For more than 30 years, Tom Cordell has successfully represented clients in business litigation and regulatory matters in multiple forums. Mr. Cordell provides representation and counseling to clients in the financial services and securities industries. He represents broker dealers, banks and financial/investment advisors in litigation, industry disputes, client disputes and regulatory matters, including class action litigation, securities litigation, fiduciary litigation, customer disputes, regulatory investigations, internal investigations, securities industry arbitrations and appellate matters. Mr. Cordell provides representation to financial industry employers and management in labor and employment matters. Mr. Cordell also counsels his clients on a variety of legal issues impacting their business operations.
Mr. Cordell also has significant experience in shareholder disputes and in the litigation of fiduciary claims, as well as fraud, fiduciary duty and alter-ego claims. Mr Cordell also has substantial experience in litigation involving Mexican nationals and/or Mexican business entities and in jurisdictional disputes.
In 2004, Mr. Cordell was one five lawyers in the nation to be recognized for superior client service in the BTI Survey of corporate counsel for both Fortune 1000 corporations and the 21 largest global financial services firms. He was again recognized in the 2005 BTI Client Service Survey for his outstanding client service, one of only nine attorneys nationwide to receive such recognition for two consecutive years. Mr. Cordell has repeatedly been selected as a Texas Super Lawyer. He is also recognized by Best Lawyers in America in Commercial Litigation, 2012.
Mr. Cordell is a Fellow of the Houston and Texas Bar Foundations. He is a former Director of the Houston Young Lawyers Association and is also a former Director of the University of Texas Law Alumni Association. Mr. Cordell has a strong interest in education and serves on the Board of Trustees of a local K-12 school. Mr. Cordell has also served on the boards of local charitable organizations in the Houston area.
Selected Representative Experience
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. v. Brown, 261 S.W.3d 394 (Tex. App.–Houston [14th Dist.] 2008, orig. proceeding)
In a consolidated appeal and original proceeding, obtained a writ of mandamus directing the trial court to compel the arbitration of claims against a brokerage firm in the face of plaintiffs’ mental incapacity defense.
Kase v. Salomon Smith Barney, Inc., 218 F.R.D. 149 (S.D. Tex. 2003)
Defeated plaintiffs' motion for class certification seeking to certify a class of persons with brokerage accounts and alleging they had trades that were not properly reported.
NASD Arbitration Victory
Successful arbitration award denying approximately $4.3 million+ claim by customer and ordering expungment of broker's record.
Research-Based Claims Against Broker-Dealers
Recent experience includes the successful representation of a client in numerous arbitrations involving research analysts and their research reports and opinions.
NASD Arbitration Victory
Successful Arbitration Award denying approximately $3 million+ claim by customer.
MTIS Ltd. v. Corporation Interamericana de Entretenemienta, S.A. de C.V., 64 S.W.3d 62 (Tex. App. - Houston [14th Dist.] 2001, no pet.)
Successfully defended on appeal an order that dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction claims concerning a purported agreement to present musical theater productions in Mexico.
Klenk v. Bustamante, 993 S.W.2d 677 (Tex. App. - San Antonio 1998, no pet.)
Through an interlocutory challenge to the trial court’s jurisdiction, obtained pretrial dismissal of all claims against three in-house attorneys at a securities firm.
In re Smith Barney Inc., 975 S.W.2d 593 (Tex. 1998)
In a lawsuit against a securities firm arising from the privatization of government-owned enterprises in Eastern Europe, persuaded the Texas Supreme Court, acting in a mandamus proceeding, to overturn a longstanding limitation on the doctrine of forum non conveniens.
Smith Barney, Inc. v. Settle, No. 13-97-00554-CV, 2000 WL 1146516 (Tex. App. - Corpus Christi May 21, 1998, no pet.)
Won reversal of an order setting a case for trial against a securities firm and obtained rendition of a judgment compelling arbitration.