Thomas Skelton

Mr. Skelton is a partner of the Firm and specializes in complex litigation, with a primary emphasis on securities fraud, merger litigation, corporate governance and statutory appraisal cases.  Mr. Skelton also represents clients in arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. 

Mr. Skelton has represented or is currently representing the following clients:  New York State Common Retirement Fund; New York City Pension Funds; Federated Investors; Glickenhaus & Co.; Millennium Partners; MMI Investments, LP; Dolphin Limited Partners; Robeco Investment Management; M.D. Sass Investor Services, Inc.; and Doft & Co. 

Mr. Skelton is prosecuting an action in Delaware Chancery Court challenging the merger between Xerox Corporation and Affiliated Computer Services, Inc.  On May 26, 2010, the Delaware Chancery Court preliminarily approved a settlement of $69 million, and set a hearing date of August 24, 2010 for final approval. 

Mr. Skelton is prosecuting actions involving Madoff Feeder Funds including Beacon Associates I & II, Income Plus and claims brought against Jeanneret Associates, Ivy Asset Management and The Bank of New York Mellon.  In December 2009, following oral argument, United States District Judge Leonard B. Sand of the Southern District of New York issued a decision denying Beacon Associates Management Corp.’s motion to dismiss Intervenor-Plaintiffs’ complaint in intervention.  In this action, Intervenors challenged, under ERISA, Beacon Associates Management Corp.’s use of a reserve out of the remaining assets of the Beacon Fund to pay certain expenses, including legal expenses related to the defense of actions relating to the Madoff Ponzi scheme.  Rounds v. Beacon Associates Management Corp., 2009 WL 4857622 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 14, 2009). 

Mr. Skelton has worked on a number of high-profile cases, including Federated American Leaders Fund, Inc., et al. v. Tyco International, Ltd. et al., In re WorldCom Securities Litigation, In re HealthSouth Securities Litigation, In re DaimlerChrysler AG Securities Litigation, In re Bayer AG Securities Litigation, and The New York Stock Exchange/Archipelago Merger Litigation. 

Mr. Skelton has tried numerous matters to verdict or award.  Mr. Skelton acted as lead trial counsel for the firm in The New York Stock Exchange/Archipelago Merger Litigation and Doft v. Travelocity matters, as well as numerous arbitrations.  In connection with In re DaimlerChrysler AG Securities Litigation, Mr. Skelton’s work was instrumental in securing a highly favorable settlement on behalf of Glickenhaus & Co., a major registered investment advisor and, at the time, the second largest stockholder of Chrysler, in a non-class securities lawsuit against DaimlerChrysler AG.  Successful implementation of the firm’s opt-out strategy led to a recovery far exceeding that received by class members. 

Mr. Skelton’s other reported decisions include Higgins v. New York Stock Exchange, Inc., 806 N.Y.S.2d 339 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. 2005); In re DaimlerChrysler AG Securities Litigation, 216 F.R.D. 291, (D. Del., Jun 11, 2003); In re DaimlerChrysler AG Securities Litigation, 247 F. Supp.2d 579 (D. Del., Mar. 5, 2003); Tracinda Corp. v. DaimlerChrysler AG, 197 F. Supp. 2d 42 (D. Del., Mar 22, 2002); Doft & Co. v. Travelocity.com Inc., 2004 WL 1152338 (Del. Ch., May 20, 2004, modified June, 2004); and Lewy 1990 Trust ex rel. Lewy v. Investment Advisors, Inc., 650 N.W.2d 445 (Minn. App. 2002). 

Mr. Skelton is a 1991 graduate of the Fordham University School of Law, where he was a member of the Fordham Law Review, and a 1987 graduate of Providence College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics (magna cum laude). 

For the past three years, Mr. Skelton has taught Advanced Appellate Advocacy as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Pace University School of Law.  Mr. Skelton has also lectured on topics involving securities litigation.