Cases
Representative Matters: Bankruptcy & Restructuring: Prosecuted 5 year fraudulent transfer action, through state, federal,
bankruptcy courts, to achieve full recovery of defaulted multi-million dollar commercial loan
bankruptcy court granted administrative claim status to community bank client, thereby allowing bank to 'prime' IRS
all other creditors.
Lead counsel in a 3 1/2 year commercial loan workout involving nine separate federal
state lawsuits in Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
New York. The community bank client substantially recovered the entire eight-figure, ten-year-old debt owed by the bank's borrower, with significant contributions from his foreign partners, despite fraudulent transfer
lien priority issues.
Defeated on summary judgment a million dollar claim by U.S. bankruptcy trustee attempting to strip bank of collateral lien in securities accounts.
Achieved 100% recovery of the principal balance of an under-secured, non-performing multi-million dollar commercial loan in rare Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy.
Financial Services Litigation: Negotiated 85% reduction of mid-six figure administrative penalty imposed by state regulator upon community bank client.
Persuaded trial court to dismiss contentious consumer protection claim alleging the forged execution of loan documents
credit damage
appellate court unanimously affirmed, explicitly adopting the basis argued to the trial court.
Negotiated through multiple, protracted mediations a no-cash settlement of multi-million dollar consumer class action against community lender allegedly engaged in the unfair collection of defaulted loans.
Defeated on summary judgment a multi-million dollar lender liability claim by a prominent local nonprofit against an international bank.
Quieted title
returned to first priority a multi-million dollar residential mortgage held by a Fortune 10 bank against claim of consumer fraud by home-owner.
Overcame jurisdictional objections
won an award of full counsel fees for community lender in protracted federal court action against, inter alia, the federal government, to interplead multi-million deposits by indicted fraudster.
Internal Investigations: Served as Special Counsel to investigate allegations of sexual abuse in a municipal youth sports program.
Litigation: In criminal matter against out-of-state public company for alleged state law regulatory violations, won two 'Not Guilty' verdicts at trial
persuaded prosecutor to withdraw remaining charge.
Successfully appealed denial by state Department of Revenue of six-figure research
development (R&D) tax credit for technology client, overcoming allegation that the client had untimely filed its application.
Over more than two years of court-supervised multi-party negotiations among adjacent real estate developers, secured no-payment settlement, full release,
dismissal of alleged nuisance
construction defect claims.
Obtained dismissal on the eve of the trial of a multi-million dollar claim against a commercial l
lord for alleged breach of a lease
l
lord received full indemnification from the violating tenant, including counsel fees.
Persuaded trial court to strike lis pendens, confess error, reverse its grant of summary judgment,
enter a declaratory judgment that community bank client attempting to sell commercial property was entitled to retain entire six-figure deposit, despite agreement of sale allowing buyer 'sole discretion' to cancel transaction
demonstrated in discovery that buyer violated implied duty of good faith
fair dealing by fabricating documentation allegedly justifying termination of deal.
Won a $1.7 million fraud verdict after a 10-day trial in the Commerce Program of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County.
Defeated defamation
invasion of privacy claims against a U.S. Congressman for allegedly false campaign literature
tactics.
Obtained an extremely rare writ of prohibition against a trial judge, on an emergency basis, from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in the case of Mayer v. Garman, 912 A.2d 762 (Pa. 2006).
Authored the winning brief in the unanimously decided Pennsylvania Supreme Court case of Sphere Drake v. PGW, 782 A.2d 510 (Pa. 2001).
Briefed
argued the Commonwealth's case in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Commonwealth v. Collins, 702 A.2d 540 (Pa. 1997).
Won a civil contempt finding
five-figure award of counsel fees for human services non-profit against a recalcitrant vendor after a 3-day remote bench trial in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County.
After twice obtaining dismissal of claims, negotiated settlement on behalf of commercial l
lord of multi-million-dollar action by national tenant to enforce right of first refusal
re-development provisions of lease, thereby enabling sale of l
lord's billion-dollar real estate portfolio.
Municipal Matters: Lead counsel in three-year defense of a suburban municipality
25 current
former officers
employees in an unprecedented lawsuit filed by a real estate developer seeking recovery in excess of $80 million based on an alleged conspiracy between elected officials, municipal staff
solicitor
community members to deny l
use approval for proposed construction.
Devised
executed successful legal, lobbying
media strategy to defeat powerful
vocal institutional
community support for the grant of a multi-million dollar government subsidy to client's direct competitor.
Represented a grassroots citizens' group in its successful effort, including more than 20 contentious public hearings, to thwart the rezoning
sale of one of the last old growth forests in suburban Philadelphia.
