By: Jeffrey M. Haber This Blog has written about Ponzi schemes on numerous occasions. A Ponzi scheme is a type of investment fraud where returns to earlier investors are paid using investment capital from new or existing investors, rather than from legitimate profits earned through the enterprise’s business activities. Ponzi schemes persist by exploiting trust, promising high returns with little risk, and using money from new or existing investors to pay “profits” to earlie

“[A] release that, by its terms, extinguishes liability on any and all claims arising in connection with specified matters is deemed to encompass claims of fraud relating to those matters, even if the release does not specifically refer to fraud and was not granted in settlement of an actually asserted fraud claim.

This BLOG has previously addressed the issue of a defendant’s appearance in an action – both formal and informal.

New York’s CPLR 3213 allows a plaintiff to seek summary judgment in lieu of a complaint when liability for a sum certain is evident from an instrument for the payment of money only, such as a promissory note or unconditional guaranty. This expedited procedure avoids delays inherent in filing and answering a complaint.

By: Jeffrey M. Haber In New York, foreign business entities – e.g. , corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships authorized to do business in another jurisdiction or country – are required to register to do business with the Secretary of State. The failure to receive such authority deprives the foreign entity of the ability to affirmatively access the courts of New York and subjects any action commenced by the foreign entity to dismissal. The purpose of the r

In today’s article, we examine Epstein v. Cantor, 2025 N.Y. Slip Op. 06989 (2d Dept. Dec. 17, 2025) (Epstein I), and Epstein v. Cantor, 2025 N.Y. Slip Op. 06990 (Dec. 17, 2025) (Epstein II) (collectively, Epstein), related cases involving, among other things, New York’s partnership law.

NY Lien Law Art. 3 A creates owner and contractor trusts to ensure payment to project participants; trust assets must be used for costs of improvement, and diversions carry civil/criminal penalties. Trustees may commingle but must keep detailed §75 records.

In today’s article, we examine defamation per se under New York law, which allows recovery for defamation without proving special damages when the alleged statement falls into four categories: accusing someone of a serious crime, harming their trade or profession, imputing a loathsome disease, or alleging unchastity.

In any contract dispute, “it is necessary to consider the language in the contract, for that is what controls the parties’ rights and responsibilities.” For this reason, New York courts “are guided by the standard rules of contractual interpretation, which provide that ‘a written agreement that is complete, clear and unambiguous on its face must be enforced according to the plain meaning of its terms.’”