As any seasoned commercial litigator knows, courts are generally loathe to overturn the independent decisions of arbitrators.

New York County Commercial Division Justice Charles E. Ramos recently examined the standard for doing so in Daesang Corp. v NutraSweet Co., a dispute arising from Daesang Corporation’s attempted $79,250,000 sale of its aspartame business to iconic

CPLR 3211(a)(1) provides for the dismissal of a claim so long as the defense is based upon “documentary evidence”.  We’ve seen this used successfully in mortgage note cases, (e.g., Bronxville Knolls, Inc. v. Webster Town Center Partnership, [1st Dep’t 1995]), as well as lease litigation (e.g., 150 Broadway N.Y. Assocs., L.P. v. Bodner

The Second Department recently handed down a harsh reminder of the importance of obtaining an executed broker’s agreement.  Oral agreements for broker fees are apt to run afoul of the statute of frauds, and personal jurisdiction cannot be conferred by the mere insertion of a forum selection clause in the brokered sale agreement.

In Ausch

New Rules Shutterstock_317335106One aspect of the Commercial Division that makes it a highly desirable forum for litigators and litigants alike is its focus on the efficient administration of justice. The Commercial Division Advisory Council (the “Advisory Council”), established by New York’s Chief Judge to make recommendations to improve and enhance the Commercial Division, recently proposed three amendments