Ted Semaya

Ted Semaya is an experienced commercial litigator and trusted business advisor. He has tried business disputes before numerous courts and arbitral tribunals. But he first counsels clients, from multinationals to individuals and from the famous to the most confidential, to minimize their liability and avoid formal proceedings, which often is the better course.

A large part of Ted’s practice focuses on clients outside the U.S., often working with their local attorneys, whom Ted knows around the world, to represent them in legal disputes in the U.S. and advise them in the organization and conduct of their cross-border business. He also defends against governmental investigations and conducts confidential internal corporate investigations.

In advising and negotiating on behalf of his clients, Ted handles agreements, including international contracts, executive employment, non-competition, confidentiality, and termination agreements. Among the most important are settlement agreements that end disputes and are often negotiated on the eve of trial. Clients and colleagues have called Ted “The Closer” for nailing down durable favorable settlement agreements under intense pressure that stand up to the most important test: time.

Ted advises and represents clients in cases about, among other subjects, contract; fraud, and other business wrongs; M&A and corporate; trusts and estates; accountant, attorney, and D&O liability; securities fraud and RICO; insurance; real estate; and enforcement in the U.S. of foreign court judgments and arbitral awards.

Among the many U.S. and foreign clients Ted counsels and represents are:

• Financial institutions and banks; insurers and reinsurers; VCs; investment trusts; receivers and foreign bankruptcy trustees;

• Businesses in such sectors as technology; manufacturing; digital commerce; sales and distribution; shipping and transportation; real estate; hospitality; and

• Individuals, including high net worth, as beneficiaries, executors, trustees, directors, officers, business partners, professionals, and artists.