Alec is a commercial litigator with strong capabilities around fiduciary matters, corporate governance, and insurance and reinsurance. In the corporate litigation side of his practice, Alec ably handles cases involving disputes between shareholders of closely-held corporations and counsels directors and officers regarding fiduciary duties and business strategy.
Alec has experience representing primary and excess insurers with respect to coverage disputes arising under directors and officers, representations and warranties, professional liability, and general liability policies. He has co-authored several articles and client advisories regarding developments in the law pertaining to corporate governance and insurance and reinsurance, including the Director and Officer Liability Insurance Chapter of the American Bar Association Annual Review of Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation.
Alec is devoted to the Boston community and representing the interests of those who have been disenfranchised by our legal system. Specifically, Alec has represented numerous sex trafficking survivors and survivors of domestic violence pro bono. He has also championed legislative reforms to help sex trafficking survivors obtain post-conviction relief. Alec's efforts have been recognized by local and national organizations, including the Boston Business Journal, which named Alec to its prestigious list of forty top professionals in Boston under the age of forty in 2018.
In 2009 and 2010, Alec was an assistant district attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts, where he took almost a dozen cases to trial for offenses ranging from indecent assault and battery to operating under the influence of alcohol. On behalf of the Commonwealth, Alec successfully argued the appeal Commonwealth v. Maker, SJC-10761 (2011 WL 711566 (Mar. 3, 2011) before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. During law school, he was the news editor of the Virginia Law Weekly.
Alec is the lead Litigation Hiring Member for the firm’s Summer Associate Program in Boston.
Representative matters include:
- Represented insurers in numerous coverage disputes including CGL, D&O, and representations and warranties policies.
- Represented numerous clients in post-merger indemnification disputes.
- Defended directors and officers of companies in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, professional services, engineering, architecture, and financial services against claims that they breached their fiduciary duties.
- Represented minority shareholders in freeze-out actions against majority shareholders.
Education
- University of Virginia (JD)
- Brandeis University (BA)
Experience
- Represented the general partner of a hedge fund and its members in a dispute with a former employee who claimed to own a minority interest in the general partner.
- Represented a minority shareholder when he was frozen out of his business by the majority shareholder who forced the company into bankruptcy to avoid liability. Obtained a resounding win on summary judgment as to the remedy for the minority shareholder.
- Represented a major eCommerce provider in a commercial dispute with a former customer.
- Represented the ousted founder of an automation company in a fiduciary dispute.
- Represented an insurer in parallel actions before the bankruptcy court and federal court in connection with claims for coverage brought by directors, officers, and corporate policyholders leading to a successful multiparty mediation.
- Represented a telecommunications service provider in general commercial litigation and corporate litigation matters.
- Represented a majority shareholder in a dispute with a minority shareholder resulting in a successful mediation.
- Represented a partnership in a dispute with a former partner regarding compensation.
- Represented a majority shareholder of a residential property development company in a dispute with a minority shareholder.
- Represented an insurer with respect to a dispute concerning coverage under a professional liability policy for an insurance broker’s alleged negligence in the procurement of a director and officer liability policy.
- Represented an insurer with respect to a dispute concerning the allocation method among standard occurrence-based CGL policies for a long-term progressive injury.
- Part of the team that won over $8 million for the owners of an iconic Boston restaurant that was forced to close and file bankruptcy due to a long-term state-funded construction project that had a negative effect on the number of customers. After a three-week trial, the jury awarded our client the full amount we requested.
Recognition & Awards
- Selected Participant, 2020 Young American Leaders Program, Harvard Business School
- Massachusetts Super Lawyers: Rising Star: Closely Held Business (2013 – 2019)
- Professional Director Certification, American College of Corporate Directors (June 2019)
- Boston Business Journal: 40 Under 40 (2018)
- 2018 Adams Pro Bono Publico Award
- Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce: Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Award (2018)
- Boston Business Journal: Emerging Leader (2015)
- Richard Mintz Pro Bono Award (2014)
- Kids In Need of Defense, Pro Bono Attorney of the Month (March 2013)
- Boston Bar Association, Public Interest Leadership Program (2013)
Involvement
- Secretary, PLUS New England Chapter Committee
- Member, Business Associates Club
- Co-chair, Boston Bar Association, Human Trafficking Sub-Committee
- Member, Boston Bar Association, Delivery of Legal Services Steering Committee
Recent Insights
Viewpoints
News & Press
Viewpoints
Recent Decision in Newmont Mining Reinforces the High Bar Buyers Face when Attempting to Establish a Material Adverse Event
May 4, 2020 | Blog | By Francis Earley, Alec Zadek, Joel Rothman
Supreme Judicial Court Affirms Award Of $2,250,000 plus Interest Against Insurer for Breach of Duty to Defend and Settle — on $50,000 Policy
September 18, 2015 | Alert | By Alec Zadek
News & Press
