Thomas H. Lee
Locations
Languages Spoken
French | Japanese | Korean
Bar Admissions
New York
Education
Harvard Law School, J.D., Articles Chair, Harvard Law Review Harvard University, M.A. Harvard University, B.A., summa cum laude
Thomas H. Lee is Special Counsel in Hughes Hubbard & Reed’s New York office and the Leitner Family Professor of International Law at Fordham Law School. He has litigated petitions, appeals and dispositive motions in the U.S. Supreme Court, other federal courts, and New York state courts; advised U.S. and other non-Korean companies on doing business and investing in Korea; advised the U.S. and foreign governments on international law; has expertise and experience in international commercial and investor-state arbitration; and has litigated and advised private and government clients on data protection and cyberlaw. He has written dozens of articles about international law, U.S. foreign relations law, constitutional law, and federal courts. He has also been a visiting law professor at Columbia, Harvard, and the University of Virginia; U.S. law adviser to the Constitutional Court of Korea; and Special Counsel to the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense, for which he received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. Before joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to Justice David Souter of the U.S. Supreme Court and to Judge Michael Boudin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and as a U.S. naval cryptology officer deployed in the Western Pacific Ocean and ashore in Korea and Japan and with the National Security Agency.
Selected Matters
- Representation of Global Risk Advisors (GRA) and its founder against accusations by Elliott Broidy, an ally of former president Donald Trump, of conducting an unlawful “hack-and-smear" campaign to silence Broidy's criticism of the State of Qatar
- Representation of U.S applicant for export license of educational materials to Syria
- Lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Corporate Transparency Act
- Representation of Ukrainian parties in investor-state arbitration and follow-on litigation
- Representation of defendant in civil lawsuit in federal court alleging cyber hacking
- Representation of defendant in the appeal of an SEC enforcement action
- Representation of Korean multinational creditor in Pacific Gas & Electric Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings
- Representation of foreign defendant in litigation in U.S. court for trademark infringement
- Petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the applicability of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 to social-media data
- Amicus curiae brief on behalf of U.S. Chamber of Commerce in appeal regarding federal preemption of state tort law
- Pro bono representation of tenants in New York state court, resulting in sizable settlements for clients
Clerkships
- Law clerk to Associate Justice David Souter, Supreme Court of the United States, 2001 – 2002
- Law clerk to Chief Judge Michael Boudin, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, 2000 – 2001
Professional Activities
- Member, American Law Institute
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- Panel of Conciliators, International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
Court Admissions
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2022
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, 2018
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2006
- United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 2005
- United States Supreme Court, 2005
- United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, 2001
News & Insights For Thomas H. Lee
View All News & InsightsNew York Law Journal Highlights the Successes and Strength of Hughes Hubbard’s Litigation Department
Following Hughes Hubbard’s recognition as a finalist for Litigation Department of the Year (General), the New York Law Journal published a spotlight on the firm’s litigation department and its recent successes.
Domestic Reporting Companies and US Persons No Longer Subject to CTA
March 24, 2025 – On March 21, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) adopted an interim rule eliminating the beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) for all domestic reporting companies (entities that are created or formed in the U.S.),...
FinCEN Limits Enforcement of Corporate Transparency Act
March 4, 2025 – On March 2, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it will not enforce any penalties or fines against U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies or any of their beneficial owners for failure to comply with the Corporate Transparency Act...
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