Terri Combs practices as a commercial litigator and trial lawyer with substantial experience in financial services litigation, regulatory enforcement defense and securities arbitration. She practiced for 11 years in New York City before returning to the Midwest and joining Faegre Baker Daniels, where she has practiced for the last decade. Terri has supervised teams of up to 30 lawyers in securities regulatory enforcement matters, and she has represented clients throughout the country.  

Select Cases Tried to Result 

• Lead trial counsel for Piper Jaffray & Co., trying a two-week jury trial in federal court in Des Moines where the plaintiff sought more than $10 million in damages. The jury returned a defense verdict on five of six claims and awarded $1 in damages on the remaining claim. That claim was set aside in 2011 on post-trial motions, the court entered a complete dismissal and the losing plaintiff did not appeal.
• Lead trial counsel in 2008 for Six Flags, Inc., trying a $20 million two-week jury trial in Los Angeles to a defense verdict and successfully defending the verdict on appeal to the California Court of Appeals in 2011.
• Lead trial counsel for Princor Financial Services and Principal Life Insurance Company, trying a $5 million securities fraud arbitration claim to a complete defense award in 2006.
• Lead trial counsel for American Express Financial Advisors, Inc., obtaining complete defense award in securities fraud arbitration in 2006.
• Lead trial counsel for a national broker dealer, trying a $15 million stock concentration arbitration in Omaha to a defense award in 2005.
• Lead counsel for a private corporate client in a "purchase price adjustment" arbitration in Chicago, obtaining a seven-figure award for the seller in a merger and acquisition dispute.

An experienced negotiator, Terri has resolved many complex disputes before they reached litigation or trial. She has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution proceedings, especially mediation, arbitration and summary jury trials.

Firm Leadership

• Des Moines Office — Executive Partner, 2008-present
• Faegre & Benson Nominating Committee — Chair, 2010, and Member 2009
• Faegre & Benson 125th Anniversary — Program Committee Chair, 2011
• Faegre & Benson Forum for Women's Achievement — Steering Committee, 2011 

Honors

• Appointed by U.S. District Chief Judge Robert Pratt as district representative to the 2012 Judicial Conference Planning Committee for the Eighth Circuit
• Great Plains Super Lawyers, 2011
• Super Lawyers — Business Litigation, 2011
  

Professional Associations

• Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association — Law & Compliance Division
• Iowa State Bar Association
• Iowa Organization of Women Attorneys
• Polk County Bar Association
• Polk County Women Attorneys

Civic Activities

• Des Moines Metropolitan Opera Board

Additional Representative Cases:

James Zazzali, as Trustee for the DBSI Private Actions Trust v. Advisory Group Equity Services Ltd., et al.
Civ. Action No. 1:11-cv-00475 (D. Del. 2011)
Securities Fraud  

Perry, et al. v. Duoyuan Printing, Inc., et al.
Civ. Action No. 10-cv-7235 (S.D.N.Y. 2010)
Securities Fraud Class Action    

City of New Orleans, Louisiana v. SFJ Management d/b/a Six Flags
Civ. Action No. 09-3631 (E.D. Louisiana 2009)
Breach of Contract              

In the Matter of Conseco Life Insurance Co.            
Iowa Department of Insurance (2008)            
Regulatory Action              

TIG Insurance Co., et al. v. Premier Parks, Inc.            
02C-04-126 (Del. Sup. Ct. 2006)            
Contract Dispute              

Riniker, et al. v. Allen Rausch and Locust Street Securities n/k/a ING Financial Partners            
Supreme Court of Iowa No. 04-1888 (Sup. Ct. IA 2006)            
Securities Fraud                        

Conseco Finance Corp., et al. v. Wells Fargo Financial Leasing, Inc., et al.            
4:01-CV-70587 (S.D. Iowa, 2003)            
Acquisition Dispute                        

In re Sackett, et al. v. National Western Life Insurance Co., et al            
LACV 086487 (Iowa Dist. Ct. 2003)            
Class Action re Insurance Investments              

Telegroup, Inc. v. Solomon Smith Barney, Inc.            
4:01-CV-10532 (S.D. Iowa 2003)            
Acquisition Dispute              

In re:  Arrow Dynamics, Inc.            
Bankruptcy No. 01-37975JAB            
Adversary No. 02P-2173 (C.D. Utah, Bkcty 2002)            
Breach of Contract, Fraud  

In Re Engineering Animation, Inc. Securities Litigation            
4-99-CV-10017 (S.D. Iowa 2001)            
Securities Fraud Class Action              

Paine Webber Group, Inc., et al. v. Zinsmeyer Trusts Partnership            
187 F.3d 988 (8th Cir. 1999)            
Securities Fraud

Clerkships

• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, Hon. Myron H. Bright

Presentations

• Going to Trial
  Faegre & Benson 125th Anniversary Celebration/Annual Meeting, Minneapolis (2011)
• Arbitration vs. Litigation
  Complex Litigation Summit, Minneapolis (2010)
• When Big Brother Comes Calling: Regulatory Inquiries and the Resulting Internal Investigations and Parallel Litigation
  Iowa Association of Corporate Counsel (2010)
• Federal Rules Amendments and Discovery of Electronic Information
  Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. CLE (2007)
• Legal Developments In The Broker-Dealer/Securities Industry
  Insurance Affiliated Broker Dealer Association Spring Seminar (San Antonio) (2006)
• Document Discovery in Complex Litigation
  Iowa State Bar Association: Corporate Counsel Section (2006)
• Ethical Issues For Corporate Counsel
  Principal Financial Group In-House CLE (2005)
• Alternative Dispute Resolution in Multi-Party or Large Dollar Disputes
  Iowa State Bar Association Trade Regulations/Corporate Counsel Seminar (2002)
• SEC Enforcement Developments; Internal Investigations and Supervisory Issues; Broker-Dealer Securities Litigation
  ALI-ABA Annual Securities Litigation Seminar (Boston) (1998)
• Internal Investigations
  Securities Litigation Seminar: Minnesota State Bar Association CLE (1998)
• SEC Enforcement Developments; Internal Investigations and Supervisory Issues
  ALI-ABA Annual Securities Litigation Seminar (Boston) (1997)

Legal Updates

• The Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Guide: Post-Award Proceedings and Appeals
  The Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Guide (1998-09)
• Hello, SEC Calling; Tips for Responding to Regulatory Inquiries
  Faegre & Benson, Trends Magazine (2002)
• Lying To The SEC: The Basics Of The False Statements Statute
  ALI-ABA Course Materials Journal; 23rd Annual Securities Litigation Program (1999)
• The Tests For Broker-Dealer Secondary Liability and The Tensions Between Regulatory Settlements and Customer Actions
  ALI-ABA 22nd Annual Securities Litigation Program (1997)