Jack Samet

Jack Samet (born August 6, 1940) is an American retired lawyer, actor, and comedian. He is best known for his successful argument in the Supreme Court of the United States and his role as trial counsel defending lawyers for J. David Dominelli, a San Diego-based Ponzi scheme promoter. After his legal career, Samet pursued comedy and acting. He is a leader in the lifelong learning community in Los Angeles, California.

Jack Samet
Jack Samet
Born (1940-08-06) August 6, 1940
New York, New York
Education
Occupation
  • Attorney
  • Actor
Years active1961-present

Early life and education

Samet was raised in Forest Hills, Queens, New York by William and Tillie Samet.[1] His father served as president of Samet & Wells, Inc., a toy manufacturer.[2] Samet studied at Forest Hills High School in Queens, New York.

Samet enrolled for his bachelor's degree at Columbia University's Columbia College in 1957 and became active in school clubs and politics. He was the president of the debate council and the pre-law society. The day after the first Kennedy-Nixon debate, Samet's perspective was written up in the New York Mirror.[3] He placed 3rd in the national extemporaneous speaking contest held at the Harvard Invitation Debate Tournament.[4] He was awarded the gold George William Curtis Medal by Columbia for excellence in oratory.[5] He was also the president of the Senior Society of Nacoms and was awarded a Carnegie Fellowship for study in Britain of the British Labor Party and German Rearmament.[6] Samet graduated magna cum laude in 1961 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.[1][7]

In 1964, Samet graduated from Harvard Law School with his Juris Doctor in law.[2] While at Harvard, he was selected by David Susskind's nationally syndicated television program "Open End" to debate against travelling Cambridge University debaters in October 1961.[8] He was also elected president of the Harvard Law School Dormitory Council.[9]

Career

Samet was a partner at the Buchaltner, Nemer, Fields & Younger Law firm, from 1984 to 1994, where he worked as the chairman of the litigation department and a member of the board of directors.[10][11] He argued and won the case of Holmes v. Securities Investor Protection Corp. before the United States Supreme Court in November 1991.[12][13] He remained an active business litigation trial attorney, appearing before juries and judges in state and federal courts and continuing active litigation practice in complex business litigation at Baker Hostetler, a national law firm, as the chairman of litigation, partner in charge of the Los Angeles Office, and member of the policy committee.[10] He was recognized as a notable lawyer and his opinions and views were often sought for publication in the Los Angeles Daily Journal on subjects like expert testimony in evidence, trial practice experience and strategies, and the appointment of Judge Richard Paez to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.[14][15]

Samet is known for his successful argument in the United States Supreme Court in the case of Holmes v. S.I.P.C., 503 U.S. 258 (1992), in which the Court ruled unanimously in favor of his client, Robert G. Holmes Jr.[13] He conducted the arguments in the Holmes case at the district court level, where Holmes prevailed, and at the level of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, where Holmes lost. Samet successfully appealed to the Supreme Court and the judgment of the appellate court was reversed.[16][12][13]

In 1972, Samet authored a journal article titled "The Concept of Fungibility In Securities Law" in The Business Lawyer, a journal published by the American Bar Association.[17]

Dominelli Ponzi scheme case

Samet served as trial counsel in the late 1980s for local San Diego attorneys who served as legal counsel for Ponzi scheme promoter J. David Dominelli.[18] The Ponzi scheme involved over $200,000,000. More than 200 separate lawsuits were filed by defrauded investors to pursue civil claims against a national and local law firm, a national accounting firm, an insurance broker, and others whom investors claimed aided and abetted Dominelli's fraud. Six claims of plaintiffs over 70 years of age were selected for an expedited trial. Prior to the commencement of trial, the national law firm settled all investor claims for $40,000,000 and the accounting firm paid $10,000,000. The local law firm and its partner, represented by Samet, were the only defendants that proceeded to trial.[19] The investors claimed the lawyers aided and abetted Dominelli's scheme while Samet argued the defendants had no knowledge of the fraud and were themselves victims of it. The trial was the focus of much public attention and moved at a slow pace.[20] The trial was conducted before a judge, without a jury. After approximately six months of trial, the judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. It was later discovered the judge, Judge James A. Malkus, had been bribed by one of the plaintiffs' counsel.[21] Malkus was convicted and sentenced to 30 months in prison in June 2000.[22]

Comedy and film

After retiring as an attorney, Samet studied at Playhouse West and Beverly Hills Playhouse under Burt Reynolds.[23] He has credited appearance in five films, including Cinema Salvation and James Franco's Good Time Max.

Samet also made several appearances at Los Angeles Comedy Club and Hollywood Improv.[23]

Personal life

Samet was engaged in 1966 and married in 1967 to Helen Ray.[1][2] Helen Ray Samet died of ovarian cancer in 2012.[12] He and Helen Ray had one son, Peter Lawrence Samet, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Nicole. Samet is now partnered with Beverly Grabell.[12]

Samet is a member and leader in the lifelong learning society, The PLATO Society of Los Angeles.[12] He served as a member of the board of directors and served in several executive capacities including ombudsman and, most recently, president for the 2020–21 term.[24][25]

Filmography
Year Title Role
2006 It's Another Beautiful Day Henry
2007 Good Time Max Rabbi
2009 Second Sight (short) Client 1
2010 Cinema Salvation Greg's Lawyer
2010 The Bold and the Beautiful Beachwalker

References
  1. "Helen Ray Wed To Jack Samet, 7 Attend Bride". The New York Times. New York, New York. February 13, 1967. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  2. "Miss Helen Ray Is Future Bride of Jack I Samet". The New York Times. New York, New York. December 4, 1966. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  3. "Debating Experts Split, Toss-Up for Winner". New York Daily Mirror. New York, New York. September 27, 1960.
  4. "Samet Wins Third Place in Tourney". The Columbia Daily Spectator. New York, New York. February 8, 1961. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  5. "Samet Wins Curtis Medal". The Columbia Daily Spectator. New York, New York. May 9, 1961. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  6. Michael Mukasey (February 5, 1960). "Curzan, Samet, Shapiro Given Fellowship Aid". The Columbia Spectator. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  7. "Forty Six Seniors Elected Phi Beta Kappa Members". The Columbia Daily Spectator. New York, New York. May 2, 1961. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  8. ""Better Red Than Dead"". San Francisco Examiner. December 12, 1961. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  9. "Dorm Council Committee Formed". Harvard Law Record. Cambridge, Massachusetts. October 3, 1963. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  10. http://esquiresearch.com/2011/06/represented-jack-i-samet-as-a-partner-to-baker-hostetler/
  11. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-samet-24927010/
  12. Zinnia Finn (Spring 2020). "Westwood's Hidden Learning Haven". Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  13. https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/1991/90-727_11-13-1991.pdf
  14. "Paez Opinions Praised as Well Reasoned". Los Angeles Daily Journal. June 1, 1994.
  15. Anderson, Jeffrey (July 9, 1999). "Court Tested Busy Litigation Group Combines Old School Trial Lawyers With New School Litigators Looking to Follow in Their Footsteps". Los Angeles Daily Journal.
  16. https://lawaspect.com/case-holmes-v-securities-investor-protection-corporation/
  17. Samet, Jack (January 1, 1972). "The Concept of Fungibility in Securities Law". The Business Lawyer. 27 (2): 282–289. JSTOR 40685335. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  18. Yoshihashi, Pauline (July 20, 1985). "J. David Lawyers Under Fire". The New York Times. New York, New York. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  19. Flynn, Pat (July 1, 1986). "Dominelli's accuser is accused". The San Diego Union. San Diego, California. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  20. Flynn, Pat (July 31, 1986). "Dominelli trial is slower than expected". The San Diego Union. San Diego, California.
  21. Bauder, Don (September 8, 2005). "She's No Dumbbell". San Diego Reader.
  22. Perry, Tony (June 13, 2000). "2 Former San Diego Judges, Lawyer Get Prison Terms". Los Angeles Times.
  23. https://www.backstage.com/u/JackSamet/
  24. https://theplatosociety.org/governance
  25. "The PLATO Society of Los Angeles Announces Its New Leadership for Fiscal Year 2019-2020". September 15, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
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