As mortgage loan transactions continue to become increasingly complex, lenders often worry about the remedies they have if borrowers fail to live up to their obligations. In the event of a default, lenders have the choice under New York’s election of remedies statute (RPAPL § 1301 (1)) to either (i) enforce the note
Remedies
A New Opportunity to Settle Your Case Quickly with Your Adversary on the Way to Court


It’s no secret to anyone litigating in the Commercial Division over the past couple years during the COVID era that the judges of the Commercial Division have been particularly keen on lightening their dockets by encouraging, and even participating in, the settlement of cases that come before them. That trend is sure to continue in…
Limitations on the Rights of Minority Owners in Closely-Held Businesses

Despite all the statutory and common law protections, minority owners remain, in many ways, subject to the whim of the majority. Those considering investment in a closely-held business, negotiating an owners’ agreement, or contemplating litigation are wise to consider the impact of certain key limitations.
Continue Reading Limitations on the Rights of Minority Owners in Closely-Held Businesses
Prejudgment Attachment Orders: High Stakes, Higher Burden

In expensive lawsuits involving fraud claims, the temptation of a defendant to play hide and seek with its assets can be high. To prevent this result, CPLR § 6201 provides a mechanism (i.e., prejudgment attachment order) to preserve such assets. However, in a recent decision from the Suffolk County Commercial Division, Justice Elizabeth H.
Unconscionability Defense Fails to Raise Issue of Fact – Legal Woes for the Whistleblower who Turned Down his Award

In 2015, our colleagues in the white-collar criminal defense bar braced for the impact of a memorandum penned by then Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. The Yates Memo encouraged both federal prosecutors and civil enforcement attorneys to make increased efforts to hold culpable individuals accountable for corporate misconduct.
The Yates Memo embodied the precept…
NY Courts Tackle New Issues in a Post-COVID Court: Modification of Pre-COVID Court Orders
As New York courts reopen and the mandatory stay-at-home order is lifted, what remains unclear is how the numerous Executive Orders issued by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo during the COVID-19 pandemic will affect individuals and businesses who, based on the economic effects of the crisis, may no longer be able to abide by previously issued…
Commercial Division Holds Nonsignatories Are Bound By Agreement’s Arbitration Clause
“Read before you sign”, is what we counsel our clients, since we all know that courts will bind one contractually to a signed agreement even if not read. But, what if you never signed the agreement? Can you still be bound by it? In earlier blogs — here and here — we addressed this very…
The Virtual Practice of Law Is Becoming More Real Than Virtual

At this point, after nearly three months of practicing law virtually from home, I think it’s fair to say that what was once novel and experimental has become a kind of new norm for the future.
Sure, state courts in New York, including the Commercial Division, have been returning slowly-but-surely to in-person operations over the…
No Home Court Advantage for US Tennis Association: Court Finds Violation of Restraining Notice
Looks like the United States Tennis Association (“USTA”) met its match, but this time not on its own court, but rather in another, the Appellate Division, Second Department. The court in Matter of Bravado Intl. Group Merchandising Servs., Inc. v United States Tennis Assn. Inc., recently affirmed the judgment of Westchester Commercial Division Justice…
Commercial Division Judge Reaffirms “Most Critical” Element for Injunctive Relief: Irreparable Harm

Most litigators know that a preliminary injunction is a “drastic remedy” which is not “routinely granted.” Reading these words on paper, however, does not adequately convey the high threshold that a party must meet when seeking this extraordinary relief. Seeking an injunction – especially in the Commercial Division – is usually an uphill battle for…