| Robert Seiden | |
| Education: | New York University Benjamin Cardozo School of Law (JD) |
| Occupation: | Litigation lawyer |
| Organization: | Seiden Law |
Robert W. Seiden is an American former prosecutor, lawyer, global investigator, court-appointed receiver, integrity monitor and founder of Seiden Law LLP, a litigation and sanctions-focused law firm. Seiden also serves on the board of advisors of a private clean energy company, GreenMet after stepping down as chairman.[1]
He has been dubbed a "Wall Street Bounty Hunter"[2] by The New York Times and profiled by The Wall Street Journal[3] and Institutional Investor for his prosecution on behalf of investors against Chinese companies that went dark taking hundreds of millions of dollars from US and foreign investors, including China Sun Group High Tech, China Valves Technology, Sino Clean Energy[4] and Shengtai Pharmaceutical Inc.[5]
Seiden Law LLP, in partnership with the Perles Law Firm, filed the first lawsuit ever against Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange, for aiding terrorism in a landmark case in Manhattan federal court that accuses Binance, its CEO Changpeng Zhao, as well as Iran and Syria on behalf of US victims and their families of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.[6] [7] [8]
Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Seiden attended New York City public schools and received his bachelor's degree from New York University in 1985 and his J.D. from Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in 1988. Until 1999, Seiden worked as a prosecutorial trial lawyer alongside fellow prosecutors including overlapping with John F. Kennedy Jr. and under the leadership of legendary prosecutor Robert Morgenthau at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in New York City.[9] He represents the Sherman family in the investigation into the double murder case of Canadian billionaires Barry and Honey Sherman in Toronto[10] and previously served as the initial prosecutor in People v. Edmund Ko involving the murder of a Columbia University law student by her ex-boyfriend, who was convicted using an "ear witness" and the results of mitochondrial DNA typing.[11]
In 2008, after working at a private investigations company as CEO for eight years, Seiden founded Confidential Global Investigations, an investigations firm that investigated Sino Clean Energy, fraudulent behavior against their investors in China.[12] In 2009, Seiden founded Seiden Law, an international law firm based in Manhattan specializing in complex commercial and business litigation and arbitration, OFAC and sanctions cases, anti-terrorism litigation, receiverships, and cross-border transactions.
Since 2008, Seiden has represented a variety of industries and industry leaders, including David Baazov, CEO of Amaya Inc.; Teddy Sagi, the founder of software gaming company Playtech; Libra Group;[13] shipping magnate Nobu Su; crypto billionaire Harry Yeh,[14] and hedge fund managers Gentry Beach and Robert Vollero.[15] [16] Seiden has also worked on behalf of Tyson and Tommy Fury, and has represented software development company Security Matters (NASDAQ: SMX).[17]
Seiden specializes in sanctions litigation matters. He has represented IDF General Israel Ziv with successful removal[18] [19] from the US economic sanctions list. Seiden represents global mining company Solway Investment Group in the US Global Magnitsky sanctions case involving its Guatemalan subsidiaries CGN and Pronico for alleged ties to Russia and corruption and led the effort to disprove these facts and secured removal from the sanctions list on January 17, 2024.[20] [21] [22]
Seiden's international work has included legal work with African nations, such as Egypt, and government officials such as the Attorney General of Malawi, Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda. Seiden Law has also worked on behalf of the Israeli Court against Michael David Greenfield[23] [24] and led the legal team that sued Omar Khan for the theft of millions from wealthy Americans such as Renaissance Technologies alumni Kresimir Penavic in a wine Ponzi scheme.[25] Seiden and his team represent Tokyo Marine and Air Castle insurance carriers in litigation in New York related to claims deriving from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Seiden represents Yelcho International in a $320m judgment enforcement case against Saudi Prince Saud Bin Sultan Bin Abdulazziz Al-Saud.[26]
He has been appointed court receiver more than 30 times for companies such as Link Motion,[27] China Sun Group,[28] Sino Clean Energy, Shengtai Pharmaceutical Inc, and Southern China Livestock. Seiden has been the only American allowed to list companies on China's CBEX.
Further, Seiden has had various published articles in Law 360 and the New York Law Journal including “Private Investigator: Application of the Attorney-Client Privilege,”[29] “How Lawyers and Investigators work Together Post-Enron,”[30] and “Tips for Obtaining Removal from OFAC’s Sanctions List”.[31]