FN-28069 MN-28069 LN-28069, Esq.
Attorney, Retired New York State Supreme Court Justice
Rye, New York
Sherwood Neutral Services – Principal
Dorf, Nelson and Zauderer – Senior Counsel
Dorf, Nelson and Zauderer – Senior Counsel
Attorney, Retired New York State Supreme Court Justice
Senior Counsel, Dorf, Nelson & Zauderer LLP, 2023 - Present; Principal, Sherwood Neutral Services and Senior Counsel, Ganfer Shore Leeds & Zauderer LLP, 2021 – 2023, Justice, New York State Supreme Court - New York County Commercial Division, 2011 – 2021; Judge, New York State Court of Claims, 2008 – 2015; Partner, Manatt Phelps & Phillips, 1994 – 2008; Corporation Counsel, City of New York, 1992 – 1993; Solicitor General, State of New York, 1985 – 1992; Assistant Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., 1974 – 1985; Law Clerk to Fritz W. Alexander II, New York Civil Court, 1971 – 1974.
Extensive experience as a litigator, law office executive and judge. Over 10 years as justice of the New York State Supreme Court, New York County, Commercial Division, presiding over a wide variety of issues, including the following areas:
Business/Commercial:
Breach of contract and of fiduciary duty, business torts, conversion, corporate governance/internal affairs, franchise, fraud, licensing, misrepresentation, mergers and acquisitions, partnership/joint venture, business restructuring/dissolution, negligent misrepresentation, shareholder rights, trade secret, unfair competition disputes, appropriation and condemnation claims.
Construction:
Disputes involving construction of manufacturing facilities, office buildings, public construction, and residential buildings.
Employment:
Breach of employment contract, employee benefits and executive compensation, non-competition, trade secret, and wrongful termination claims.
Entertainment/Sports/Art:
Talent/manager, licensing, distribution, ownership disputes.
Insurance:
Coverage, directors and officers, environmental indemnity, errors and omissions, reinsurance, and subrogation claims.
Professional Liability:
Accounting and legal malpractice claims.
Real Property:
Commercial real estate transactions involving sales and purchase agreements, construction, foreclosure of commercial buildings, and commercial leases.
Over 30 years civil litigation experience in trial and appellate courts, including United States Supreme Court and New York Court of Appeals involving a broad range of issues including precedent setting employment discrimination cases in federal courts, defense of government agencies and agency action, defense of public university systems including due process, First and Fourteenth Amendment and tort claims, and prosecution and defense of contract claims.
Development and oversight of government procurement policies, minority, and women business enterprise policies, ethics rules and police misconduct review policies; negotiation of executive employment agreements and advisor on franchise/lease agreements.
Formation of $270 million local development organization and service as counsel to its board of directors; service as director of for-profit company and not-for-profit entities; service as commissioner of state ethics commission; as Solicitor General rendered opinions interpreting state constitution and laws for government agencies, rendered opinions in connection with municipal bond issuance; as Corporation Counsel provided opinions regarding agency jurisdiction and authority.
Business/Commercial:
Breach of contract and of fiduciary duty, business torts, conversion, corporate governance/internal affairs, franchise, fraud, licensing, misrepresentation, mergers and acquisitions, partnership/joint venture, business restructuring/dissolution, negligent misrepresentation, shareholder rights, trade secret, unfair competition disputes, appropriation and condemnation claims.
Construction:
Disputes involving construction of manufacturing facilities, office buildings, public construction, and residential buildings.
Employment:
Breach of employment contract, employee benefits and executive compensation, non-competition, trade secret, and wrongful termination claims.
Entertainment/Sports/Art:
Talent/manager, licensing, distribution, ownership disputes.
Insurance:
Coverage, directors and officers, environmental indemnity, errors and omissions, reinsurance, and subrogation claims.
Professional Liability:
Accounting and legal malpractice claims.
Real Property:
Commercial real estate transactions involving sales and purchase agreements, construction, foreclosure of commercial buildings, and commercial leases.
Over 30 years civil litigation experience in trial and appellate courts, including United States Supreme Court and New York Court of Appeals involving a broad range of issues including precedent setting employment discrimination cases in federal courts, defense of government agencies and agency action, defense of public university systems including due process, First and Fourteenth Amendment and tort claims, and prosecution and defense of contract claims.
Development and oversight of government procurement policies, minority, and women business enterprise policies, ethics rules and police misconduct review policies; negotiation of executive employment agreements and advisor on franchise/lease agreements.
Formation of $270 million local development organization and service as counsel to its board of directors; service as director of for-profit company and not-for-profit entities; service as commissioner of state ethics commission; as Solicitor General rendered opinions interpreting state constitution and laws for government agencies, rendered opinions in connection with municipal bond issuance; as Corporation Counsel provided opinions regarding agency jurisdiction and authority.
As a trial court judge and private mediator settled many commercial disputes involving businesses, business dissolution, environmental indemnity, accounting and legal malpractice, family business disputes, insurance coverage, construction, fraud claims, shareholder disputes, breach of contract and employment disputes.
New York University School of Law (JD-1971); Brooklyn College (BA-1968).
Admitted to the Bar: New York (1972); U.S. District Court: Southern, Eastern (1974) and Northern (1987) Districts of New York; U.S. Court of Appeals: 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 11th Circuits (between 1974 and 1982); U.S. Supreme Court (1975).
Fellow, College of Commercial Arbitrators; Fellow, Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource (ASTAR); Founding Member and Committee Co-Chair, Advisory Council on the Commercial Division; York State Bar Association.
Authored over 1,000 published judicial opinions, wrote many articles and appears regularly as speaker and panelist on law related subjects.
New York City Metropolitan Area
$900 Per Hour
English
United States of America
Rye, NY
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The information contained in this resume has been supplied solely by the individual mediator and may, or may not, be a complete recitation of their experience. The AAA assumes no responsibility for the content, completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in a mediator’s resume. If you have any questions about a mediator’s experience or background, you are encouraged to contact your case manager.
Mediators on the AAA Roster are not employees or agents of the AAA.
The information contained in this resume has been supplied solely by the individual mediator and may, or may not, be a complete recitation of their experience. The AAA assumes no responsibility for the content, completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in a mediator’s resume. If you have any questions about a mediator’s experience or background, you are encouraged to contact your case manager.
Mediators on the AAA Roster are not employees or agents of the AAA.
