Practice Areas: Business Litigation, Securities Litigation, General Litigation
Licensed in Texas since: 1985
Education: University of Notre Dame Law School
Languages Spoken: English, French, Spanish
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2023 Details
As managing partner at Ajamie LLP, Thomas R. Ajamie represents clients in Houston, Texas. His practice is focused on legal issues related to arbitration and commercial litigation. Fluent in French, Spanish and English, he was named by The Hollywood Reporter as a Power Layers and the National Law Journal named him one of the Top 50 Litigation Trailblazers. In Texas and New York, he is included in the Best Lawyers in America and for his high ethical standards and long list of successful results, he holds the highest peer rating possible of AV Preeminent* from Martindale-Hubbell.
While studying at Arizona State University, Mr. Ajamie was Student Body President before he graduated cum laude with his Bachelor of Arts. He then moved on to law school at the Notre Dame Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor. A member of the London Law Program while in law school, he also spent time studying at the University of Louvain, Belgium.
Mr. Ajamie is admitted to practice in New York and Texas and is Life Member of the Multi-Million dollar Advocates Forum. A former member of the FINRA National Arbitration and Mediation Committee, he is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and on the Board of Directors for the Houston Grand Opera.
As a member of the American Association for Justice, he was the Investment Fraud Committee’s co-chair. He is also a member of the Houston Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Mr. Ajamie is also Patron of several organizations, including: The Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.
* AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Business Litigation, Securities Litigation, General Litigation- 30% Business Litigation
- 50% Securities Litigation
- 20% General Litigation
First Admitted: 1985, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://www.ajamie.com/lawyers/thomas-r-ajamie/
Honors/Awards:
- Texas Super Lawyer
- Litigation Star–Commercial, Benchmark Litigation, published by Euromoney/Institutional Investor
- Best Lawyers in America (New York and Texas)
- Leading Lawyer in Commercial Litigation, Chambers USA
- Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazers, The National Law Journal
- Power Lawyer, The Hollywood Reporter
- Top 50 Litigation Trailblazers, The National Law Journal
- 500 Leading Lawyers in America (Lawdragon)
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum–Life Member
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rating – An AV certification is a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank the individual to be at the highest level of professional excellence.
- Top Lawyers in Business Litigation (H Texas Magazine, 2008-2010)
- Top 100 Lawyers You Need to Know in Securities Litigation (Lawdragon, 2008)
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Patron, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Patron, The Museum of Modern Art, New York
- Patron, The Whitney Museum
- Patron, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- Board of Directors, Houston Grand Opera
- Sundance Circle Patron, The Sundance Institute
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association
- American Association for Justice; Co-Chair, Investment Fraud Committee, 2006
- Arbitrator, National Futures Association
- FINRA National Arbitration and Mediation Committee, 2012-2015
- International, American, New York, Texas & Houston Bar Associations
- College of the State Bar of Texas
- New York Bar, 2011
- State Bar of Texas, 1985
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- “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
- “Shareholder Litigation and Officer/Director Liability Post-Sarbanes-Oxley,” University of Houston Law Foundation, Representing Corporations in a Changed Legal Environment
- “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
- “Securities Fraud, Market Abuses and Insider Trading,” University of Houston Law Foundation, Advanced Business Litigation
- “Mock Arbitration,” SIA/Wharton Securities Industry Institute 53rd Annual Program
- “A Look at the Securities Arbitration Process,” ATLA Business Torts Section Newsletter
- “Insurance Industry Issues,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association
- “A Mock Arbitration: As Close as You Can Get,” Securities Industry Association (SIA)/Wharton Securities Industry Institute 54th Annual Program
- “A Basic Primer on Hedge Funds,” AAJ 2006 Annual Convention
- “Litigating Insurance Product Claims,” The American Association for Justice (AAJ) 2006 Annual Convention
- “Getting Grandma’s Nest Egg Back,” The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) Business Torts Section Newsletter
- “Representing the Hedge Fund Investor,” Trial Magazine
- “Surviving and Succeeding Under the Media Spotlight,” AEGIS Policyholder Conference Roundtable Program: “Success Through Utilizing AEGIS’ Gas & Electric Litigation Services”
- “Regulation D, TICs, and Unlisted REITS,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) 18th Annual Meeting
- “Doing Ethical Business in Europe: Are You Ready for Multi-Cultural Legal Operations?” Corporate Counsel’s 21st Annual General Counsel Conference
- “Commentary: Help for Securities Fraud Plaintiffs Seeking Class Certification,” Texas Lawyer
- “Thinking Like a Plaintiff,” Corporate Counsel’s 7th Annual General Counsel Conference West Coast Conference
- “Turning Commercial Litigation into Commerce–The Corporate Legal Department as a Profit Center,” ALM’s 2nd Annual Litigation Summit, and ALM’s Controlling Legal Costs: Valuing, Measuring and Enhancing the Delivery of Legal Services
- “The Financial Serial Killers Among Us,” CFA Society of Houston Program
- Keynote Address: “Greed, Ego, Power, Ethics & the Law,” NALSC 2011 Spring Conference
- Keynote Address: “How To Detect and Deflect Scams & Schemes,” The Financial Planning Association of New York’s 9th Annual Financial Fitness Workshop
- “The Attorney-Client Privilege for In House Attorneys,” Association of Corporate Counsel’s National Litigation Committee Meeting
- W!se MoneyPower Conference for Financial Literacy, The McGraw-Hill Companies, New York
- Keynote Address: “What Advisors Can Learn from the Financial Crisis & Scams,” The Financial Planning Association of New York Annual Forum
- “Managing the Hearing: Negotiating from a Position of Strength,” The American Bar Association’s 9th Annual Arbitration Training Institute
- “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: What’s Your Risk Exposure?,” Corporate Counsel’s Cross-Border Litigation Forum, The Harvard Club, New York
- Keynote Address: “Financial Serial Killers,” Accountants Club of America Meeting, Union League Club, New York
- “Victimized: When to Refer Your Client to an Attorney,” Financial Planning Association of New York eNews
- “Insurance and Collection Issues: The Punch List for Claimants’ Attorneys,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) 21st Annual Meeting
- “Focus Groups and Jury Selection,” AEGIS Insurance Claims Roundtable Program: “Managing Mass Tort Litigation,” East Rutherford, New Jersey and Los Angeles, California
- “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
- “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
- “Overview of Securities Arbitration Matters,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) 22nd Annual Meeting
- “Securities Arbitration and Mediation: Telling Your Story,” New York State Bar Association’s Spring CLE Program, New York
- “Damages,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) 23rd Annual Meeting
- “Issues Facing Claimants’ Attorneys,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) 24th Annual Meeting
- “1MDB: Dissecting One of the World’s Biggest Financial Scandals,” 15th Annual North American OffshoreAlert Conference
- Co-author, Expert Witnesses, Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts, Fourth Edition
- “Protecting Your Wealth From Financial Serial Killers,” Chautauqua Institution
- "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).
- "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).
- "Demonstrative Evidence: Making an Effective Presentation on a Budget," University of Houston Law Foundation, Litigation and Trial Tactics (2004).
- "Securities Fraud, Market Abuses and Insider Trading," University of Houston Law Foundation, Advanced Business Litigation (2003).
- "Securities Fraud and Insider Trading," South Texas College of Law (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).
- "Stock Fraud: Evaluating the Case," University of Houston Law Foundation Advanced Business Litigation (2002).
- "Shareholder Litigation and Officer/Director Liability Post-Sarbanes-Oxley," University of Houston Law Foundation, Representing Corporations in a Changed Legal Environment (2002)
- "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, 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
- "Getting Grandma's Nest Egg Back," The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) Business Torts Section Newsletter (2006).
- "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).
Educational Background:
- University of Louvain, Belgium
- Arizona State University, B.A., cum laude Student Body President, 1980-1981, 1982
Other Outstanding Achievements:
- We were the first to challenge Harvey Weinstein for his abuse of women. The firm’s investigation and written report into Weinstein precipitated the 2017 revelations about his crimes that led to his trial and conviction. Our work was instrumental in recharging the global #metoo social movement that inspired awareness and change for millions around the world., 2017
- We broke new ground by becoming the first law firm in history to persuade The Pope to make a video appearance presentation at a Super Bowl, where he shared his message of peace, friendship and world solidarity., 2017
- Legal counsel to the Super Bowl LI Houston Host Committee providing a wide range of legal services for this multi-billion dollar event, including preventive litigation counseling, risk management, contract negotiation and liability prevention advice for the tens of thousands of workers involved in events leading up to and including the big game., 2017
- Our first major case against Wells Fargo appeared on the front page of The New York Times in 2013 and spurred the subsequent investigations into Wells Fargo that revealed the two million false customer accounts it had created and other illegalities that now are well-known and have resulted in billions of dollars of fines against that bank., 2013
Verdicts/Settlements:
- Settled for $79 million a federal court class action lawsuit against Wells Fargo & Company on behalf of its former financial advisors who were wrongfully forced to forfeit their deferred compensation when they left the company. The federal judge noted in his court order that this is the largest deferred executive compensation recovery in United States history. , 2020
- Member of the legal team that recovered over $173.8 million for investors in the Cobalt International Energy, Inc. securities class action litigation. Our clients alleged that the defendants violated the federal securities laws by, among other things, misstating and concealing facts on Cobalt’s partnership with Angolan government officials and the productivity of Cobalt’s Angolan oil and gas wells. United States District Court Judge Nancy Atlas lauded the lawyers’ work when she said “Plaintiffs’ counsel conducted the litigation and achieved the settlements with skill, perseverance and diligent advocacy.”, 2019
- Won a $12.2 million judgment, including full damages and all attorneys’ fees, on behalf of a multinational computer technology company against its former employees who conspired with others to engage in a false-invoice and bid-rigging scheme to defraud the company., 2017
- 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., 2011
- Won a record $112,119,005 jury verdict — the largest in United States history — 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, 2009
- 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.", 2006
- 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). The Wall Street Journal stated that this award was the third largest in the United States., 2006
- 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., 2001
- 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., 2001
Selections
18 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2023
