Litigation Wrap: First Quarter 2022

April 2022

Yet Another Victory for Phillips Auctioneers

Dan Weiner and Eric Blumenfeld obtained a further victory for longstanding client Phillips Auctioneers when the First Department of New York’s Appellate Division affirmed the trial court’s order dismissing all claims against Phillips. The case began with an art collector’s winning bid on an iconic Gerhard Richter painting, for which the collector then refused to pay.

Chinese Company Released from World Bank Sanction

In March, the World Bank Integrity Compliance Officer officially notified a large Chinese company and its over 1,000 subsidiaries – represented by an HHR team led by Christine Kang and Michael Huneke – that it had satisfied the conditions for release from debarment and would be released from sanction on time.

Attorney Fees Victory for Bumble

Fara Tabatabai and Dan Weiner earned a complete victory for Bumble when the New York Supreme Court granted the dating app attorney’s fees and costs from a lawsuit Bumble brought against restaurant company L&L NY 5 Inc. over a failed sublease.

Major Arbitration Win

Neil Oxford, Michael Huneke and Daniel McLaughlin secured victory for a multinational company against arbitration claims totaling millions of dollars in principal plus interest in International Chamber of Commerce arbitration proceedings.

Groundbreaking Human Rights Case Against Bolivia

A pro bono team headed by Elizabeth Solander and Diego Durán de la Vega led a hearing before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the case of Brisa de Angulo Losada v. Bolivia, a groundbreaking case on sexual violence in Bolivia. The case began in the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights over a decade ago, and the hearing was the culmination of years of effort to hold Bolivia accountable for its actions.

Victory for Russian Activist 

Dan Weiner and Benjamin Britz led the pro bono team representing Ilya Zaslavskiy against Alfa Bank, Russia’s largest commercial bank, which voluntarily dismissed a lawsuit seeking information related to a 2016 cyber-hack that allegedly created a false link between the bank and the Trump Organization ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Triumphs for Institute of Divine Metaphysical Research

Patrice Jean led the team that secured dual victories for pro bono client Institute of Divine Metaphysical Research with dismissal of two opposition proceedings at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. The Board dismissed both trademark opposition proceedings with prejudice.

New Lateral Litigation Partners

Kenyen Brown, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, joined the firm as a partner in the White Collar & Regulatory Defense and Anti-Corruption & Internal Investigations practices.

Kevin T. Carroll brought his previous experience as an in-house counsel, litigator, senior counsel to House homeland security committee chairman Peter King and CIA case officer to the firm as a partner in the White Collar & Regulatory Defense and Anti-Corruption & Internal Investigations practice groups.

Andrew R. Kopsidas came to the firm as a partner in the Intellectual Property and International Trade practices, after 21 years as a preeminent IP litigator at Fish & Richardson, where he was a principal.