Photo of Serene E. Carino

Serene E. Carino is a commercial litigator representing individuals and entities involved in complex commercial disputes in areas involving general business torts, breach of contract claims, breach of fiduciary duty, and shareholder disputes.

Serene conducts legal research and analysis and provides trial support. She engages in many aspects of trial preparation including performing due diligence, research, and discovery of electronically stored information.

Before joining the firm, Serene was an in-house legal intern at an international consumer goods corporation and a commercial bank. She has also served as a legal intern for entities in the public sector.

The Commercial Division Advisory Council has released two proposed rule amendments for public comment — one requiring greater transparency in discovery cost-shifting requests, and another mandating pinpoint citations in Commercial Division filings.

Proposal No. 1: Transparency for Discovery Cost-Shifting Requests

The first proposal would add a new Commercial Division Rule 14-b addressing requests for cost…

Earlier this month, commercial litigators and judges from across New York headed to the Sagamore Resort on Lake George for the NYSBA Commercial and Federal Litigation Section’s 2026 Spring Meeting. The Spring Meeting featured a strong lineup of timely presentations focused on issues litigators commonly face – from appellate practice and bankruptcy litigation to ethics…

A recent decision from Suffolk County Justice Linda Kevins in Cassata v Michael Macrina Architect, P.C. serves as yet another warning to practitioners concerning the risks and ethical considerations implicated by the use of generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the legal profession, and the Court’s inclusion of a sanctions chart for AI-related errors offers a…

A recent decision from Monroe County Commercial Division Justice Daniel J. Doyle in Stuver v Greenlight Parent, L.P. demonstrates that arbitration clauses cannot be used as an automatic “get-out-of-court-free” card at the pre-answer, motion-to-dismiss stage. While arbitration clauses are enforceable contractual tools, courts still have the authority to determine whether a dispute falls within the…

Consistent with the Commercial Division Advisory Council’s (“Advisory Council”) mission – i.e., to ensure that the Commercial Division serves as a globally-recognized forum for the adjudication of complex commercial disputes – the Council this summer proposed to amend the Commercial Division Rules (22 NYCRR § 202.70) to clarify the types of insurance-coverage…

On April 23, 2025, Matt Donovan and Viktoriya Liberchuk moderated a panel featuring Westchester Commercial Division Justices Linda S. Jamieson and Gretchen Walsh. The “town-hall” event covered a wide range of topics, including motion practice, artificial intelligence in legal proceedings, alternative dispute resolution, and trial procedures, to name just a few.

Below are some of…

On March 4, 2025, the New York County Lawyers Association (“NYCLA”) celebrated a significant milestone during its Annual Gala held at The Pierre Hotel in Manhattan. The event commemorated the 30th Anniversary of the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court.

At the Gala, the NYCLA presented its highest honor – the William Nelson Cromwell Award, which was first established in 1964. This prestigious award is conferred upon individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to public service. This award is named in honor of William Nelson Cromwell, one of NYCLA’s earliest and most esteemed leaders, for “unselfish service to the profession and the community.”

At the Gala, the award was presented to the Commercial Division Justices in New York State. Among those present to accept the honor were Commercial Division Justices from across New York State, including Justice Boddie of the Brooklyn Commercial Division, Justice Driscoll of the Nassau County Commercial Division, Justices Chan, Masley, and Reed of the Manhattan Commercial Division, and Justice Jamieson of the Westchester County Commercial Division.

Continue Reading A Court that Means Business: Three Decades of the New York Commercial Division

Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, and gearing up for the new year, the Commercial Division Advisory Council (the “Advisory Council”) was hard at work in proposing new rule changes. On December 26, 2024, the New York State Office of Court Administration issued a request seeking public commentary on a proposal, recommended…

Having recently set our clocks back at the end of this year’s Daylight Savings Time, we here at New York Commercial Division Practice wanted to alert our readers to an upcoming, decidedly forward-looking NY Bar event.  On Wednesday, November 13, 2024, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, the Commercial and Federal Litigation Section of the…