Litigation

Tenacious Advocacy for Complex Business Matters

The uncertainty of major litigation always has a profound effect on your business. The best way to help you manage these risks is to identify potential triggers and provide sound advice on how to avoid them. When litigation is inevitable, we offer dedicated, tenacious and efficient advocacy.

Who We Are

Tarter Krinsky & Drogin’s Litigation Group consists of a seasoned team of litigators with the requisite experience to counsel clients in highly complex disputes. Our in-depth understanding of business matters and knowledge of multiple industries allows us to formulate cost-effective and efficient paths of success for our clients. 

Our Philosophy

The firm’s litigation, trial and appellate lawyers know from experience that every dispute must be approached with a focus on the courts, arbitrators or mediators who may ultimately determine our clients’ matters. We successfully resolve many disputes prior to litigation or before trial because we know – and our adversaries know – that we can and will take our clients’ cases to the end if need be and that we have a winning track record. Our litigators work closely with our clients to assess the alternatives for resolving their disputes and to craft strategies that will best serve the clients’ ultimate goals. Although our trial lawyers relish victory in court, our focus is on the most cost-conscious and quickest path to the outcome that the client defines as a “win.”

Because we work closely with clients to understand and achieve their goals, we are also particularly well-suited to provide the services required by mid-market companies that do not otherwise have the need or ability to maintain their own in-house litigation staff. We also work regularly with larger companies and in-house counsel when outside litigation assistance is necessary.

In all cases, we understand that the clients’ main concern is conducting their lives and businesses and that resources deployed in litigation are resources not available for those purposes. We staff cases in the most cost-effective manner to provide vigorous, effective representation.

Successful Track Record in the Courtroom

We have built our Litigation Group on the knowledge and experience of litigators trained in the most rigorous environments, including Big Law firms, litigation, trial and appellate law boutiques as well as government service. Our litigators are seasoned in the same state and federal trial, appellate, bankruptcy courts, and arbitration and mediation forums in which we represent clients throughout the United States. We pursue and defend our clients’ interests on a nationwide basis including in:

  • New York State, where our litigators routinely appear and litigate in the Supreme Court – Commercial Division, which handles complicated commercial cases, as well as other New York State trial and appellate courts;
  • The United States District Courts for both the Southern and Eastern Districts of New; York, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; and
  • Courts across the country including the United States Bankruptcy Courts, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other local, state and federal courts.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

We also consider settlement discussions early on as a viable and speedy resolution and look to mediation and arbitration as alternatives for cost-effective and efficient outcomes. Our attorneys regularly participate in proceedings conducted through JAMS, the AAA, FINRA and other similar organizations.

Areas of Focus

Given the depth and breadth of experience of our litigators, any list of the “kinds” of disputes we handle or the “types” of clients we represent would necessarily be incomplete.  Nonetheless, the Litigation Department frequently handles matters such as:

  • Business contract and/or relationship disputes
  • Business tort litigation, including alleged fraud or breach of fiduciary duty
  • Business dissolutions, breakups and shareholder/partner fights
  • Securities fraud and financial services matters
  • Antitrust litigation
  • Intellectual property disputes (with our Intellectual Property group)
  • Trade secrets and unfair competition matters
  • Licensing claims
  • Defamation and libel claims
  • Labor and Employment disputes (with our Labor & Employment group)
  • Enforcement of restrictive covenants and non-competition agreements
  • Real estate litigation (with our Real Estate group)
  • Commercial landlord-tenant lease disputes
  • Creditors’ rights matters (with our Bankruptcy and Corporate Restructuring Group)
  • Claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)
  • Asset recovery
  • Looted art recovery and other art law matters
  • Dealer, representative, franchisee and distributor terminations
  • Trusts and Estates litigation (with our Trusts and Estates group)
  • White collar and government investigations (with our White Collar group)

In addition, the Litigation Department is the home for the following special Tarter Krinsky & Drogin practice groups:

  • Commercial Landlord-Tenant Lease Disputes
  • Corporate Investigations
  • Product Liability and Mass Torts
  • Securities and Financial Services Litigation

In short, we handle all manners of commercial disputes for clients ranging from large corporations and financial institutions to individuals with substantial disputes requiring sophisticated advocacy. As a full-service mid-market firm, we have the benefit of collaboration with our colleagues in Tarter Krinsky & Drogin’s Bankruptcy and Corporate Restructuring, Intellectual Property, International, Labor & Employment and Real Estate & Construction, White Collar & Government Investigations groups to handle matters arising in those areas.

Name Title Direct Dial Vcard
Baglin, Cathi Counsel Counsel 212.216.8083 VCard
Berkowitz, Mark Partner Partner 212.216.1166 VCard
Bernstein, Debra Bodian Partner Partner 212.216.8027 VCard
Chu, Justin Y.K. General Counsel and Partner General Counsel and Partner 212.216.1160 VCard
Cobb, Christopher Counsel Counsel 212.216.1181 VCard
Gipson, Lissa C. Partner Partner 212.216.1161 VCard
Grudberg, Michael J. Partner and Co-Chair of White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement Practice Partner and Co-Chair of White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement Practice 212.216.8035 VCard
Heim, Robert G. Partner and Co-Chair of White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement Practice Partner and Co-Chair of White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement Practice 212.216.1131 VCard
Hudak, Sandra A. Associate Associate 212.216.1174 VCard
Kilduff, Patrick J. Partner and Chair of Compliance and Administrative Law Practice and Outdoor Advertising Practice Partner and Chair of Compliance and Administrative Law Practice and Outdoor Advertising Practice 212.216.8019 VCard
Krinsky, Andrew N. Partner and Chair of Litigation Practice Partner and Chair of Litigation Practice 212.216.8080 VCard
Lazzaro, Brittany K. Associate Associate 212.216.1130 VCard
Linn, Janet B. Counsel Counsel 212.216.8067 VCard
Lippert, Nels T. Partner and Chair of Intellectual Property Practice Partner and Chair of Intellectual Property Practice 212.216.1157 VCard
Lomuscio, Richard J.L. Partner Partner 212.216.8018 VCard
Miller, Charles M. Partner and Co-Chair of Securities and Financial Services Litigation Group Partner and Co-Chair of Securities and Financial Services Litigation Group 212.216.8085 VCard
Nachimson, Beverly Paralegal Paralegal 212.216.8087 VCard
O'Connor, Elizabeth A. Partner Partner 212.216.1104 VCard
Polyakov, Steve Partner and Chair of Healthcare and Pharmacy Law Practice Partner and Chair of Healthcare and Pharmacy Law Practice 212.216.1190 VCard
Roher, Travis S. Associate Associate 212.216.8079 VCard
Rosenberg, Mark J. Partner and Chair of Reputation Management Practice Partner and Chair of Reputation Management Practice 212.216.1127 VCard
Rosner, Joel H. Counsel Counsel 212.216.1187 VCard
Rotberg, Tuvia Partner Partner 212.216.1172 VCard
Schmedlin, William Associate Associate 212.216.8072 VCard
Schoenstein, Richard C. Partner, Vice-Chair of Litigation and Co-Chair of Securities and Financial Services Litigation Group Partner, Vice-Chair of Litigation and Co-Chair of Securities and Financial Services Litigation Group 212.216.1120 VCard
Sturm, Chandler Associate Associate 212.216.1128 VCard
Temchin, Jonathan E. Counsel Counsel 212.216.1139 VCard
Torsiello, Matthew R. Associate Associate 212.216.1156 VCard
Troup, Steven Of Counsel Of Counsel 212.216.8020 VCard
Tumulty, Christopher Partner Partner 212.216.8096 VCard
Williamson, Richard A. Partner Partner 212.216.8006 VCard
Wolf, Robert A. Partner Partner 212.216.1159 VCard
  • apple seeds LLC

    apple seeds LLC is a growing organization that provides indoor playground facilities, classes, birthday parties and other activities. As an emerging and growing business, apple seeds needed a business-minded legal partner who understood the challenges of being a middle market business. They needed help building the company from the ground floor up, and providing a solid foundation for future growth.  

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  • Brittany Lazzaro Authors Best Lawyers Business Article on Unlocking the Supply Chain
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    May 1, 2018

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    Labor & Employment Chair Laurent Drogin published an article for the Association of Corporate Counsel’s (ACC) New York City fall newsletter titled, “Unsettling Developments in the Settlement of Wage & Hour Litigations.” In the article, Laurent notes that in recent years, corporate counsel have been dealing with a massive increase in wage and hour issues, often in the form of a lawsuit, a Department of Labor investigation or an in-house compliance audit. He notes that the vast majority of lawsuits settle before trial, and from a company’s perspective, early resolution limits legal expenses, business distraction and, of course, liability. 

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  • Being First is Not Enough: Courts Reject Recruiters’ Fee Claims
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  • E-Discovery: Plan Now to Prevent Problems Later
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