Thomas Touchie

Thomas is a litigator who handles both civil and criminal matters. He advises and advocates on behalf of a variety of clients, including individuals, startups, art galleries and large public companies. Thomas’ practice spans all stages of litigation, from early dispute resolution to dispositive motions, trials and appeals. He has defended clients in both federal and state courts and during government investigations by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Thomas maintains an active pro bono practice with a focus on immigration, criminal defense and housing law. In recognition of his commitment to pro bono legal services, The Legal Aid Society named him one of its 2021 Pro Bono Publico Award recipients.

Before joining Cooley, Thomas served as a law clerk to Justice Malcolm Rowe of the Supreme Court of Canada. During law school, he won several awards at the Laskin, an administrative law moot competition, and clerked at the Court of Appeal of Quebec. Thomas also published an academic paper on statutory interpretation with former Canadian Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell.

Thomas’ notable experience includes representing:

• A prominent New York City art gallery in various advisory and litigation matters
• A public media company in various advisory matters concerning confidential information and the protection of trade secrets
• A company founder and executive under investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the SEC for alleged securities and wire fraud
• Several asylum seekers in various removal and adjustment of status proceedings before the DOJ and the Executive Office for Immigration Review
• A not-for-profit organization in an appeal challenging federal agencies’ Freedom of Information Act policies and practices in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• A large, privately held media company during an antitrust investigation by the DOJ
• A public data visualization company in a class action lawsuit involving alleged securities fraud
• A large biopharmaceutical company in complex commercial litigation against one of its competitors
• Low-income New Yorkers in various lawsuits against their landlords for violations of the Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) New York City Housing Maintenance Code
• Various issuers of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) under investigation by the SEC