News

On behalf of former recording industry executive Charlie Walk, Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP on March 25 filed a $60 million legal malpractice action against Walk’s former attorney Mark Kasowitz, contending that rather than challenging Walk’s unjustified ouster by his former employer, UMG Recordings, Inc., Kasowitz counseled Walk to accept a settlement that deprived him of tens of millions of dollars due him and of his ability to defend his reputation. Schlam Stone & Dolan attorneys Jeffrey Eilender, Erik Groothuis and Michael Brodlieb, along with co-counsel Bryan Freedman, are handling the case.

On February 5, 2021, partner Jeffrey M. Eilender and counsel Joshua Wurtzel scored a significant victory for their real-estate partnership client by defeating a German investment company’s motion for summary judgment in lieu of complaint on a $136 million claim. In its motion, the plaintiff argued that it was entitled to reimbursement from the partnership for repaying a partnership debt for which it claimed it was a guarantor, and cast the case as open and shut. But arguing before the court last Friday, Wurtzel persuaded the Honorable Barry R. Ostrager of the New York County Commercial Division that issues of fact existed, including concerning whether the plaintiff had standing and capacity to sue on this claim. This was a major victory for Schlam Stone and its client, and stopped the plaintiff dead in its tracks in its effort to secure accelerated judgment at the outset of the case.

Partners Jeffrey M. Eilender and Douglas E. Grover, and Counsel Seth D. Allen won a decisive victory from the Circuit Court of Florida, Clay County, on behalf of their client, Haarslev Inc., a subsidiary of a worldwide industrial corporation headquartered in Denmark. Following a two-day evidentiary hearing, conducted via Zoom, the Florida court granted Haarslev’s motion to compel arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce.

U.S. News & World Report has named Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP to their highly regarded list of Best Law Firms.

Jonathan Mazer commented at length to Business Fleet concerning New York law applicable to vehicle fleet operators who want to ensure that drivers are classified as independent contractors rather than employees.

We hope that all are well in these chaotic times.

Schlam Stone & Dolan attorney John Whelan was quoted by Bloomberg News in an article regarding recent developments in an action pending in the Southern District of New York regarding the manipulation of the market for Mexican government bonds.

Erik S. Groothuis authored an article discussing the often-underappreciated importance of choice of law and forum selection clauses in contracts for Inside, the quarterly publication of the Corporate Counsel Section for the New York State Bar Association. The article can be found at page 27 of the Spring/Summer 2019 edition (Volume 37, No. 1), which can be found on the web here.

Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP partner John Lundin began a three-year term as Chair of the Litigation Committee of the New York City Bar Association. Associate Seth Allen will serve as Committee Secretary.

Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP is pleased to announce the launch of the Same-Day Justice Program, an arbitration service where participants can participate in an evidentiary hearing and receive a decision in their case that same day.