Executive exits do not always require litigation to create meaningful severance packages. When Brooklyn Mirage terminated a former Director of Premium Sales and withheld his earned commissions, we immediately engaged with venue’s General Counsel. In 12 days, we secured a $45,000 settlement for the client without needing to file suit.

Companies often settle frivolous lawsuits for five-figure “nuisance” amounts simply to avoid legal fees. In defending our client Easyship Inc. against CIPA claims carrying potential nine-figure statutory exposure, we challenged plaintiff’s trap-and-trace theory and refused to entertain their settlement invitations. After we signaled a preparedness to litigate, they voluntary discontinued the action. No settlement paid nor appearances entered.

In litigation involving an Applebee’s location, we developed landlord-interference and pandemic-related counterclaims that defeated the landlord’s attempt to obtain summary judgment and pendente lite rent, preserving Applebee’s affirmative claims and preventing the landlord from converting disputed obligations into immediate payment leverage.

Plaintiffs frequently file commercial suits relying on high-level ledger summaries that cannot survive evidentiary scrutiny. In a NJ ABC proceeding, our client Easyship received notice of lawsuit from the creditors of a former vendor who was now defunct. An audit of the client’s accounting records exposed fatal evidentiary gaps in the assignee’s claim, driving a $41,000 filed complaint down to an executed $5,000 walk-away settlement.

Plaintiffs frequently open commercial disputes with inflated six-figure numbers designed to anchor discussions. When Irth Capital, an investment firm cofounded by Sheikh Mohammad from the Qatari Royal family, received a pre-litigation $300K demand from a recruiting agency, we intervened challenging the demand and its legal basis including dismantling its account stated claim. Ultimately, plaintiff filed suit, however, seeking only $60,000 (an 80% reduction). The parties are awaiting the Court’s decision on Irth’s motion to dismiss.

Representing a private equity associate terminated for “performance” reasons, we negotiated a 228% increase in severance compensation despite the “performance” related termination shifting a $43,000 initial position into a $141,000 severance package.