Gregory T. Casamento

Gregory Casamento is Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Litigation Department, Co-Chair of the Firm’s Business Technology Group and former Managing Partner of the Firm’s New York office.

Greg has focused his practice on complex commercial litigation, business litigation and arbitration matters. Many of his clients are in the financial service and fintech areas, and the matters he handles for these clients are bet-the-company class actions and antitrust litigations. As the most senior trial lawyer in the Firm’s New York office, Greg often represents the Firm’s clients in their most complex matters. His clients include investment, commercial and retail banks, insurance companies, structured finance-related entities, Fintechs and other financial services companies. As an experienced litigator and trial lawyer, Greg’s experience includes litigating cases involving benchmark price fixing, securities law violations, Lanham Act disputes, trademark and trade dress infringement claims, unfair competition and false advertising actions, contract, trade secrets, non-compete and restrictive covenants disputes, Fintech and related technology issues.

In the technology side of his practice, Greg advises clients on reviews and litigation challenges to their e-business and e-process systems to ensure those systems create admissible and enforceable electronic signatures, contracts and records in accordance with ESIGN and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA). Greg also assists clients with their e-discovery, e-vaulting, e-contracting, electronic agreements, Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) compliance, information management, data security breach, risk management, IP protection and related Fintech issues.

Prior to joining the Firm, Greg started his practice as a U.S. Navy Judge Advocate, where he litigated courts-martial jury trials and administrative discharge boards from 1997-2000. Greg received the Navy Achievement Medal as a Defense Counsel and the Navy Commendation Medal as a Trial Prosecution Counsel.

Greg graduated from the Boston University School of Management in 1992, received his Juris Doctor degree from the Boston University School of Law in 1996 and a Command and Staff Diploma from the Naval War College in 2000.

Class Actions and Antitrust

• Defends clients in all types of class actions and anti-trust cases relating to financial service products, including student loan trusts, financial benchmarks, trading and related issues.
• Represents large financial institution in numerous class actions involving alleged manipulation of LIBOR and other financial benchmarks (EURIBOR, YEN LIBOR, ISDAFIX).
• Represents large financial institution in class actions involving alleged manipulation of foreign exchange (FX) benchmarks.

Business Technology & e-Matters

• Counsels clients on all issues relating to e-records management, e-signatures, e-contracting, e-records, e-admissibility, e-vaulting and e-discovery in accordance with ESIGN, UETA and the rules of evidence.

TRO/Preliminary Injunctions/Restrictive Covenants

• NYCB v. Pourro and Murphy, Sup. Ct. Nassau County, NY. Defended bank executives from TRO/Preliminary Injunction action brought by clients' former employer alleging breach of restrictive covenants.
• BMC Software v. Sharpe. Sup. Ct. New York County, NY. Represented BMC Software in a dispute involving the breach of restrictive covenants and the theft of trade secrets by multiple BMC New York sales representatives.

Trademarks, Marketing & Advertising

• Care Comm v. PBM et al., West. Dist. Ky. Defended PBM Products and others in federal trademark infringement action. Conducted depositions of Plaintiff and expert witness and motion for summary judgment, which resulted in the dismissal of the trademark infringement claims brought against his clients.
• Provides advice to a variety of clients on trademark and related unfair competition issues.
• Handles all areas of Advertising and Marketing issues and disputes.

Administrative Proceedings

• New York State Dept. of Insurance. Representation of clients before the Department of Insurance on licensing and related issues.
• Secretary of Labor v. U-Haul, OSHRC. Litigated nine OSHA citations (repeat, serious and other classifications) and the corresponding fines, which were all resolved through a settlement agreement dismissing three citations, reclassifying three serious citations to other, and reducing the total fine paid by his client by over 95%.
• SEC Investigations. Represented parties in several SEC Investigations relating to allegations of potential misconduct by Financial Service Companies and their employees.

Contract & Insurance

• Unity Management and Decter v. Select Ins. Co., Sup. Ct. N.Y. Co. Obtained dismissal of claims seeking coverage ($2.83 million), punitive damages and attorney's fees under an investment advisors insurance policy by the insured company and one of its directors.
• Minnesota Life Insurance Company v. Wilmington Trust Company, East. Dist. of TN. Defended Global Fund House in a claim against an estate alleging that the purchase and assignment of several life insurance policies were ineffective. Global Fund House’s motion to dismiss was granted against estate.