Gemma Galeoto

When a business dispute threatens your company, you need a lawyer who has been there before—in the courtroom, at the mediation table, in front of a jury. Gemma Galeoto has tried dozens of cases across Texas and in federal courts nationwide. She knows how to win a temporary restraining order on 48 hours’ notice, how to dismantle a fraud claim at summary judgment, and how to try a case to verdict when settlement talks break down.

Before joining Calhoun Bhella & Sechrest, Gemma was a partner at Holland & Knight, where she represented banks, private equity funds, real estate investors, and Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes commercial litigation. She has recovered millions for clients, defended bet-the-company claims, and managed internal investigations for companies. D Magazine and Texas Super Lawyers have recognized her as one of the top business litigators in Texas every year for over a decade. Her clients get big-firm firepower without the bureaucracy.

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Representative Experience

Financial Services Litigation

• Successfully represented a national bank in recovery of over $20 million for a breach of a commercial guaranty

• Successfully represented an Immigration Investor Program (EB-5) lender in defeating fraud and misrepresentation allegations, obtaining full dismissal of claims alleging millions of dollars in damages through summary judgment

• Obtained complete victory, including a temporary injunction win and large mediation award, for an energy services private equity client in a dispute involving a multimillion dollar breach of an asset purchase agreement

• Obtained successful pre-trial resolution of a multimillion-dollar private equity dispute

• Overturned a more than $800,000 default judgment against a national financial institution

• Negotiated the reversal of a default judgment against a national financial institution with no costly motion practice Obtained a large default judgment for a nontraditional lender against a delinquent entity

• Successful representation of nontraditional lenders in merchant disputes

• Significant successful experience representing private equity firms and financial institutions/banks in breach of contract litigation

• More than a decade of experience representing financial institutions in lender liability and intercreditor disputes, including Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Consumer Protection Act (DTPA) claims

• Obtained complete relief for title loan lenders in multiple bench trials involving breach of contract disputes

Trial, Appellate, Arbitration and Injunctive Relief Experience

• Lead counsel in obtaining complete relief for real estate investor in overturning a fraudulent lien clouding title

• Lead counsel for a week-long arbitration dispute involving a multimillion-dollar director dispute against a publicly traded company

• Lead counsel for a managed care organization (MCO) in a multimillion-dollar trade secret dispute, obtaining favorable pre-trial resolution for clients

• Co-led internal investigation on behalf of a publicly-traded company

• Obtained a temporary injunction win and complete victory for an employer involving non-compete and misappropriation of trade secret claims against a former employee

• Lead counsel for a telemedicine provider in litigation involving a multimillion-dollar breach of contract and theft of intellectual property with a discount plan organization

• Obtained a temporary injunction win in favor of an environmental energy services company against another company and former employee for multimillion-dollar violations of a non-solicitation agreement

• Obtained victory for a large energy turbine manufacturer in a successful multimillion-dollar litigation under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA)

• Counsel for an MCO in multiple arbitration proceedings defending against allegations of underpayment in Medicare, Medicaid and commercial market claims

• Appellate counsel in oral argument representing an MCO with regard to Texas Citizens Participation Act (Anti- SLAPP) claims

• Obtained dismissal of multiple claims against business entities under the Texas Anti-SLAPP statute Defeated Rule 202 pre-suit discovery requests against a business client

• Defended multiple business clients in various non-party subpoena duces tecum requests

• Successfully represented energy brokerage entities in multiple Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) claims Obtained a contested temporary restraining order in a case against a business seller accused of violating company

• asset purchase agreement

• Settled multiple disputes regarding breach of non-compete agreements, breach of non-solicitation and trade secret disputes

• Obtained complete relief for a franchise owner in a case involving substantial personal sanctions Successfully defended multiple franchises in litigation involving lease disputes

• Lead counsel in multiple successful cases involving claims for misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of guaranty agreements, breach of non-solicitation agreements, breach of asset purchase agreements and other breaches of contract