Litigation & Disputes

Executives, founders, public figures, and businesses rely on us to negotiate and litigate disputes involving severance packages, deferred compensation, employment agreements, equity rights, restrictive covenants, and executive departures. Our labor and employment practice covers disputes involving executive compensation, severance, worker classification, wage-and-hour violations, tip misappropriation, and claims under the FLSA.

• Defeated equity clawback attempt against client holding 10% stake in AI startup on the eve of $10M merger with publicly traded company — after company fabricated SOW, altered vesting agreements, and backdated termination documents.

• Negotiated $126,000 severance package on behalf of private equity client — a 193% increase over initial $43,000 offer — including resolution of equity, compensation, and termination-related claims.

• Converted no-severance position into $45,000 payment within 12 days for former Director of Premium Sales in severance negotiations with Brooklyn Mirage involving disputed termination and compensation claims.

• Achieved six-figure settlement against La Victoria nightclub on behalf of multi-plaintiff waitstaff alleging violations of minimum wage, overtime, and tip credit provisions.

• Successfully negotiated 70% reduction from plaintiff's initial $100,000 demand, capping client's final contribution at $30,000 in 10-count FEHA/Retaliation claim filed in California.

• Represented Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen in JAMS mediation against putative class action alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law relating to unpaid wages and overtime claims.

Investment firms engage us to protect portfolio companies and investments from management misconduct, contractual breaches, and broken financial commitments.

We handle lender-liability claims, loan and guaranty enforcement, borrower disputes, workout-related litigation, and claims arising from structured financial transactions.

Experienced in resolving:

• Lender liability and borrower disputes

• Enforcement of loan agreements, guarantees, and security interests

• Intercreditor and priority disputes

• Workout-related litigation and post-default enforcement actions

• Claims arising from structured finance transactions

We advise businesses and creditors on distressed claims, asset recovery, fraudulent transfers, preference exposure, workouts, and bankruptcy-related disputes.

• Represented aggrieved investors alongside the Attorney General of New Jersey in landmark enforcement action against Credit Suisse Securities (USA), LLC arising from material misrepresentations in its $10 billion residential mortgage-backed securities offering.

• Represented investors in $40 million recovery action against fund administrator for misrepresentations arising from participation in large-scale Ponzi scheme.

• Represented Chapter 7 Trustee in recovering funds for investor-victims of $12 million auto-financing Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Diamond Finance Co.

• Represented Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. in government enforcement action under the False Claims Act involving claims of defrauding HUD by falsely certifying eligibility of residential mortgage loans for FHA insurance.

• Defended Easyship Inc. as assignee-for-the-benefit-of-creditors in proceeding involving disputed commercial liabilities — reduced $49,000 demand to $5,000 payment and secured voluntary dismissal.

We structure, negotiate, and revise complex commercial agreements, including technology, licensing, revenue-sharing, partnership, and risk-allocation arrangements.

We guide companies and individuals through government subpoenas, regulatory inquiries, internal investigations, document production, and communications with enforcement authorities.

• Represented an investment management firm in responding to a State Department OIG subpoena concerning a former U.S. ambassador’s temporary advisory role. Assessed sensitive revolving-door and government-access issues.

• Represented a logistics technology company in responding to a Homeland Security Investigations subpoena seeking customer account, address, and billing data.

• Represented a logistics technology company in responding to an FDA Office of Criminal Investigations grand jury subpoena seeking address and transaction records related to targeted commercial accounts.

• Advised a logistics technology company in connection with a Homeland Security Investigations counterproliferation subpoena seeking records for user accounts.