In 2025, get ready for a whirlwind of updates across the state. From personal jurisdiction to discovery and beyond, some recent cases are shifting the landscape in New York. Read below to find out what happened and learn the...more
Previously, this Blog examined the doctrine of res judicata (here, here, here and here). Under the doctrine, a party may not litigate a claim where a judgment on the merits exists from a prior action between the same parties...more
All civil judicial proceedings must be in the form of an action – unless otherwise authorized by statute, i.e. in the form of a special proceeding (see CPLR 103[b]). While most lawsuits are brought solely in the form of...more
Now and then a lawyer fails to meet a deadline or otherwise acts untimely. Several “saving” provisions in the Civil Practice Law and Rules (“CPLR”) are available to assist a lawyer when deadlines are missed. These include:...more
In New York civil actions, where a defendant fails to answer the complaint, the next step is usually a motion for a default judgment pursuant to CPLR 3215. However, in residential mortgage foreclosure actions, the plaintiff...more
Failing to file a notice of claim pursuant to Civil Practice Law and Rules (“CPLR”) Section 9802 can become a trap for the unwary litigator who commences a hybrid proceeding-action (Article 78 claim(s) combined with plenary...more
Under CPLR §§ 3111 and 3122(d), “[t]he reasonable production expenses of a non-party witness shall be defrayed by the party seeking discovery.” The Commercial Division Rules at Appendix A (“Guidelines for the Discovery of...more
The New York County Commercial Division rules differ materially from rules in New York County generally and, over time, have come to mirror the more stringent federal demands....more
Jurisdiction: Supreme Court of New York, New York County - In a New York City asbestos action, defendant Tishman Liquidating Corporation moved for summary judgment to dismiss plaintiff’s complaint, arguing the plaintiff’s...more
Discovery (or disclosure) in litigation, which is governed in New York State practice by Article 31 of the CPLR, is the mechanism by which litigants obtain facts and information from other parties and non-parties to support...more
Under CPLR 7502(c), a court in “the county in which an arbitration is pending…[is permitted to] entertain an application…for a preliminary injunction in connection with an arbitration that is pending or that is to be...more
In Villaver v. Paglinawan, 2024 N.Y. Slip Op. 04159 (2d Dept. Aug. 7, 2024) (here), the Appellate Division, Second Department reversed the dismissal of a legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and intentional infliction...more
CPLR 3213, which is a procedural device permitting a plaintiff, under certain circumstances, to obtain summary relief at the very beginning of a lawsuit, provides, in pertinent part: When an action is based upon an...more
It is well-settled that leave to amend a pleading is to be freely granted. Leave may be denied, however, if the proposed amendment is palpably insufficient or patently devoid of merit, or if it would cause undue prejudice to...more
Sections 3102 and 3108 of the CPLR outline methods for conducting discovery, including discovery “outside” or “without” the state. But what about demands for discovery and inspection of documents located outside the country?...more
The Second Department recently held in Trento 67, LLC v. OneWest Bank, N.A., et. al that the FHA COVID-19 moratorium constituted a stay of foreclosures for federally-backed mortgages, and thus tolled the statute of...more
By Jonathan H. Freiberger Today’s article relates to renewal judgments under CPLR 5014 in the face of potentially defective service of process. This BLOG has previously addressed CPLR 5014...more
By now, most New York practitioners are aware (or at least have heard) of the recent changes to CPLR 2106, which was amended as of January 1, 2024 to allow “any person” to submit an affirmation “in lieu of and with the same...more
The lion’s share of cases we write about on New York Business Divorce involve consummated business relationships where the warring parties have clearly chosen the particular entity form governing their relations, whether it...more
To state a cause of action for fraud, a plaintiff must allege “a material misrepresentation of a fact, knowledge of its falsity, an intent to induce reliance, justifiable reliance by the plaintiff and damages.” The...more
Closely-held business entities come in all shapes and sizes. By definition, under Partnership Law § 10, it takes “two or more” owners to form a general partnership. But corporations and LLCs have no such impediment, ranging...more
By Jonathan H. Freiberger There are two “components and constitutional predicates of personal jurisdiction.” Keane v. Kamin, 94 N.Y.2d 263, 265 (1999). “One component involves service of process, which implicates due process...more
The New York County Supreme Court recently held that in the event of foreclosure, a receiver can be appointed, regardless of necessity, when the parties have contracted for such appointment. 24 West 57 APF LLC (“Defendant”)...more
As of January 1, 2024, the amended CPLR 2106 concerning affirmations provides that - [t]he statement of any person wherever made, subscribed and affirmed by that person to be true under the penalties of perjury, may be...more