Amir H. Alavi Partner 3460 One Houston Center 1221 McKinney Street Houston, Texas 77010-2009 Phone: 713 655-1101 Fax: 713 655-0062 email: aalavi@azalaw.com* Amir Alavi frequently represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial litigation, employment cases, and trade secret litigation. Prior to joining the Firm, he spent two years as a Senior Vice President and General Counsel of a national technology company. While there, he managed a litigation docket of employment, commercial and trade secrets cases, led the company's M&A and venture capital efforts, and had responsibility for an HR department that managed over 5,000 employees. Before taking that position, Mr. Alavi was with Vinson & Elkins, LLP where he represented clients in commercial litigation and class actions. While there he represented blue-chip clients in the fields of technology, accounting, and insurance. Mr. Alavi’s financial background, particularly his work acquiring companies, defending accountants, and working with venture capital firms, makes him particularly suited to handle complex commercial litigation. He prides himself on being able to cut through complicated deals and financial information in order to evaluate a commercial claim and prepare it for trial. Mr. Alavi’s cases have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Houston Chronicle, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, the Dallas Morning News, the Financial Times, the Baltimore Sun, and numerous other international and national publications. He is a frequent speaker at CLE’s. Some of Mr. Alavi’s representative cases include: Collins v. Beazer Homes USA, Inc. et al. -- Represented Judy Collins in one of the first Sarbanes-Oxley cases to be filed in federal court. Lenore Schmick Trust, et al. v. KPMG, LLP -- Represented limited partners of a investment partnership in securities fraud case against KPMG. The case was resolved on a confidential basis during trial. Rowe v. Baker Hughes, Inc. -- Represented Paula Rowe in ERISA whistleblower and age discrimination case against Baker Hughes. Resolved on a confidential basis. Mr. Alavi represented Alan Ferguson in a high-profile whistleblower lawsuit against Baker Hughes. As a result of Mr. Ferguson's allegations, the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission began an investigation into Baker Hughes' business practices. The case was resolved on a confidential basis. Mr. Alavi represented a vice president of an international investment bank in a sex discrimination case. The case was resolved on a confidential basis. Mr. Alavi represented an in-house lawyer in a Sarbanes-Oxley and False Claims Act retaliation claims against his then current employer. The case was resolved on a confidential basis. Mr. Alavi represented the President of an international software company in a breach of contract. Mr. Alavi represented one of the nation’s largest private IT services companies when a company that had sold it a business claimed over $4 million in additional payments under their purchase agreement. Mr. Alavi secured a walk-away settlement for his client. Mr. Alavi, with Demetrios Anaipakos, helped lead a fraud class action against one of the world’s largest food manufacturers. Class certification of a class of current and former customers was upheld by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The case was settled for an eight-figure sum after the appeal was resolved. Along with Demetrios Anaipakos, Mr. Alavi was a member of the trial team representing Chung’s Gourmet Foods, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of egg rolls in a contentious tortious interference case against a competitor. After nearly two weeks of trial, we obtained a verdict and judgment in favor of our client in the amount of nearly $18 million. Mr. Alavi represented major life insurance companies and national class actions brought in Illinois, California, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. Mr. Alavi represented major automobile dealers in antitrust class actions brought in Texas and Louisiana where Plaintiffs sought damages in the billions of dollars. EDUCATION Stanford University (B.A. 1992) University of Chicago Law School (J.D. with honors, 1995) HONORS & DISTINCTIONS Law Clerk to the Honorable Jerry E. Smith, United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit (1995-1996) Texas Super Lawyer, 2005, Texas Monthly Magazine Texas Rising Star, 2004 and 2005, Texas Monthly Magazine Marquis Who's Who in American Law (14th Edition) Editor-in-Chief, Harvard Journal of Public Policy Symposium Edition, 1995 Thomas R. Mulroy Award for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy Karl Llewellyn Memorial Cup Winner The John Olin Foundation Fellowship for the Study of Law and Economics PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS State Bar of Texas United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas United States District Court for the Western District of Texas The College of the State Bar of Texas National Employment Lawyers Association (2002-2005) American Bar Association (Sections: Litigation) Houston Bar Association Houston Young Lawyers Association REPORTED CASES Collins v. Beazer Homes USA, Inc., 334 F.Supp.2d 1365 (N.D. Ga. 2004) Willis v. Donnelly, 118 S.W.3d 10 (Tex.App. - Houston [14th Dist.] 2003) PUBLICATIONS, PAPERS AND CLE PRESENTATIONS Theft of Trade Secrets, Employee Raiding and Unfair Competition, University of Houston Law Foundation, Corporate Partnership and Business Law, June 2004. Retaliation Claims in Federal and State Court: Including Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Claims, University of Houston Law Foundation, Employment Law Seminar, April 2004. Preparing your Witness for Deposition and Trial, University of Houston Law Foundation, Litigation and Trial Tactics, March 2004. Unfair Competition, Theft of Trade Secrets, and Employee Raiding, University of Houston Law Foundation, Corporate Partnership and Business Law, June 2003. Employment Law Aspects of the Sarbanes-Oxley Corporate Responsibility Statute (co-author), University of Houston Law Foundation, Employment Law Seminar, March 2003. Point/Counterpoint of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002: a View from the Employer’s and Employee’s Perspectives (co-author), State Bar of Texas, Advanced Employment Law Course 2003, February 2003. Employment Contracts: What to include, What to Avoid, South Texas College of Law, Business Organization Course, October 2002. Credibility and Impeachment: Fundamentals of Direct and Cross-Examination, University of Houston Law Foundation, How to Offer and Exclude Evidence, September 2002. Trade Secrets and Covenants Not to Compete, University of Houston Law Foundation, Employment and Labor Law, September 2002. Evidence Without Witnesses: Stipulations, Discovery Products, Judicial Notice, Summons, Etc., University of Houston Law Foundation, Trial Tactics, September 2002. Protecting or Raiding Intellectual Capital, South Texas College of Law’s Labor and Employment Law Conference, July 2002. Preparing your Witness for Deposition or Trial, University of Houston Law Foundation, May 2002. Featured Speaker, IT Service Summit, San Francisco, California, March 2000. Contributing author, Survey of State Class Action Law, A Report of the State Laws Subcommittee of the Class Actions and Derivative Suits Committee, Section of Litigation, American Bar Association, 1999. *Internet mail is not fully secure or private. Therefore, please do not transmit confidential information via Internet mail. Transmission of information is not intended to and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not assume that your communications sent using Internet mail are privileged or confidential. Please do not send Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Anaipakos any confidential information via the Internet without previously consulting one of our attorneys. **Nothing on this web page is intended to represent that Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Anaipakos currently represents any particular clients mentioned because matters and client relationships naturally terminate from time to time. ***Mr. Alavi is not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. ****Results obtained depend on the facts of each case. Every case is different. Similar results may not be obtained in your case. © 2006 Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Anaipakos. All rights reserved