Lead counsel specializing in complex commercial and business litigation.Firmwide coordinator of COVID-19 insurance recovery practice. Manage, direct and supervise one of the largest policyholder-side COVID-19 insurance recovery practices in the country.

First chair trial attorney for all types of business litigation.

Serve as lead litigator and lead trial counsel on insurance coverage litigation, commercial litigation, real estate, zoning and land use litigation matters.

• Served as lead litigator and lead trial counsel on linsurance coverage litigation matters representing major, high-profile foreign and domestic insurance carrier clients and the New York Liquidation Bureau – many involving hundreds of millions or billions of dollars. Took and defended depositions all over the country of fact and expert witnesses. Appeared in federal and state courts and argued motions and attended hearings. Supervised large, multi-office teams of firm attorneys on major cases, including large-scale electronic discovery involving millions of documents.• Served as national coordinating litigation counsel to Medallion Financial Corporation, a major publicly-traded specialty finance company. Held lead role in handling Medallion’s litigation in courts around the country, which included New York, Texas, Illinois, Maryland, Arizona and Puerto Rico and supervised local counsel.• Co-founded the firm’s Electronic Discovery Taskforce. Led and supervised massive e-discovery projects and implemented litigation holds. Selected and collaborated with outside vendors in designing on-line document reviews in litigation.• Trained and supervised associates, providing mentorship and guidance on litigation, settlement and trial strategies.

• Diverse experience in federal and state commercial and products liability litigation and domestic and international arbitration in a broad variety of areas, including insurance coverage litigation; contract disputes; business torts; tobacco and asbestos litigation; bankruptcy; broken mergers; employment; franchise disputes; real estate disputes; and internal investigations.• Litigation/Arbitration responsibilities included significant and frequent client contact; oral argument of dispositive and discovery motions in federal and state courts; supervision and oversight of teams of junior attorneys in various aspects of litigation; co-lead trial counsel in six day international arbitration proceeding before the American Arbitration Association against the world’s largest restaurant franchisor including examination of witnesses and preparation of entire trial; taking and defending depositions; preparation of expert and fact witnesses; coordination of large scale document productions; drafting motions and memoranda of law, as well as pleadings, motions, discovery requests/responses, demand letters and responses to insurers’ denials of coverage and reservation of rights letters; negotiating settlements; and drafting settlement agreements.• Clients included The Walt Disney Company, Insignia Financial Group, Verizon, Morgan Stanley Asset Funding, Fox News Channel, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Lorillard Tobacco Company, Miami International Airport, Medallion Financial Corporation, Swire Properties, Kemper Insurance Company, World Access Service Corporation, Cordiant Communications Group, Bates USA, Inc., Israel Discount Bank, INVESCO Realty Advisors, Inc., and Pizza Hut of Guatemala.

• Represented policyholders in all aspects of the litigation and settlement of major products liability, asbestos, environmental and Year 2000 insurance coverage disputes.• Significant representations and duties included drafting the first “non-products” complaint filed in the 1990’s by an asbestos producer against its CGL insurers; serving as lead associate in environmental coverage action in New Jersey concerning water table pollution from a metals plant; and assuming primary day-to-day responsibility for multiple insurance coverage matters.

• Represented defendants in products liability actions including a leading manufacturer of silicone gel-filled breast implants and for a major manufacturer of asbestos-containing products.• Responsibilities included argument of motions in court; drafting Daubert briefs challenging the admissibility of scientific testimony; preparation of all legal briefs and documents for a major jury trial including summary judgment motion, trial brief, motions in limine, and jury instructions; and legal research and writing.

• Defended a major United States tobacco company in various product liability actions.• Responsibilities included extensive research and writing; preparing summary judgment motions; assisting in trial preparation for cigarette product liability trial in Jacksonville, Florida; and large scale document reviews.