Paul “Tad” M. O’Connor is a distinguished first chair trial and appellate litigator focusing on complex commercial cases. He is regularly cited for his legal knowledge by publications including The Wall Street Journal, The American Lawyer and Law360. Tad’s clients have included, among others, private equity powerhouse TPG, Fortress Investment Group, a lender in a dispute relating to Liverpool Football Club, and many major international real estate and hospitality companies including Related, JDS, L and L Holdings, Maximus, InterContinental Hotels Group, Crowne Plaza, Morgans, sbe, Hilton and Aman Resorts.
Tad represents private equity firms, hotel owners and developers, major corporations and wealthy individuals in federal and state courts around the country and before arbitration tribunals in the United States and Europe. He has been involved a number of times in obtaining discovery outside the United States under international conventions and treaties.
Tad also has significant experience handling real estate disputes related to commercial and hotel properties around the country, including the representation of hotel operators in disputes with owners. His successful work in this area has been instrumental in the firm Real Estate and Hotel Litigation Practice Group being recognized as a Tier 1 practice in the “Litigation – Real Estate” category from U.S. News – Best Lawyers.
As a result of his work, Tad has been appointed by courts to serve as a bankruptcy trustee and as a director of a facility administering large product liability settlements. He has been recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 and Benchmark Litigation as one of the top litigators in the United States.
Work Highlights
- 111 West 57th Property Owner LLC in prevailing on appeal at the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, which unanimously dismissed claims of breaches of fiduciary duty and constructive trust involving the 90-story luxury condominium located at 111 West 57th Street in Manhattan, brought by AmBase, a former indirect equity investor in the project. The panel also affirmed the cancellation of a lis pendens filed against the property.
- TPG, one of the world’s largest private equity firms, in a variety of matters, including in litigation related to a Greek telecommunications company.
- JDS Development in the dismissal of state and federal RICO claims against developer related to a 90 story tower rising on 57th Street, upheld by the Second Circuit.
- An international hotel company in successfully obtaining significant preliminary injunctions arising from contract disputes with hotel owners. One preliminary injunction, unanimously affirmed by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, bars the owner of a large New York City hotel from unilaterally terminating its license agreement with our client. The other preliminary injunction, also unanimously affirmed by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, bars the owner of another large Times Square hotel from unilaterally terminating its hotel management agreement with our client.
- A large Singapore semiconductor-related company in successful litigation involving its 2013 debt issuances.
- A lender in a dispute with The Royal Bank of Scotland relating to Liverpool Football Club, which was sold to a group led by the owner of the Boston Red Sox.
- Majority owner of Aman Resorts, a luxury hotel group with locations in 15 countries, in connection with a dispute relating to the acquisition of the company.
- Minority partners in disputes with the managing partners related to a nearly $2 billion portfolio of large commercial office buildings in New York, including the iconic Seagrams building, defeating dismissal motions and favorably settling the matter.
- A national developer obtaining summary judgment against The Sapir Organization, a New York real estate firm, relating to its failure to close a $20 million transaction to purchase property in Las Vegas.
- Lenders in foreclosing on over $300 million of loans secured by the Alex Hotel and Flatotel, obtaining judgment of foreclosure on both properties and on tens of millions of dollars in personal guaranties.
- A private equity firm in claims against auditors relating to an investment in a clothing manufacturer in India.
- Fortress Investment Group in an action seeking to enforce the terms of a sale, and in a separate dispute relating to an energy investment.
- A large polymer company in a significant contract dispute with a major manufacturing company seeking to recoup up to $400 million, resulting in summary judgment affirmed on appeal for his client.
- A leading private equity investment advisor in multi-jurisdictional litigation against one of Australia’s largest financial institutions.
- A major supplier of engineering resins in a series of lawsuits around the country relating to underground petroleum supply lines.
- A software company in a significant copyright infringement and theft of trade secret case against a major computer hardware company.
- A privately held manufacturing company in a trademark and unfair competition suit against one of the nation’s largest web and telemarketing companies, obtaining a permanent injunction and damages for his client.
- Several insureds in a series of mediations and arbitrations seeking insurance coverage for product liability claims, including in a lengthy arbitration in London resulting in a recovery of nearly $100 million for one of his clients.
- As a director of the claims handling a company overseeing one of the largest product liability settlements in the country, as well as several other large settlements and a bankruptcy trust, managed the administration of more than $1 billion in claims.
- As trustee of a major bankrupt manufacturing company in Texas, recovered more than $80 million from the manufacturer’s insurers and others.
Media