D. Brandon Trice

Trice’s practice spans a broad array of subject matters—from contract, structured finance, and securities law, to intellectual property, cryptocurrency, employment, and product liability law. Representative matters include:

• Prosecuting claims on behalf of financial guaranty insurers of residential mortgage-backed securities trusts, including Ambac Assurance Corporation, against major financial institutions in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, resulting in, among other things, a $1.8 billion settlement for the client.
• Defending Natixis Financial Products against $1 billion in RMBS claims, resulting in a de minimis settlement.
• Representing the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority in challenges against the implementation of congestion pricing.
• Representing E. Jean Carroll in her defamation and sexual assault claims against Donald J. Trump.
• Representing Columbia University in connection with Title VI litigation and other disputes.
• Defending The Nielsen Company against a corporate customer’s contract and unfair competition claims, leading to dismissal on the pleadings.
• Defending a major law firm against indemnification claims by a former Hong Kong partner, resulting in a favorable settlement and recovery from the firm’s insurer.
• Defending fintech companies in a novel challenge to a cryptocurrency protocol based on New York’s lottery law, obtaining dismissal on the pleadings.
• Representing the global leader in premium drinks in disputes with celebrity founders and spokespersons.
• Representing Uber Technologies in bringing a novel challenge against the American Arbitration Association’s imposition of $100 million in arbitration fees, resulting in a favorable resolution.
• Defending Abbott Laboratories and AbbVie against RICO claims by third-party payors, resulting in dismissal and affirmance by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Representing the world’s largest sports and entertainment licensing company in asserting breach of contract and intellectual property-related claims against the former publisher of Sports Illustrated.
• Defending a major asset management fund against novel challenges to special purpose acquisition companies.
• Defending Time Warner and one of its executives against shareholder fiduciary claims in California state court, resulting in dismissal on the pleadings.
• Defending Johnson & Johnson’s Board of Directors against shareholder fiduciary claims, resulting in dismissal on the pleadings and a decision establishing the scope of New Jersey’s shareholder derivative demand requirement.
• Representing a major non-profit in challenges by X Corp. to its publications on the proliferation of misinformation and hate speech on the social media platform X.
• Representing a leading art dealer in litigation arising out of Christie’s sale of the world’s largest pink diamond.
• Representing artist George Condo in divorce proceedings.
• Representing numerous high-level executives of major companies in asserting discrimination and retaliation claims against employers and negotiating separations.
• Prosecuting claims on behalf of victims of sexual and physical assault and sex trafficking.

Prior to joining Kaplan Martin, Trice was an attorney at an elite litigation boutique. He clerked for the Honorable J. Paul Oetken of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the Honorable Barrington D. Parker, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Trice received his law degree from Yale Law School, where he was an Editor of the Yale Law Journal and Submissions Editor for the Yale Journal on Regulation. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from Wesleyan University.  He is Adjunct Professor of Law with Robbie Kaplan at Columbia University and teaches a course on Advanced Civil Procedure.