Karen A. Sebaski

Karen Sebaski has a broad-based practice, with particular emphasis on patent litigation and complex commercial litigation. A registered patent attorney, Karen has represented clients such as NXP Semiconductors, Sharp, AT&T, and T-Mobile in high-value patent litigations involving a variety of subject matter, including Near Field Communication, liquid crystal cell display technology, and cell phone roaming solutions.

She recently represented Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in its successful resolution of patent malpractice claims involving short-hairpin RNA technology.

An experienced trial lawyer, Karen recently represented London Luxury in a 10-day jury trial against Walmart, winning a $101 million verdict in the Western District of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She also represented Melody Business Finance, a hedge fund, in litigation against former hedge fund billionaire Philip Falcone, winning an award of $69.8 million—approximately 99% of the amount sought following a trial on damages. Karen was a critical member of the trial team in the Lehman Brothers RMBS bankruptcy dispute, which secured a $2.4 billion verdict for investors. Karen currently is a key member for the HSG team representing Visa in multidistrict antitrust class action and opt out litigation challenging network rules at the heart of the Visa system.

Karen is a member of the Women in IP Law Committee of the NYIPLA and Intellectual Property Law Committee for the Federal Bar Council. She also serves on the editorial board of the Women Lawyers Journal. In 2018, Karen was recognized as a Woman Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal. Karen is co-chair of HSG’s Women’s Affinity Network. Prior to joining Holwell Shuster & Goldberg, Karen was a litigation associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

Noteworthy

• Honored with Benchmark Litigation Impact Case Award for winning a $101 million jury verdict against Walmart in London Luxury LLC v. Walmart Inc.
• Recognized as a 2024 Super Lawyer by New York Metro Super Lawyers
• Named to Profiles in Diversity Journal's 2018 Women Worth Watching List

Notable Cases

• London Luxury in a 10-day jury trial in the Western District of Arkansas, Fayetteville, securing a $101 million verdict against Walmart.
• Melody Business Finance, a hedge fund, in litigation against former hedge fund billionaire Philip Falcone, securing an award of $69.8 million—approximately 99% of the amount sought following a trial on damages.
• A leading research institution as intellectual property counsel in its monetization of a portion of its worldwide royalty interests in the first treatment for a rare neuromuscular disorder approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
• NXP Semiconductors in an International Trade Commission proceeding brought against Dell for infringement of patents relating to Near Field Communication. The case settled favorably two months before trial.
• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in action involving malpractice that impeded the timely issuance of patents on short-hairpin RNAs, which are utilized to attenuate gene expression and help to identify new drug targets and therapies for cancer.
• Key member of trial team representing Hilite International in defense of a claim for patent infringement relating to hydraulic cam phasers used in Chrysler Pentastar engines.
• Various banks as trustee or securities administrator in RMBS putback actions, each involving millions of dollars.
• Litigation trust created from the ChemicalRx bankruptcy to pursue claims against Jerry Silva and his family for extracting $106 million from the company by way of a leveraged buyout, which resulted in the company’s ultimate bankruptcy and liquidation.