Peter G. Siachos is the Co-Chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Class Action practice groups and is Managing Partner of the firm's Charleston office. An experienced trial attorney, Peter has taken 74 trials to verdict. He routinely handles class action and individual matters nationwide, many of which are high-exposure with media coverage, before federal and state trial and appellate courts, administrative and regulatory agencies, and arbitration panels (domestic and international).
Peter is licensed in numerous jurisdictions (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, and South Carolina) and utilizes creative dispositive motions, innovative deposition tactics, well-crafted trial strategies, and focused and effective appeals to regularly assist his clients with their litigation needs in all 50 states.
Peter has successfully litigated and tried individual and class action cases involving consumer protection claims, franchise issues, prosecution and defense of trademarks, product liability, shareholders disputes, financial institution liability, directors and officers claims, professional liability (lawyers, accountants and design professionals), catastrophic transportation claims, sports and fitness club claims, construction claims, and employment matters, including claims regarding anti-competition, retaliation, discrimination, and harassment.
In addition to his trial experience, Peter has handled in excess of 100 hearings seeking injunctive relief (temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions), including trademark, franchise, shareholder, consumer protection, and real property matters.
Representative examples of his specific expertise include the following.
Franchise Law
Peter devotes a significant portion of his practice to the representation of franchisors. He has extensive experience litigating and enforcing franchise agreement terminations, non-competition restrictions, forum selection clauses, indemnification provisions, and liquidated damages provisions. Peter has had repeated success in enjoining trademark infringement on behalf of his franchisor clients, and has obtained injunctive relief against franchisees in a number of jurisdictions, which ranged from enforcement of simple franchise agreement provisions to forcibly shutting down franchise locations.
Class Action Defense Including Consumer Protection Statutes
Peter routinely defends class action litigations including, nationwide and state class claims arising under consumer protection statutes and false advertising or unfair competition statutes, including alleged violations of the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act), FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act), and FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act).
Product Liability
Peter defends clients in product liability matters and has tried nearly 20 products cases to verdict. He has represented manufacturers of automobiles, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, and diagnostic testing equipment in product liability matters. His extensive work on automotive products and warranty litigations, coupled with his love of cars, has allowed him to gain automotive technical proficiency that has proved to be invaluable during the defense of a case.
Banking/Financial Institution
Peter has nearly two decades of experience representing financial institutions, including multinational and regional banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders and financial services companies. His practice includes the handling of matters related to lender liability, including the defense of FDCPA, FCRA, TILA, and RESPA claims, commercial collections, and other matters related to lender’s rights.
Trucking & Transportation
Peter has extensive experience defending trucking and transportation companies in complex litigation, including freight and property claims, commercial litigation, driver citations, and most importantly, large loss injury and death claims. He understands the importance of rapid response to catastrophic incidents, early case evaluation, the economics of transportation litigation, and, if necessary, the need to aggressively defend cases through trial.
Awards and Honors
Peter served as law clerk to South Carolina Governor James H. Hodges from 1999 to 2000. Peter served on appointment by Governor Hodges and Governor Mark Sanford as South Carolina Commissioner for National and Community Service from 2000 to 2005, and was responsible for the administration and allocation of funds to state and federal-funded community service projects in South Carolina and was responsible for the administration and allocation of funds to state and federal-funded community service projects in South Carolina, including AmeriCorps and City Year.
In 1997, Peter was awarded the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, the highest undergraduate award at the University of South Carolina.
In 2013 Peter was named as one of the 2013 New Leaders of the Bar, a recognition by the New Jersey Law Journal of attorneys under the age of 40 who have developed practice niches, amassed strong books of business, demonstrated leadership qualities, shown expertise in litigation or transactional work, and committed themselves to volunteer work.
In 2019, the Franchise Times named Peter a Legal Eagle, one of 154 attorneys in the US and Canada identified as the best franchise attorneys as designated by their clients and peers.
Admissions
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- District of Columbia
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina
- U.S. District Court, Southern, Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second, Third, Fourth and Sixth Circuits
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of New Jersey
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Memberships
- Defense Research Institute
- International Franchise Association
- American Bar Association
- Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA)
- Charleston Motor Carrier Association