Scott T. Seabolt is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP and chair of the firm’s eDiscovery & Data Management Practice. He is a member of the Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Securities Enforcement & Litigation Practices, as well as the Automotive Industry Team.
Mr. Seabolt’s practice focuses on complex business litigation, including securities litigation, international disputes, False Claims Act, RICO, class action defense, antitrust, trade secrets, supply chain disputes and other complex commercial matters. Mr. Seabolt has extensive experience managing and conducting all aspects of bet-the-company disputes and other high stakes litigation matters, from pre-litigation investigations through trial and appeal. He has tried numerous complex litigation matters in a variety of forums throughout the Midwest. He has successfully represented clients before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the Michigan Court of Appeals. He has represented companies and individuals in SEC investigations and enforcement matters and has conducted internal investigations for corporate clients. He has also represented clients before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Mr. Seabolt has extensive experience representing clients in alternative dispute resolution and in counseling clients in litigation avoidance strategies.
Mr. Seabolt’s more notable engagements include:
Securities Litigation
- Defending investors in the parent company of broker-dealer against multi-million dollar claims of control person liability, successor liability and veil-piercing. Cases resolved following initial trial victories.
- Defending accountants against claims of securities fraud, RICO and accounting malpractice arising from the collapse of an alleged Ponzi scheme. Cases resolved short of trial.
- Representing defendant in 10b-5 securities class action arising from alleged “round trip” transaction. Case dismissed.
- Successfully representing clients in SEC investigations and enforcement matters involving allegations of insider trading and other fraud-related matters.
International Matters
- Leading teams of attorneys and forensic accountants in multiple international investigations involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and implementing state of the art compliance programs.
- Representing large automotive supplier in an international arbitration with a South American joint venture partner. Case resolved short of trial.
- Defending German parent company against multi-million dollar preference claims arising from bankruptcy of US affiliate. Case resolved short of litigation.
- Successfully representing foreign companies in a variety of commercial litigation and pre-litigation matters, including companies from Canada, China, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea and Sweden, among others.
Other Complex Litigation
- Defending automotive manufacturer in proposed nationwide consumer class action. Defeated class certification.
- Representing multi-million dollar creditor in successive Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 bankruptcy petitions filed by judgment debtors. Successfully moved to dismiss both petitions on bad faith grounds following trials on the merits.
- Defending Tier 1 automotive supplier against claims of horizontal market allocation under Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Obtained summary judgment dismissing antitrust claims. Subsequently secured summary judgment of remaining contract and business tort claims.
- Representing Tier 1 automotive supplier in federal court bench trial involving multi-million dollar breach of contract claims brought by terminated Tier 2 supplier. Obtained judgment of no cause of action following bench trial.
- Representing appliance manufacturer in multi-million dollar contract formation dispute. Secured favorable resolution at trial during plaintiff’s case-in-chief.
- Defending recipient of a public contract against multi-million dollar antitrust and due process claims brought by a disgruntled bidder. Obtained summary judgment dismissing all claims. Affirmed on appeal.
- Successfully representing numerous manufacturing companies in injunctive proceedings involving supply chain disruptions
Mr. Seabolt is admitted to practice law in Michigan state courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Eastern District of Michigan and the Western District of Michigan. He also has represented clients in courts across the country, including Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Mr. Seabolt received his B.A. (1993) in mathematics and economics from the University of Michigan, and received his J.D. (1996) from Cornell Law School, where he was a Moot Court champion and a member of the Moot Court Board. He is a graduate of Leadership Detroit XXVII.
Mr. Seabolt was named to dBusiness Magazine’s 30 in their 30s list in 2010. This prestigious honor recognizes professionals in Michigan who are in their 30’s and have achieved notable success in their respective fields. He was also selected for inclusion in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 Michigan Super Lawyers - Rising Stars® editions in the field of business litigation. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Oakland County Bar Association. Mr. Seabolt also is chairman of the board for the Think Detroit Police Athletic League, effective January 1, 2013.
Some of Mr. Seabolt’s recent presentations and speaking engagements include:
- “FCPA Tales from the Front Line,” Illinois CPA Society Fraud Conference, September 2012
- "Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Overview, Developments and Red Flags,” Foley’s Law of Product Distribution and Franchise Seminar, May 2012, September 2012
- "How to Conduct Internal Investigations,” Seventh Annual State of the Law Update, ACC – Michigan, April 2012
- "Compliance Track: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act", Crain's General & In-House Counsel Summit, May 2011
- "Foreign Corrupt Practices Act," Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), June 2010
- "Foreign Corrupt Practices Act," Fifth Annual State of the Law Update, ACC - Michigan, April 2010
- "Internal Investigations," Fourth Annual State of the Law Update, Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) - Michigan, April 2009
- "Enforcement Priorities in the Wake of the Financial Crisis: Insights From Acting U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg," Foley Executive Briefing Series Program, December 9, 2008
- "Managing Document Productions in Complex Commercial Litigation," Michigan Bar Journal, Summer 2008
- "E-discovery," Second Annual State of the Law Update, ACCA-Michigan, December 2007