Print Email this page Complex Contract and Commercial Litigation  

Pryor Cashman’s litigators have extensive experience and success in complex contract and commercial cases. We have represented clients in hundreds of  high-stakes cases in federal and state courts and at arbitrations throughout the country, and have obtained positive results for clients in important cases involving all types of business issues and disputes.

We have litigated complex cases in areas such as accounting, antitrust, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, business torts, commodities, fraud, insurance, licensing, employ­ment, mergers and acquisitions, offshore trusts, partner­ships, RICO, securities, shareholder rights, stockbrokers and tax, to name a few. We also have substantial experience in internal corporate and government investigations.

Ranging from small to large and spanning many industries, our clients include Fortune 500 corporations, multinational corporations, technology companies, major media and entertainment companies, brokerage firms, insurance companies and closely held corporations. We also represent individuals, including entrepreneurs, officers and directors of large companies, and investors.

In litigating complex contract and commercial cases, it is crucial for litigators to have a thorough knowledge and understanding of their clients’ businesses and to understand the complexity of modern business issues facing them. Our litigators work closely with clients and know what they expect and need from us. We work with our clients as business partners and help them solve sophisticated commercial problems and achieve, in the most cost-efficient and prompt manner, the best outcome possible under the circumstances.

Extremely skilled in the courtroom with a record of routinely winning dispositive motions and jury verdicts in our clients’ favor, our litigators are acutely aware that litigation is not always the best solution. It is for this reason that we regularly provide our clients with valuable pre-litigation counseling in order to help them avoid costly and lengthy litigation when possible.

Some of our recent victories in complex contract and commercial cases include:

• Represented world-renowned urologists as plaintiffs in breach of contract and fraud action involving proceeds from the sale of their medical program for treating prostate cancer; obtained $58 million jury verdict in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, reported to be fourth largest jury verdict in New York and 30th largest in U.S. for 2003
• Represented joint venture in complex derivatives dispute against large commodities brokerage house concerning worldwide rights in certain fixed income and derivative products and obtained favorable settlement
• Obtained dismissal of $50 million breach of contract claim asserted by major comic book company against theme park owner in American Arbitration Association (AAA) arbitration
• Obtained a $12.7 million award, including more than $1 million in legal fees and costs, against purchaser of medical business
• Represented marketer and developer of tax-saving strategies against claims brought by investment banking firm seeking a $3.75 million finders fee; jury found for our client on majority of claims after jury trial in N.Y. Supreme Court and awarded plaintiff less than $4,000
• Obtained settlement in excess of $20 million in six-week JAMS arbitration brought on behalf of logistics provider against national grocery chain for breach of contract to pay for services rendered during labor strike
• Obtained multimillion dollar settlement on behalf of international supplier of home furnishings products against major national retail chain for breach of series of sales agreements
• Obtained dismissal of claims against directors of corporation who had been sued in federal court for fraud, RICO violations and breach of federal and state securities laws arising out of multi-state stock and debenture fraud; dismissal led to settlement incorporating “channeling injunction” prohibiting institution of any future actions against our clients
• Represented daughter in multimillion dollar partnership dispute with her brother over lucrative diamond business which arose upon their father’s death; kept dispute out of Surrogate’s Court by fashioning Article 78 proceeding which resulted in restraining of company's bank accounts and issuance of order requiring all transactions to be approved by our client and the N.Y. Supreme Court, resulting in favorable settlement
• Represented famous radio personality and other defendants in multimillion dollar contract litigation brought by broadcasting company after personality signed with satellite radio company; matter settled prior to trial
• On behalf of various individuals and corporations, successfully prosecuted securities and common law fraud and RICO claims against multinational company and achieved global settlement of all disputes between the parties in multiple litigations and venues
• Represented owner of professional roller hockey franchise and successfully prosecuted claims for fraud and franchise violations against league owners and obtained refund of all fees paid by our client to the league and other relief

Case Descriptions

For more detailed descriptions of some of the complex commercial and contract litigation we have successfully handled for our clients, please click here.