Temidayo Aganga-Williams has joined the firm as a partner, bringing strong government experience to his representation of clients facing complex enforcement actions, internal investigations, congressional oversight, and high-stakes civil litigation. Most recently, he served as Senior Investigative Counsel for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. Before that, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
“Selendy Gay is proud to celebrate its fifth anniversary this month, and we are delighted to mark the occasion with the addition of our newest partner,” said Maria Ginzburg, Selendy Gay’s managing partner. “Temidayo is a seasoned attorney, who can deftly lead congressional, governmental, corporate, board and audit committee investigations, as well as bet-the-company criminal trials. He also has a very strong background as a civil litigator.”
As Senior Investigative Counsel to the House Select Committee, Temidayo was responsible for investigating the circumstances and causes of the January 6, 2021 attack together with issues related to the transfer of executive power. In that role, he conducted depositions and interviewed dozens of witnesses, including senior advisors to former President Trump, provided legal and strategic guidance on novel congressional investigation issues, coordinated the presentation of evidence for televised hearings, and contributed to the Select Committee’s final report.
“Congress will open a wide variety of new investigations over the next two years, doubling down on its examination of executive branch function, as well as many industries – finance, technology, healthcare, life sciences, environmental, and education, to name just a few,” said Faith Gay, a co-founder and named partner of Selendy Gay. “Temidayo has the experience and skill set to guide government and industry leaders through a very public process that affects their most important relationships with the public, consumers, shareholders, and boards.”
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, Temidayo received the Department of Justice’s Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his extraordinary contributions. He served as a member of the Business and Securities Fraud section, where he investigated bank fraud, tax fraud, mail and wire fraud, and Bank Secrecy Act violations. He also served as a member of the International Narcotics and Money Laundering section, in which he investigated and prosecuted money laundering and narcotics trafficking organizations, organized criminal conduct, and racketeering operations throughout the United States and internationally. In addition, Temidayo has argued numerous cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Selendy Gay regularly represents clients in an investigation by the DOJ, SEC, CFTC, state Attorneys General, and other enforcement agencies. The firm represents clients facing securities fraud, antitrust, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), money laundering, health care fraud, procurement fraud, tax fraud, and bankruptcy fraud allegations, among others. It handles litigation that involves multiple jurisdictions and regulatory authorities, as well as parallel actions involving the government investigation and private plaintiff claims. The firm has also represented government entities and officials, including numerous Governors, state Attorneys General, the House of Representatives, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
“Temidayo’s experience as a senior Congressional investigator and storied AUSA adds to the extraordinary roster of talent in our partnership, which includes a number of significant former officials and prosecutors in federal and state government,” said Philippe Z. Selendy, co-founder of Selendy Gay. “Our clients bring us complex and high-stakes litigations and investigations, which often require us to act before both judicial and regulatory tribunals on behalf of many stakeholders. Temidayo is a natural fit with us.”
Selendy Gay’s investigations and criminal defense practice includes partners:
- Caitlin Halligan, who served as solicitor general for the State of New York from 2001 to 2007. Before that, she served as the first chief of the New York attorney general’s Internet Bureau and as general counsel to the New York County District Attorney’s Office.
- Faith Gay, a former chief of the Civil Rights Unit (Criminal Division) and former deputy chief of the Special Prosecutions Unit in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
- Jordan Goldstein, a former federal prosecutor. He served in senior roles in the DOJ, including in its Office of Legal Counsel, and as special counsel to the assistant attorney general for the National Security Division.
- Joshua Margolin, who represents clients in a wide array of financial, medical technology, manufacturing, higher education, construction, energy, and environmental protection disputes, and guides individual clients and boards through investigations.
- Lauren Zimmerman, a former trial lawyer with Brooklyn Defender Services, where she represented clients at arraignments and in a wide range of criminal trials and administrative hearings.
“Selendy Gay offers clients vast litigation and investigations experience, coupled with a reputation for excellence, honesty, and integrity,” said Temidayo Aganga-Williams. “I look forward to playing a leadership role on this superb team.”
