Sam Seymour is Managing Partner of Sullivan & Cromwell’s Criminal Defense and Investigations Group. He concentrates in white-collar criminal defense, regulatory enforcement matters and internal investigations.
Mr. Seymour has represented clients in many high-profile investigations involving allegations of accounting fraud, securities fraud, foreign bribery, price fixing, economic sanctions violations, money laundering and obstruction of justice. He represents individuals and institutions in enforcement matters across a broad range of financial and industrial business sectors worldwide.
Mr. Seymour’s practice also encompasses commercial litigation and arbitration matters, including derivative cases, shareholder actions and complex contract disputes.
Widely recognized for his professional achievements, Mr. Seymour has held leadership positions in numerous organizations serving the legal and educational communities. Mr. Seymour served as President of the New York City Bar Association (2010-2012). He is currently a Trustee of the Practising Law Institute.
Mr. Seymour is a frequent speaker on legal enforcement issues, and authored the chapter “The Interplay Between Commercial Litigation and Criminal Proceedings” in the treatise Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts, Third Edition.
Selected Cases
- Handled the resolution of government investigations for The Bank of New York, Spiegel, Inc., UBS, Bankers Trust Company, Statoil ASA, Moody’s Investors Service, Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A., Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, ANZ Bank, Morgan Crucible plc, Lloyds TSB Bank, ABN AMRO Bank and Wachovia Bank, among many others
- Served as lead trial counsel in 15 criminal jury trials in federal courts. Argued numerous appeals in the Second Circuit
- Conducted numerous internal investigations for corporations, financial institutions and audit committees
Government Service
Mr. Seymour served as an assistant U.S. attorney and deputy chief appellate attorney in the Southern District of New York from 1988 through 1991.
Professional Activities and Community Involvement
Widely recognized for his professional achievements, Mr. Seymour is a member of numerous organizations serving the legal and educational communities. He formerly served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Packer Collegiate Institute.
Educational Service
- Columbia Law School – Associate in Law. Taught trial advocacy seminar (1998-2004)
- Packer Collegiate Institute – Board of Trustees (2001-2010)
- Columbia Law School - Board of Visitors
- Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, Inc. (Shelter Island, NY) – Board of Directors
Legal Service
- New York Council of Defense Lawyers – Member
- American Law Institute – Member
- New York City Bar Association – Former President (2010-2012), former Vice President and Chair of Executive Committee
Rankings and Recognitions
- Robert M. Morgenthau Award, Police Athletic League, for distinguished legal career (2009)
- Milton S. Gould Award for Outstanding Oral Advocacy – Office of the Appellate Defender (2008)
- John J. McCloy Award - Fund for Modern Courts (2007)
- Euromoney's Benchmark: America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys – recognized as a Star in both White-Collar Criminal Defense (National) or Litigation (New York) (2008-2013)
- The Legal 500 U.S., Volume 3: Litigation – Leading Lawyer for White-Collar Criminal Defense (2007, 2009-2012)
- The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers – Business Crimes (2007-2009, 2011)
- Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business – recognized as a leading litigator in both White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations (2004-2012) and Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Regulatory Enforcement and Investigations) (2007-2012)
- The Best Lawyers in America – recognized for Commercial Litigation (2007, 2008, 2010-2013), White-Collar Criminal Defense (2007-2013) and Bet-the-Company Litigation (2010-2013)
- New York Super Lawyers – selected as one of the top New York lawyers in the field of Criminal Defense: White Collar (2006-2012)
- Lawdragon 3000: Leading Lawyers in America (2009-2010)