Sam Koch is a partner based in the New York office and is a member of the Commercial Litigation, Government Enforcement Defense & Investigations, and Appellate practice groups as well as the Innovative Technology Sector.
Sam navigates business disputes and potential disputes for clients ranging from early stage startups to Fortune 500 companies. While maintaining a diverse practice, Sam has become the go-to litigator for AI companies and other companies in the innovative technology space.
Sam has a strong depth of trial and arbitration experience representing corporations and individuals in both plaintiff- and defense-side litigation in federal and state court as well as in arbitrations and mediations. Sam’s trial experience includes representation of a plaintiff in a trade secrets case in the Southern District of New York, resulting in a multi-million dollar verdict for the client at the conclusion of a one-week jury trial as well as representation of an analyst at a global investment firm in a five-week criminal insider trading case.
From 2012-2013, Sam served as a law clerk to the Honorable Justice Barry T. Albin on the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Before attending law school, Sam taught second and third grade at River East Elementary School (P.S. 37) in East Harlem, New York, as a Teach for America corps member.
Representative Experience
- Represented EIG Global Energy Partners in a $221 million fraud action against Petrobras SA, the Brazilian state-owned oil company
- Represented CBS Corp. in the successful resolution of an arbitration dispute with former CEO Leslie Moonves, resulting in dismissal of the arbitration proceeding and a $120 million grantor trust reverting to CBS in its entirety
- Represented an analyst at a global investment firm in an insider trading jury trial in the Southern District of New York
- Represented a senior executive of a major pharmaceutical company in parallel criminal and civil investigations conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission
- Obtained, as a member of the trial team, a multimillion-dollar jury trial victory for TydenBrooks in a trade secret and unfair competition case in federal court against a competitor regarding manufacturing processes
Awards and Recognition
- Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch recognition for Appellate Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar (2024)
- Thomson Reuters’ New York Super Lawyers, Rising Star* (2016-2023)
- Legal Aid Society Pro Bono Publico Award (2022)
- Marvin Frankel Pro Bono Award (2015-2019)
- New York State Bar Association’s Empire State Counsel Honor (2007-2009, 2011, 2012, 2014-2017)
Affiliations
- Board of Trustees, Brooklyn Prospect Charter School
- Member, New York City Bar Association, Education and the Law Committee
- Board of Directors, California Law Review (2011-2013)
Presentations and Publications
- Co-author, The Supreme Court Prohibits the FTC From Seeking Monetary Relief in Federal Court Under Section 13(b) of the FTCA (April 23, 2021)
- Co-author, The End is Near: Trade Secret Cases in the New York State Court System (Sept. 26, 2018)
- Co-author, Top 10 Dos and Don’ts for Compensating Fact Witnesses (July 14, 2014)
- Co-author, M&A and Corporate Governance Alert: Delaware Supreme Court Finds Business Judgment Rule Applies to Freeze-Out Mergers When Conditioned upon Approval of Special Committee and Majority-of-the-Minority Stockholders Vote (March 28, 2014)