Thomas R. Ajamie
711 Louisiana
Suite 2150
Houston, TX 77002
713-860-1600 (direct)
713-860-1699(direct fax)
713-860-1600 (firm)
713-860-1699 (firm fax)
www.ajamie.com
Contact
Read the Lawyer Limelight Q&A with Thomas Ajamie
Tom Ajamie is an internationally-recognized trial lawyer who has successfully represented clients in complex commercial litigation and arbitration. The authoritative Chambers USA has described Tom as “a stupendous litigator with a winning attitude and work ethic.” He has handled a number of high-profile cases, including groundbreaking securities and financial cases, cross-border litigation, business contract disputes and employment issues. Tom has won two of the largest awards ever handed down by an arbitration panel for investors, including a $429.5 million award. He has also won a record $112 million civil RICO jury verdict.
Tom has been recognized by numerous legal publications and directories, including Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation, and Super Lawyers. The National Law Journal has named Tom one of its 50 Litigation Trailblazers. He was also honored as one of the nation’s 500 Leading Lawyers by Lawdragon, as well as that publication’s “100 Lawyers You Need to Know in Securities Litigation.” The Martindale-Hubbell law directory, which ranks the legal ability of lawyers, gave Tom an AV rating. He is also a life member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, whose membership is limited to attorneys who have won multi-million dollar verdicts, awards and settlements–fewer than 1% of U.S. attorneys.
Tom is regularly invited to give legal analysis by news media outlets including ABC, CNN, CNBC, NPR and BBC, and his work has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The American Lawyer. He is the co-author of the book Financial Serial Killers: Inside the World of Wall Street Money Hustlers, Swindlers, and Con Men. His work on behalf of investors in the Bre-X gold scandal is featured in the book Fools’ Gold: the Making of a Global Market Fraud, by Brian Hutchinson.
The Ajamie Scholarship Fund was created by Tom as a way of promoting tolerance and equality among our youth. The Scholarship Fund offers university scholarships to students who display respect and support diversity initiatives in our society, without regard to race, religion, creed, skin color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability or sexual orientation.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Currently suing Wells Fargo in a case where some of its employees stole money from client accounts over two and one-half years. (front page New York Times article)
- Negotiated the global resolution of 40 civil proceedings in federal and state court in the United States, in federal and state courts in Mexico, and in civil arbitration proceedings before CANACO in Mexico.
- Member of the legal team that recovered a $70 million settlement from Securities America, Inc., the broker-dealer subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., for investors who lost money in the Medical Capital Ponzi scheme.
- Won a $112,119,005 jury verdict after a three-week trial in a case brought under civil RICO against defendants who conspired to extort money from our corporate client and tamper with trial witnesses. (American Lawyer article)
- Co-counsel in an ERISA class action alleging that plan fiduciaries breached their duties of loyalty and prudence by selecting and maintaining inappropriate Putnum mutual funds for the defendant company’s 401(k) plan.
- Recovered a multi-million dollar “clawback” for our Fortune 100 client in a case where the client’s executive employees were hired away by a competitor. The departing executives had signed agreements in which they promised to pay back restricted stock and stock option awards that they received if they went to work for a competitor.
- Conducted several internal investigations for a Fortune 100 company.
- Won a $14.5 million arbitration award on behalf of a New York family against Prudential Equity Group. The award was obtained following 84 hearing sessions at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). At the time, The Wall Street Journal stated that this award was the third largest in the United States. (Wall Street Journal article)
- Represented the Mexican subsidiary of an international corporation in the illegal arrests of the corporation’s employees in Mexico following a dispute concerning an alleged breach of contract. The representation involved complex cross-border matters in the U.S. and Mexico.
- Settled a lawsuit against two insurance agents, six insurance companies and a law firm for $7.29 million after four days of trial in Galveston state court. The lawsuit alleged that the defendants negligently advised a 90-year-old widow and her 65-year-old son to sell their Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. stock and use the proceeds to purchase life insurance and annuities as part of an “estate tax plan.” (VerdictSearch article)
- Won a $429.5 million arbitration award against a former PaineWebber broker. The Wall Street Journal noted that the award is the largest in United States history. One of the brokers involved in the fraud was convicted and served six and a half years in federal prison. (Wall Street Journal article)
- Won an eight-figure settlement on behalf of several investors defrauded of over $100 million by one of the United States’ largest national brokerage firms.
- Successfully represented a pension fund in a lawsuit against a New York hedge fund after the hedge fund lost 30% of the funds with which it was entrusted. (Wall Street Journal article)
- In the Enron litigation, represented one of the insurance companies that provided directors and officers insurance coverage.
- Represented an Illinois-based utility company in litigation against distressed bondholders seeking recovery following an $80 million bond default for an electric power facility located outside of Chicago. At the time, this was the “eighth largest municipal bond default in the history of the municipal market,” according to the Bond Investors Association.
- Won a dismissal of all claims against a major utility company in connection with the Panhandle interstate gas pipeline system in an antitrust lawsuit alleging conspiracy to monopolize, tying and a group boycott.
- Litigated an agreement to affiliate a client’s television stations with the WB Television Network. Secured a favorable settlement, including the sale of the client’s Houston station for $95 million–an “incredibly high” price, according to Variety.
- Won the dismissal of 21 consolidated class action lawsuits filed in federal court against former officers of a NYSE-listed client alleging violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5.
- Successfully defended the second largest funeral and cemetery services company against a $4 billion hostile takeover bid by SCI, that industry’s largest company. The case involved securities, tort and antitrust litigation.
OTHER ATTORNEY EXPERIENCE
- Founder, Ajamie LLP, Houston (1997-present)
- Baker Botts, LLP, Houston (1985-1997)
MEMBERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY
- College of the State Bar of Texas
- International, American, New York, Texas & Houston Bar Associations
- American Bar Foundation
- FINRA National Arbitration and Mediation Committee (2012-2015)
- American Association for Justice; Co-Chair, Investment Fraud Committee (2006)
- Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum–Life Member
- Premier Benefactor, The Sundance Institute
- Board of Trustees, Houston Grand Opera
- Patron, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Boston
DISTINCTIONS
- Top 50 Litigation Trailblazers (The National Law Journal)
- Best Lawyers in America (New York and Texas)
- Leading Lawyer in Commercial Litigation (Chambers USA)
- Litigation Star–Commercial (Benchmark Litigation, published by Euromoney/Institutional Investor)
- Texas Super Lawyer
- 500 Leading Lawyers in America (Lawdragon)
- Top Lawyers in Business Litigation (H Texas Magazine)
- Top 100 Lawyers You Need to Know in Securities Litigation (Lawdragon)
- Rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability
EDUCATION
- University of Notre Dame Law School, J.D., 1985
- London Law Programme, 1983-1984
- Arizona State University, B.A., cum laude, 1982
- Student Body President, 1980-1981
- University of Louvain, Belgium
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Texas
- New York
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
- Spanish
- French
See Library Tab for articles, publications and presentations by Thomas Ajamie
PUBLICATIONS, SPEECHES AND PRESENTATIONS
- “Issues Facing Claimants’ Attorneys,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) 24th Annual Meeting (2015)
- “Damages,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) 23rd Annual Meeting (2014)
- “Securities Arbitration and Mediation: Telling Your Story,” New York State Bar Association’s Spring CLE Program, New York (2014)
- “Overview of Securities Arbitration Matters,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) 22nd Annual Meeting (2013)
- “Looking Across the Globe: How Developments in FCPA Investigations and Regulations are Shaping the Future,” ALM’s Cross-Border M&A and Litigation Forum, New York (2013)
- “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: What’s Your Risk Exposure?,” Union Internacionale des Avocats and New York State Bar Association 5th Business Law Forum, New York (2013)
- “Focus Groups and Jury Selection,” AEGIS Insurance Claims Roundtable Program: “Managing Mass Tort Litigation,” East Rutherford, New Jersey and Los Angeles, California (2013)
- “Insurance and Collection Issues: The Punch List for Claimants’ Attorneys,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) 21st Annual Meeting (2012)
- “Victimized: When to Refer Your Client to an Attorney,” Financial Planning Association of New York eNews (2012)
- Keynote Address: “Financial Serial Killers,” Accountants Club of America Meeting, Union League Club, New York (2012)
- “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: What’s Your Risk Exposure?,” Corporate Counsel’s Cross-Border Litigation Forum, The Harvard Club, New York (2012)
- “The Attorney-Client Privilege for In House Attorneys,” Association of Corporate Counsel’s National Litigation Committee Meeting (2012)
- Keynote Address: “What Advisors Can Learn from the Financial Crisis & Scams,” The Financial Planning Association of New York Annual Forum (2012)
- W!se MoneyPower Conference for Financial Literacy, The McGraw-Hill Companies, New York (2011)
- “Commentary: Help for Securities Fraud Plaintiffs Seeking Class Certification,” Texas Lawyer (2011)
- Keynote Address: “How To Detect and Deflect Scams & Schemes,” The Financial Planning Association of New York’s 9th Annual Financial Fitness Workshop (2011)
- Keynote Address: “Greed, Ego, Power, Ethics & the Law,” NALSC 2011 Spring Conference (2011)
- “The Financial Serial Killers Among Us,” CFA Society of Houston Program (2011)
- “Turning Commercial Litigation into Commerce–The Corporate Legal Department as a Profit Center,” ALM’s 2nd Annual Litigation Summit (2010), and ALM’s Controlling Legal Costs: Valuing, Measuring and Enhancing the Delivery of Legal Services (2010)
- “Thinking Like a Plaintiff,” Corporate Counsel’s 7th Annual General Counsel Conference West Coast Conference (2009)
- “Regulation D, TICs, and Unlisted REITS,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) 18th Annual Meeting (2009)
- “Doing Ethical Business in Europe: Are You Ready for Multi-Cultural Legal Operations?” Corporate Counsel’s 21st Annual General Counsel Conference (2009)
- “La Seguridad Empresarial–Cómo Evitar que un Pleito de Negocios Resulte en Cargos Criminales” (“Business Security: How to Prevent a Business Dispute from Resulting in Criminal Charges”), American Chamber of Commerce of México: Reunión del Comité de Seguridad (2008)
- “Surviving and Succeeding Under the Media Spotlight,” AEGIS Policyholder Conference Roundtable Program: “Success Through Utilizing AEGIS’ Gas & Electric Litigation Services” (2008)
- “Representing the Hedge Fund Investor,” Trial Magazine (2007)
- “Getting Grandma’s Nest Egg Back,” The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) Business Torts Section Newsletter (2006)
- “Litigating Insurance Product Claims,” The American Association for Justice (AAJ) 2006 Annual Convention
- “A Basic Primer on Hedge Funds,” AAJ 2006 Annual Convention
- “A Mock Arbitration: As Close as You Can Get,” Securities Industry Association (SIA)/Wharton Securities Industry Institute 54th Annual Program (2006)
- “Insurance Industry Issues,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (2005)
- “A Look at the Securities Arbitration Process,” ATLA Business Torts Section Newsletter (2005)
- “Mock Arbitration,” SIA/Wharton Securities Industry Institute 53rd Annual Program (2005)
- “Securities Fraud, Market Abuses and Insider Trading,” University of Houston Law Foundation, Advanced Business Litigation (2003)
- “Nuevas Responsabilidades Legales de los Fabricantes de Autopartes en el Mercado Norteamericano.” Industria Nacional de Autopartes, A.C., XXXIX Reunión de Evaluación del Sector Automotor (2003)
- “Shareholder Litigation and Officer/Director Liability Post-Sarbanes-Oxley,” University of Houston Law Foundation, Representing Corporations in a Changed Legal Environment (2002)
Thank you for your interest in Lawdragon.