By Jonathan H. Freiberger The New York City Council promulgated rules to, inter alia , protect consumers from debt collection agencies ( see Title 20, Chapter 2, Subchapter 30 of the New York City Administrative Code (the “Code”). Indeed, the Code’s “legislative declaration” ( §20-488 ) recognizes that some debt collection agencies are “unscrupulous” and employ “abusive tactics”. The Code, at §20-489(a) , defines “debt collection agency” as: a person engaged in business th

By Jeffrey M. Haber Generally, whether a claim is subject to arbitration is a decision for the court, not the arbitrator. 1 Notwithstanding, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that “parties can agree to arbitrate ‘gateway’ questions of ‘arbitrability.’” 2 Such “delegation clauses” are enforceable where “there is ‘clea and unmistakabl ’ evidence” that the parties intended to arbitrate arbitrability issues. 3 “When deciding whether the parties agreed to arbitrate a certain m

To state a claim for fraud, a plaintiff must satisfy each element of the claim; namely, “a material misrepresentation of fact, knowledge of its falsity, an intent to induce reliance, justifiable reliance by the plaintiff and damages.”

By Jonathan H. Freiberger Last week this Blog examined WFE Ventures, Inc. v. GBD Lake Placid, LLC , decided on August 12, 2021, by the Appellate Division, Third Department, which addressed numerous construction litigation issues < here =">here</a>"> . Last week’s article focused on issues related to flood damage resulting from an underlying construction project; this week we will address other issues presented in the Court’s Memorandum and Order. Knowledge of the facts as s

By Jeffrey M. Haber An investment adviser is a fiduciary, and as such is held to the highest standard of conduct and must act in the best interest of his/her client.1 This means, among other things, that an investment adviser has an affirmative duty of utmost good faith and full and fair disclosure of all material facts.2 An investment adviser’s fiduciary duties are made enforceable under Section 206 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 – the Act’s anti-fraud provisions.3 T

By Jeffrey M. Haber When a party releases another from claims or the threat of claims, he/she is giving up the right to sue the other in connection with the subject of the release. 1 A release effectively eliminates all claims against another that are possessed by the party giving the release. It does not matter whether the releasor knew of the claims at the time that he/she gave the release, so long as “the parties so intend and the agreement is ‘fairly and knowingly made.’

By Jonathan H. Freiberger On August 12, 2021, the Appellate Division, Third Department, decided WFE Ventures, Inc. v. GBD Lake Placid, LLC , a multi-faceted construction litigation. Today’s article, however, will focus on flood damage resulting from the underlying construction project. In WFE , the defendant owner (“Owner”) built a Marriot hotel in Lake Placid. Owner hired an architectural firm (“Architect”) to obtain site plan (“Plan”) approval (“Approval”) from the applic

By Jeffrey M. Haber Cybersecurity disclosures are important for a number of constituencies. For example, consumers have a right to know if their data has been compromised at the company in which they do (or have done) business. Investors have a right to know if the company in which they have invested, or will invest, is the victim of a data breach and how such a breach has impacted (or will impact) the company’s business and operations. As cybersecurity breaches become more

By Jeffrey M. Haber A confession of judgment is an agreement whereby a defendant or debtor agrees to the entry of judgment against him/her in an amount certain. It is a procedural device whereby the plaintiff or creditor can bypass the commencement of a lawsuit to obtain the amount “confessed.” Confessions of judgment are used in a variety of circumstances. For example, parties to a litigation may use a confession of judgment as part of a settlement whereby the defendant agr

This month, Freiberger Haber LLP is celebrating its four-year anniversary. To say that we are excited to celebrate this milestone is an understatement. We know the firm could not have reached this achievement without the trust and support of our clients, friends, and colleagues. Since our founding, we have provided the sophistication and counsel of a large national law firm with the economy, flexibility, commitment, and personal attention of a small firm. As we move forward,

“Pumping a few squirts of vanilla hazelnut syrup into your latte—nothing wrong with that. Pumping up a coffee stock with hype and false statements? That’s illegal, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced fraud charges against alleged perpetrators of just such a scheme:” a long-running international securities fraud scheme in which the promoters and their associates allegedly sold millions of shares in multiple microcap—or “penny”—stock companies us

Whistleblowers play an important role in detecting and stopping securities laws violations. They do so often by risking their career and reputation. For this reason, whistleblowers may receive a monetary award for bringing to the attention of the SEC credible information about possible securities fraud and other violations of the securities laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The SEC derives its authority to reward whistleblowers from the Dodd-Frank Wall Stree

Frequently in litigation, a plaintiff commences an action before the identity of all defendants are known. For example, in mortgage foreclosure actions “John Does” and/or “Jane Does” are named as defendants because there may be unknown individuals or entities in possession of, inter alia , a leasehold contract with respect to, or hold some other interest in, the subject real property. Indeed, RPAPL 1311 provides a list of “necessary defendants” in a mortgage foreclosure ac

On July 27, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC” or the “Commission”) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (“OIEA”) issued an investor alert ( here ) with the FBI Criminal Investigative Division about fraudsters who are posing as brokers or investment advisers (the “Alert”). According to the Alert, people looking to perpetrate a fraud on unsuspecting investors are, among other things, falsely claiming to be registered with the SEC, the Financial Indu

Depositions in real life are not the same as those depicted on television and in the movies. In Hollywood, counsel defending a deposition can say just about anything. As litigators know, the same cannot be said in real life. Lawyers are governed by law and rules, which if not followed can result in sanctions from the court. That is what happened in Brightman v. Corizon, Inc. , 2021 N.Y. Slip Op. 50735(U) (Sup. Ct., N.Y. County July 29, 2021) (here). A Primer on the Law and R

This Blog has frequently addressed evidentiary issues faced by foreclosing lenders. See, e.g., < here =">here</a>"> , < here =">here</a>"> , < here =">here</a>"> , < here =">here</a>"> ,< here =">here</a>"> . On July 21, 2021, the Appellate Division, Second Department, decided Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. v. Hossain , in which the Court addressed the sufficiency of a foreclosing lender’s evidence submitted in support of an application for a default judgment. The lender

When a person releases another from claims or the threat of claims, he/she is giving up the right to sue the other in connection with the subject of the release. Centro Empresarial Cempresa S.A. v América Móvil, S.A.B. de C.V. , 17 N.Y.3d 269, 276 (2011) (“Generally, a valid release constitutes a complete bar to an action on a claim which is the subject of the release.”). A release effectively eliminates all claims against another that are possessed by the party giving the re

“The attorney-client privilege shields from disclosure any confidential communications between an attorney and his or her client made for the purpose of obtaining or facilitating legal advice in the course of a professional relationship.” Ambac Assur. Corp. v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. , 27 N.Y.3d 616, 623 (2016). The privilege “fosters the open dialogue between lawyer and client that is deemed essential to effective representation.” Spectrum Sys. Intl. Corp. v. Chemical B