In a recent case, Gammel v Immelt (2019 NY Slip Op 32005[U]), shareholders of General Electric Company (GE), brought a derivative shareholder action against the members of GE’s board of directors and various committees charged 
with overseeing GE’s business operations. Plaintiffs alleged causes of action sounding in gross mismanagement and breach of fiduciary duty, among
A Thoughtful Insight into Seeking a Stay of Proceedings
“Should I stay or should I go”, queried the Clash. Litigators are often faced with the same question, albeit in a far different context. Most (but certainly not all!) Commercial Division practitioners try to move litigation with some degree of alacrity. The quicker the litigation proceeds, the swifter the resolution. Clients like quick resolutions.
Law firm’s “no poaching” agreement escapes judicial review, and heads to arbitration
Neil Sedaka was right. “Breaking up is hard to do.” It’s no easier for law firms. The saga over the departure of key partners from Quinn Emanuel continues, but this time in arbitration, not the courts.
Justice Saliann Scarpulla was faced with a motion by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP to dismiss
Want to File Under Seal? Here’s the Deal
To the uninitiated litigant, filing documents containing private, potentially embarrassing information under seal might seem like it should be easy and straightforward, especially if the opposing party has agreed to treat the document (or information contained therein) as confidential. In fact, however, New York courts typically will only grant motions to seal in narrow circumstances
Summary Judgment 102: Make Sure Your “Money Instrument” Is In Tune With CPLR 3213
Summary judgment plays an important role in litigation. So important, in fact, that many of our blog posts are devoted to the topic. Last week, my colleague Matthew Donovan discussed the policy against allowing successive summary judgment motions. A few weeks prior to that, in Summary Judgment 101, I discussed the basic, yet
When Summary Doesn’t Mean Summary: Getting a Second Bite at Summary Judgment
There is a general policy in New York against allowing multiple or successive motions for summary judgment. And it stands to reason. After all, the word “summary,” from the Latin summa (as in Thomas Aquinas), refers to the essence, epitome, or totality of a thing; to a comprehensive statement that captures the whole, often
A Prior Inconsistent Statement Is Not Necessarily Your Road to Judicial Estoppel
You have been engaged in extensive motion practice in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. You learn that your adversary, it appears, has taken a position contrary to the one taken in a prior proceeding. These “gotcha” moments don’t happen often, but you savor them when they do. You immediately proceed to
Judge Emerson Says “Thank you, Next” to Plaintiff’s Weak Arguments in Opposition to Enforcement of Forum-Selection Clause
Boy invites Girl on a date for Valentine’s Day. They agree to meet at a restaurant near Boy’s home (rude, but ok). Girl wakes up on Valentine’s Day and cancels the date once she realizes she has to travel a longer distance than she expected. Boy is left wondering what happened because they had agreed
Summary Judgment 101: Movants, Make Sure Your Evidence Is In “Admissible Form”
Most litigators are familiar with the requirement that a summary motion be supported with “evidentiary proof in admissible form” establishing the merits of a cause of action or defense. Nevertheless, many practitioners make the common mistake of submitting evidence in support of a summary judgment motion that would not be admissible at trial, resulting in
Check the Rules Part IX: More Procedural Particularities of Practicing in the Commercial Division
As readers of this blog have come to appreciate, we here at New York Commercial D
ivision Practice tend to report on — among other things Commercial Division — the procedural particularities of litigating commercial matters before the various judges that have been assigned to the Commercial Division over the years. Such particularities may arise