For 15+ years Sam Walling has represented major corporations in highly complex commercial litigation. He has a national practice that focuses on where challenging legal issues and sophisticated products converge and a track record of success in courts at every level.
Over the course of his career, Sam has successfully defended a Fortune 200 financial institution in lawsuits involving billions of dollars in contractual claims related to securities and financial products; a Fortune 200 multinational industrial conglomerate in lawsuits involving product liability claims related to allegedly defective electromechanical sensors and switches; and a Fortune 100 retailer and Fortune 200 chip manufacturer in lawsuits involving patent infringement claims related to consumer products and semiconductor design and fabrication, respectively.
Sam's practice also has an international dimension. In litigation against numerous foreign entities, he has navigated thorny foreign law issues in Asia and Europe, worked with foreign law experts, and collected evidence in various foreign jurisdictions.
In every matter Sam draws on his deep experience in law, finance, and technology to quickly get to the heart of a dispute, and to provide solid, commercially reasonable legal advice that accounts for the client's business objectives and market and litigation realities.
Sam is a member of the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (FBA) and the Structured Finance Association (SFA) and an Associate Fellow of the Litigation Council of America (LCA). He is also a director of the Advocates for Human Rights, Achieve Twin Cities, and the Twin Cities German Immersion School Building Company.
Experience
The following represents experience acquired prior to joining Jones Day.
Represented the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh in securities cases involving more than $2.8 billion in residential mortgage-backed securities against JPMorgan, Countrywide, Lehman Brothers, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch. The cases included Section 11, Section 12, and common law fraud claims, which required loan sampling and re-underwriting, rating agency model analysis, and statistical damages projections. All cases were successfully resolved before trial.
Represented Advanced Micro Devices in a patent infringement case against Samsung Electronics. The case involved six AMD patents covering circuit-level and transistor-level semiconductor design and fabrication technologies, which required hours of native circuit schematic review and cutting-edge nanoscale analysis using SEM and TEM imaging. After nearly three years of litigation and two rounds of mediation, Samsung agreed to pay AMD $283 million to resolve all claims.
Represented Best Buy in numerous patent infringement cases involving e-commerce web design, AC/DC power adapters, DSPs, mobile apps, and Bluetooth, in which many of the cases were resolved through royalty-free stipulated dismissals.
Represented Rembrandt Vision Technologies through trial and appeal in a patent infringement case involving silicone-hydrogel contact lens technology.
Resolved two product liability defense matters in which the plaintiffs alleged that the manufacturer's switch had failed, resulting in electrocution and in permanently disabling injuries.
- University of Minnesota (J.D. magna cum laude 2006); St. Olaf College (B.A. in Economics cum laude 2000)
- Minnesota, U.S. District Courts for Minnesota and Colorado, and U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia and Federal Circuits
- Named a "North Star Lawyer" by the Minnesota State Bar Association for providing at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services annually (2013-2016)
- Law Clerk to Judge Harriet Lansing, Minnesota Court of Appeals (2006-2007); Judicial Extern to Judge John R. Tunheim, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2005)