Jeffrey Simmons

Jeffrey A. Simmons is a partner and member of Foley & Lardner’s Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice, where he focuses on complex litigation matters. Mr. Simmons was lead counsel in one of the largest insurance rehabilitations in U.S. history, In the Matter of the Rehabilitation of Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation, Case No. 10-cv-1576 (Dane Co., Wis.).

A large portion of his practice is also devoted to trademark, copyright, patent and trade secret disputes. He currently serves on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ subcommittee responsible for rewriting the circuit’s pattern jury instructions for trademark and copyright cases.

Prior to joining Foley, Mr. Simmons served as a law clerk to the Hon. John W. Reynolds, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Representative Experience :

• In the Matter of the Rehabilitation of Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation, Case No. 10-cv-1576 (Dane Co., Wis.). Lead counsel in Foley’s representation of the Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance in the largest insurance rehabilitation proceeding in Wisconsin history.
• Guardian Pipeline, LLC v. 249.59 Acres of Land, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35818 (E.D. Wis.). Lead counsel in federal condemnation proceedings under the Natural Gas Act involving more than 200 properties.
• Neil Gaiman, et al. v. Todd McFarlane, et al., 360 F.3d 644 (7th Cir. 2004). Represented the prevailing party at trial and on appeal in one of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ most significant decisions regarding copyright joint ownership.

Education :

Mr. Simmons earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, with distinction, from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1989. He graduated, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School (J.D., 1998), where he was senior note and comment editor of the Wisconsin Law Review, a member of the Moot Court team, and elected to Order of the Coif.
Representative Matters :

• Foley served as counsel for the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) in its role as domestic regulator of Ambac Assurance Corporation (AAC) and as rehabilitator of the Segregated Account of AAC. We have been closely involved with the overall restructuring of AAC, including the recently announced global settlement with the CDO of ABS counterparties.
• Represented an international manufacturer in successful resolution of wrongful termination, Wisconsin Fair Dealership, and breach of contract claims by alleged exclusive U.S. distributor.