Tamara Seelman

Tamara Seelman focuses her practice on resolving complex commercial and business disputes with an emphasis on securities and financial services litigation. She is experienced in all aspects of litigation, including trials and appeals, injunction hearings, and arbitrations. In addition to practicing law, Tamara is an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law where she teaches securities law.

She represents public and private companies and their officers and directors in regulatory investigations and enforcement actions by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and state regulatory agencies. She represents broker dealers and other financial services companies in FINRA arbitrations and state and federal court litigation involving sales practice violations, non-compete agreements, suitability, fraud, control person liability, collections and related matters including subpoena requests and garnishments.

She further represents national and international businesses in complex commercial disputes including patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, equipment leasing, and mortgage loan purchase agreements.

She has successfully defended multiple FINRA arbitrations including one in which Claimants sought $20 million. She successfully resolved a securities class action involving golf club memberships that sought over $100 million and obtained summary judgment for a client being sued by a media network in federal court for over $20 million.

Admissions

• Colorado
• U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court

Memberships

• Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), Former Member
• DRI (Defense Research Institute), Securities and Financial Services subcommittees, Women in Law committee
• American Bar Association, Securities subsection
• State Bar of Colorado, Securities subsection

Community Involvement

• Children's Museum of Denver, Volunteer
• Women's Foundation of Colorado, Development Committee
• Junior League of Denver
  • Board of Directors, 2008-2009
  • Vice President of Public Policy, 2008-2009
  • Chair, Investment Committee, 2007-2009
  • Chair, Public Policy Committee, 2007-2008
• Arraj Inn of Court
  • President 2008-2009
  • President-Elect, 2007-2008
  • Treasurer, 2006-2007
• University of Denver School of Law, Student Mentor, 2005-2008

Representative Experience

• Prevailed on summary judgment for a business entity sued by a media network for over $20 million in a television dispute.
• Resolved $100 million securities class action brought against an exclusive private golf club and its owner.
• Filed and defended several arbitration actions and temporary restraining orders relating to broker non-competition agreements and the Protocol For Broker Recruiting.
• Represent oil and gas business in multiple lawsuits alleging misappropriation of trade secrets involving a downhole tool.
• Resolved fraud and consumer protection lawsuit against life insurance company for alleged sales practice violations involving sale tax shelter insurance product.
• Resolved multi-million FINRA arbitration brought against a broker dealer by receiver for hedge funds managed by investment advisor convicted of running Ponzi scheme.
• Represent mortgage loan originator is multiple lawsuits brought by Lehman Brothers for breach of loan purchase agreement.
• Represented and advised several broker-dealers, individuals, and businesses with respect to subpoenas and investigations by the SEC and Colorado Division of Securities.
• Resolved multiple securities fraud lawsuits brought by investors against broker dealer and its officers for sale of direct placement program investments involving oil and gas wells.
• Represented financial institution in lawsuit brought by large institutional investor for securities fraud arising out of a securities lending agreement.
• Represented LLC and its managing member in lawsuit alleging securities fraud in raising money to fund software invention.
• Represented officers in public company against allegations of insider trading in adversary proceeding in bankruptcy.
• Represented national broker-dealer, members of its Board of Directors, compliance personnel, and in-house counsel in 23 civil cases and one enforcement action by state securities agency in Montana arising out of customer complaints of unauthorized and unsuitable training.
• Represented an investment company and its Board of Directors in derivative lawsuit alleging proxy fraud and breach of fiduciary duty relating to negative "say on pay" vote.
• Represented an investment company in lawsuit alleging company wrongfully transferred funds.
• Retained as expert witness in securities fraud by Public Defender's Office Boulder County, CO, 2011.

Publications

• Quoted in LawWeek Colorado article, Path Forward Remains Uncertain for SEC's ALJ Cases, July 9, 2018.
• Quoted in LawWeek Colorado article, Tenth Circuit Rules on Duty to Disclose Merger Talks, May 21, 2018.
• Quoted in LawWeek Colorado article, SCOTUS: State Courts Can Keep Federal Securities Class Actions, April 2, 2018.
• Insider Trading: Basics and the Latest, online materials available at www.jdcle.com, January 2012.
• Securities Law for the General Practitioner, online materials available at www.jdcle.com, January 2012.
• The Future of Mandatory Securities Arbitration Under the Dodd-Frank Act, DRI: The Business Suit, Vol. 13 No. 9, December 6, 2010.
• Trends in Securities Arbitration, Miterko & Associates, October 2008.
• Limiting Litigation Expense and Exposure Through Arbitration, Preventative Law Reporter, Vol. 17 No. 3, Fall 1998.

Presentations

• SEC’s Proposed “Best Interest” Standard for Brokers: What Is It and Why You Need to Know LIVE Webcast, The Knowledge Group, November, 2018
• Responding to Subpoenas, IBDC (Independent Broker Dealer Consortium) Annual Conference, 2018.
• Arbitration v. Litigation and Dodd-Frank Act and the Proposed Uniform Fiduciary Rule, IBDC (Independent Broker Dealer Consortium) Annual Conference, 2015.
• Insider Trading: Basics and the Latest, videotaped program available for CLE credit in most states, available at www.jdcle.com, January 2012.
• Securities Law for the General Practitioner, videotaped program approved for CLE credit in most states, available at www.jdcle.com, January 2012
• Securities Law for the General Practitioner, El Paso County Bar Association, November 2011.
• Trends in Securities Arbitration, Investment Program Associates (IPA) Annual Conference, March 2009.
• The Changing Securities Business Landscape, Harrison Douglas, Inc. 12th Annual Conference, September 2008.

Education

M.B.A., University of Denver Daniels College of Business, 1998

J.D., University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 1997

B.A., Political Science, Oregon State University, 1992

Honors

The Best Lawyers in America© distinction in Litigation – Securities (2018-2021)