SANEM ÖZDURAL
LITIGATION ATTORNEY litigator, trial counsel and appellate attorney with substantial expertise in:
· Insurance Defense
· Commercial Litigation
· Real Property
· Criminal Law
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
 150 trials: 46 to jury; successfully first-chaired trials for murder, rape and other violent felonies
 Prepared and argued successful appeal to Louisiana Supreme Court overturning long-standing law to start
allowing DWI and insurance checkpoints in Louisiana. State v. Jackson, 764 So.2d 64 (La. 7/6/2000)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
KOÇ UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL TURKEY
Instructor, International Business Law 09/2013- Present
LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH, LLP - New York, NY
Partner (Litigation): 05/2011 – 1/31/2013: Professional Liability, General Liability
 Manage all aspects of litigation in professional liability and general liability cases, including:
RICO claims, products liability, zoning, wetland delineation work and real estate appraisals
 Appointed co-trial counsel less than two months before trial in federal court in 3-year old case
defending Long Island town against developer’s §1983 claims. Instrumental in getting case
mediated to favorable conclusion within 4 weeks.
GOLDBERG WEPRIN FINKEL GOLDSTEIN, LLP – New York, NY
Litigation Associate: 02/2011 - 5/2011: Commercial Litigation
 Manage commercial litigation matters in state and federal court including: SEC fraud; breach of
contract; foreclosures
VERNON & GINSBURG, LLP -- New York, NY
Litigation Associate: 09/2006- 02/2011: Real Property, Commercial, Landlord/Tenant Litigation
 Manage all aspects of litigation of residential and commercial real property and commercial litigation
including: breach of sales contract, unjust enrichment, adverse possession, partition, ejectment,
tortious interference with contract and prospective business, prima facie tort, defamation
 Manage all aspects of litigation of Landlord/Tenant holdover and nonpayment proceedings
 First-chaired 7-month trial of tortious interference with prospective business relating to driveway
easement for plaintiff
 First-chaired jury trial of unjust enrichment for plaintiff; settled favorably for client after jury
selection
 Prepared and argued successful motion for summary judgment for plaintiff in ejectment claim over
driveway easement: Butts v. Moreno, 899 N.Y.S.2d 58 (Sup. Ct. Kings Cty. 2009)
THALER LIEBELER LLP -- Washington, D.C.,
Litigation Associate: 2005-2006: Commercial Litigation
 Commercial and tort litigation: breach of contract, breach of non-compete agreements, defamation
BIENVENU, FOSTER, RYAN & O’BANNON -- New Orleans, LA
Litigation Associate: Insurance Defense 2001-2004
 Defended insurance companies in personal injury and property damage cases involving 1st party and
3rd party claims, including: storm damage, defective construction, pit bull attacks, lead paint exposure
 Second-chaired trial defending national electrical equipment manufacturing firm in home fire case in
Louisiana State court to verdict
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE -- New Orleans, LA 1998-2001
Senior Trial Attorney: Felony Trials Division 1/2000-10/2001
 Prosecuted homicides, sex crimes, narcotics, thefts and robberies, economic crimes
 45 jury trials, 95 bench trials
 100% conviction of homicides, 80% sex assault cases tried as lead trial counsel
 35 writs and appeals
PUBLISHED DECISIONS/PUBLICATIONS
State v. Duplechain, 772 So.2d 90 (La. 2000)
State v. Jackson, 764 So.2d 64 (La. 2000)
State v. Frank, 804 So.2d 828 (La.App. 4 Cir. 2001)
State v. Temple, 789 So.2d 639 (La.App. 4 Cir.
2001)
State v. Gereighty, 775 So.2d 468 (La.App. 4 Cir.
2000)
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Butts v. Moreno, 899 N.Y.S.2d 58 (Sup. Kings Cty.
2009)
State v. Stephens, 775 So.2d 465 (La.App. 4 Cir.
2000)
State v. Lackings, 759 So.2d 918 (La.App. 4 Cir.
2000)
State v. Harris, 744 So.2d 160 (La.App. 4 Cir. 1999)
Navigating the Litigation Highways: An Important Part of Doing Business in the U.S., by Sanem Ozdural
(seminar), Koç University Law School, Istanbul Turkey, distinguished speaker series. March 27, 2013
LiGa™, Elsewhen Press, U.K. (July 2012) (literary sci-fi, tells story of bridge tournament in which the
players are gambling with their lives) http://elsewhen.alnpetepress.co.uk/index.php/catalogue/title/liga/
Judge for 61st Annual National Moot Court Competition, Finals, NYC Bar Assoc. 2/1/11
Intergenerational Mobility: A Comparative Study Between Turkey and the U.S., Economics Letters 43
pp.221-30 (1993) (senior thesis, Princeton University)
EDUCATION
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, Boston, MA; J.D. ’97
Research Assistant 2d year, Prof. M. Utset: finance, securities law; 3 rd year extern MA Attorney General’s
Office, Asset Forfeiture Division; summer intern: Hon. Carol Berkman, NY Supreme Court, Criminal
Term
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, Princeton, NJ; B.A. Economics ’93
BAR ADMISSIONS
New York, Louisiana (inactive), District of Columbia (inactive)