Practices
- LITIGATION
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (Arbitration and Mediation)
- Antitrust and Trade Regulation
- Appeals
- Art and Museum Law
- Bankruptcy Court Litigation and Appeals
- Class Action Defense
- Complex Contract and Commercial Litigation
- Contested Administrative Proceedings and Litigation: Banking
- Criminal, White Collar, Administrative, Enforcement and Regulatory Defense
- Entertainment Litigation
- False Advertising
- Intellectual Property, Copyright and Trademark Litigation
- Internet and E-Commerce Law
- Music Litigation
- Privacy and Defamation
- Real Estate Litigation
- Regulatory, Corporate Compliance and Internal Investigations
- Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets and Duty of Loyalty
- Securities Litigation
- Trade Secret Litigation
- Trusts and Estates: Litigation
- ENTERTAINMENT, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
- DIGITAL MEDIA
Education
- J.D., Columbia University School of Law, 1998
- B.A., Brown University, 1992
Bar Admissions
- New York (1999)
- U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York (1999)
News
Languages
- French
- Spanish
Attorneys
Benjamin Semel
Of Counselbsemel@pryorcashman.com
New York, NY 10036-6569
Benjamin Semel has extensive experience in all phases of commercial litigation. He has handled cases at the state and federal level in jury trials and appeals as well as arbitrations and mediations. His experience in intellectual property cases covers trademark and trade secret infringement, copyrights for film, music, software, literature and architectural works, rights of publicity and privacy, as well as emerging issues in internet, technology and information law.
Ben has also litigated complex commercial cases involving areas such as contracts, fraud, real estate, securities, corporate governance and shareholder claims. His experience covers complicated questions of jurisdiction, choice of law, enforcement of foreign judgments and the interplay of international law.
In an exemplar case, along with partner Jamie Brickell, Ben represented the plaintiffs in a breach of contract and fraud dispute over the sale of a medical program for the treatment of prostate cancer. The five-week federal court trial resulted in a $58 million unanimous jury verdict for the clients, one of the largest awards in the nation in 2003.
After graduating from Brown University as a triple major, Ben wrote for the daily newspaper and worked in jazz radio in New Orleans before moving to law. He graduated in 1998 from Columbia University School of Law where he was a Kent Scholar, the highest academic honor awarded, and received the Class of 1912 Prize, given to the single top student in the area of contracts.
Ben has also combined his legal career with extensive international travel. Of his twelve years as a lawyer, he has spent five years on sabbatical from his native New York City, journeying across over 100 nations, engaging in teaching, managing charity foundations, working disaster relief, conservation and animal welfare projects, and eating some extremely strange things.
Publications
- Author, Webcasting and Copyright Law: How the Legal Framework May Be Changing e-Commerce Law & Strategy, e-Commerce Law & Strategy (2002)
- Author, Sorting Out the State of Music File-Swapping Online After Napster, e-Commerce Law & Strategy (2001)
- Author, Combating Online Infringement Post-Napster, New Jersey Law Journal (2001)
- Author, The Challenge of the New Media for Entertainment Practitioners: An Encouraging Primer, Nevada Lawyer (2000)
Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, Impact of New Technologies on Entertainment Law, New York City Bar CLE (2003)
- Panelist, Hollywood Heat primetime program, Expert, Court TV, legal expert on music piracy (2003)
Teaching Positions
- Columbia University School of Law, Profession of Law course (2004)
Distinctions
- Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) Outstanding Volunteer Award (2003)
Professional Affiliations
- New York State Bar Association, Member
