of Columbia
Kentucky
Virginia
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference, Life Member
Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial, 2021-2024
Kentucky Super Lawyers®, 2022-2024
The Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025; Litigation – Banking and Finance, 2024-2025; Litigation – Real Estate, 2025
Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
Louisville Business First, 20 People to Know Law
Louisville Magazine, Top Lawyer
Kentucky Rising Stars®, 2015
Frost Brown Todd Super Mentor of the Year, 2013
Frost Brown Todd Mentor of the Year, 2011 & 2012
Kentucky State Board of Elections, Member, 2020-Present
Uniform Law Commission (National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws), Kentucky Commissioner, 2018-Present
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), former Pathfinder Program Facilitator
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), former Mentor
Kentucky Bar Association, 2008-Present
District of Columbia Bar Association, 2002-Present
Virginia State Bar, 2000-Present
Leadership Louisville Center, Board Director & Vice-Chair, 2023-Present
Frazier History Museum, Board Director, 2024-Present
Louisville Zoo Foundation, Inc., Board Member, 2022-Present
Princeton Alumni Association of Louisville, President, 2015-Present
Alumni Council of Princeton University, former Executive Committee Member
Alumni Association of Princeton University, Committee on Regional Associations, former Member
Leadership Louisville Program, Class of 2011
Louisville Bar Association Leadership Academy, Class of 2009
Compensation Committee, Chair
Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group, former Chair
Nominating Committee, former Member
Recruiting Committee, former Member
Women’s Initiative Committee, former Member