Thomas Godwin

Thomas H. Godwin is of counsel at Ingber & Associates, where he represents businesses, principals, and fiduciaries in complex commercial, real estate, and business disputes. His practice focuses on aligning litigation strategy with clients’ underlying business objectives, financial realities, and organizational priorities.

With more than two decades of trial and appellate experience, Mr. Godwin helps clients navigate high-stakes disputes involving fiduciary duty, fraud, contract claims, real estate, investment disputes, unfair competition, and related business torts. Mr. Godwin has also represented institutional clients in high-exposure catastrophic injury matters, where litigation strategy must account for operational and regulatory considerations. Clients frequently engage him when matters have become procedurally complex, strategically misaligned, or inefficient.

Mr. Godwin approaches disputes as problems to be solved through judgment, strategy, and proportional use of litigation.  He works collaboratively with clients to calibrate legal posture, sequencing, and resource allocation so that advocacy remains purposeful.  Discovery, motion practice, trial advocacy, and negotiation are used as tools to shape resolutions that make business sense. Where appropriate, he addresses procedural and case-management issues by agreement with opposing counsel to reduce unnecessary friction and keep the focus on the issues that truly drive outcomes.

Mr. Godwin’s track record includes case-ending dispositive motions, multi-million-dollar jury verdicts, and favorable negotiated resolutions across a wide range of industries. He has successfully handled appeals from judgments, dispositive motions, and interlocutory orders.

Licensed in California and New York, Mr. Godwin represents clients ranging from closely held businesses and investors to high-profile individuals and Fortune 500 companies.

Representative Matters

Mr. Godwin’s practice covers a wide range of business matters, including fiduciary duty issues, fraud, contract disputes, real estate, accounting controversies, unfair competition, intellectual property, involuntary business dissolutions and trust, estate and conservatorship disputes. 

Business and Investment Disputes

• Secured a $3 million jury verdict on a breach of fiduciary claim on behalf of an LLC member and involuntary judicial dissolution of the LLC. 

• Secured a $2.3 million jury verdict for a minority LLC member in dispute with the company and its managers involving fraud and breach of fiduciary. 

• Negotiated a favorable settlement for entities in a high-profile venture capital dispute over technology investments in Hawaii.

• Prosecuted individual investor securities fraud claims and settled on terms favorable to the client before discovery.

• Defended an LLC member in an involuntary judicial dissolution and fraud action, using the statutory buy-out provisions to secure a favorable settlement. 

Entertainment

• Defended producers of The Dog Whisper series in a joint venture dispute involving business tort and accounting claims. 

• Defended producers in a $100 million dispute involving a slate finance film deal involving business tort and accounting claims.

• Successfully resolved multiple production and distribution disputes on behalf of producer related to Dark Tide, Revolver, and 13.

Real Estate and Contract Dispute

• Obtained a favorable summary judgment ruling in a boundary dispute between a Fortune 100 company and a neighboring landowner.

• Obtained a receiver, on an ex parte basis, over the Hilton Six Flags in a $15 million foreclosure dispute.

• Defended special purpose entity in connection with breach of contract claims arising from termination of a $68 million purchase and sale contract.

Trust, Estates and Conservatorships

• Invalidated settlement agreement in a family trust dispute that purported to strip a settlor of her interest in the trust, resolved multiple petitions for damages and secured a favorable negotiated resolution. 

• Negotiated a favorable resolution on a trustee’s behalf in a dispute involving breach of fiduciary duty claims prior to discovery.

Class Action Defense

• Successfully obtained leave to appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court on class decertification in a product liability class action, which led to resolution of the case prior to a decision on the class certification issue.

• Defeated class certification for a Big Four accounting firm in an accounting malpractice case. 

• Defended private vocational schools in class actions involving fraud and unfair business practices and obtained voluntary withdrawal of a class representative. 

Statute of Limitations and Personal Jurisdiction

• Secured multiple dismissal of entire actions on statute of limitation grounds.

• Secured multiple dismissals of parties on personal jurisdiction grounds.

Court Admissions

• U.S. District Court, Central District of California

• U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York