On Monday, June 8, I co-moderated a Virtual Town Hall discussion with Hon. Linda S. Jamieson and Hon. Gretchen Walsh about litigating in the Westchester Commercial Division during COVID-19 and beyond, the Court’s operations, and the methods the justices are using to move cases forward. The justices have worked very hard throughout the pandemic, and
Litigating in the Westchester Commercial Division During COVID-19: A Virtual Town Hall Discussion
Join us on Monday, June 8, as Lachtman Cohen P.C. partner Brian Cohen co-moderates a Virtual Town Hall discussion with Hon. Linda S. Jamieson and Hon. Gretchen Walsh about litigating in the Westchester Commercial Division during COVID-19 and beyond.
See the invite for details: WCBA June 2020 Event Flyer
Register with the Westchester County Bar
The Westchester Commercial Division is Back in Business … Sort Of.
In light of the COVID-19 emergency in New York State and nationwide, on March 22, 2020, Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks directed that no papers shall be accepted for filing by a court except in “essential matters” (for example, criminal, family and domestic violence, mental hygiene, and emergency landlord-tenant).
Effective April 13, 2020, Judge…
When One Defendant Files For Bankruptcy, Severance Under CPLR 603 Can Keep the Case on Track
A bankruptcy filing often puts a quick halt to efforts to collect a debt from a bankrupt debtor. Under 11 U.S. Code § 362, the filing of a bankruptcy petition puts in place an automatic stay of collection efforts against a debtor. The stay does not, however, automatically stay proceedings against a guarantor of a…
Don’t Be a Fool: Ignoring an Arbitration Subpoena Comes with Consequences
A recent decision by Westchester Commercial Division Justice Gretchen Walsh demonstrates how even a non-party subpoena from an arbitrator can quickly and irrevocably lead to party status and considerable liability if you fail to respond. The case, In re Sivanesan v. YBF LLC et al., Index. No. 67996/2018, showed that parties who believe…
“May I Make This Motion, Please?” – For Motions to Dismiss After Filing the RJI but Before the Close of Discovery, Request a Conference
Defendants usually make a CPLR 3211 motion to dismiss at the outset of the case and file it together with a Request for Judicial Intervention (RJI). In that situation, a defendant can simply file the motion without contacting the court in advance. When a defendant makes a later motion to dismiss, though, it is best…
What Can Go Wrong When Firing an Employee With “Skin in the Game”
Sometimes, companies want employees to think like owners, and for good reason. With a vested interest in their work and the team’s success, employees are more motivated to perform at the highest level. They also focus on what’s best for the business rather than just themselves. But firing an employee with “skin in the game”…
Default Judgment Granted When Defendant Failed to Provide a Reasonable Excuse for Default
In an earlier post, we explained that the Westchester Commercial Division will not grant a motion for a default judgment without reviewing the papers. The Court will first determine whether the plaintiff has made a prima facie showing of its entitlement to a judgment. It is not unusual for the Westchester Commercial Division justices…
Breakfast with Westchester’s Commercial Division Judges
On June 14, 2019, the New York State Bar Association hosted a breakfast at the Westchester County Courthouse with Justices Linda Jamieson and Gretchen Walsh. This was a great opportunity to hear from Westchester’s Commercial Division judges on various topics, including their expectations of attorneys who appear before them. Here are a handful of important…
Property Sellers’ Representations About Existing Facts Survive Closing
Ordinarily in real estate sales, the seller’s pre-closing representations do not survive the closing unless the contract expressly states that they do. The situation is different, however, when the seller has made a pre-closing representation about a then-existing fact, like whether the tenants are current in rent. That was the state of facts alleged by…