NBTY, Inc. is a manufacturer and seller of vitamins and nutritional products. Piping Rock Health Products, LLC is a competitor run by NBTY’s former CEO. Between the end of 2014 and the middle of 2015, a number of high-level NBTY employees resigned and went to work at Piping Rock. In…
Articles Posted in Litigation
Court Grants Discharge of Residential Mortgage after Foreclosure Action Is Dismissed
In 2005, a property owner borrowed $452,000 with which to buy a residential property. After the borrower’s default, that lender assigned the loan to HSBC. HSBC commenced a foreclosure action which was dismissed in 2007 for failure to serve the borrower. HSBC waited until 2009 to file a second foreclosure…
Court Compels Cablevision to Disclose Identify of Parties Posting to Yelp.com
Gerald L. Cohen, D.D.S sought to force Cablevision to disclose the identity of an individual who posted negative comments to Yelp.com. Cohen intended to use that information to commence a lawsuit for defamation against the poster. Previously, Yelp.com had been compelled to provide to Cohen the IP address of the…
Buyer Not Obligated to Close on Property for Which He Does Not Have Exclusive Use
A buyer entered into to a contract to purchase a penthouse co-op apartment for $27.5 million. Part of the unit being purchased included a terrace, which was to be for the buyer’s exclusive use. Between contract and closing, this exclusive use was questioned as the board intended to convert the…
Landlord Cannot Collect More than Actual Damages
Landlord and Tenant entered into a long-term commercial lease. After the Tenant vacated, Landlord terminated the lease, and sued to recover legal possession of the space and for rents that were then past due and owing. Landlord won that lawsuit. Thereafter, the Landlord commenced a second action seeking the amount…
Right to Privacy Is Not Absolute
As we discussed on this blog some time ago, an artist’s freedom of expression may trump an individual’s right to privacy. This issue has again reached the courts and this principle has been reaffirmed. Defendant Arne Svenson surreptitiously photographed the residents of a neighboring building through its glass facade. After…
Real Estate Broker Entitled to Recover the Value of Its Services
Goli Realty Corp., commenced an action for the recovery of brokerage commissions. Goli sued Halperin claiming to have brought a buyer that was ready, willing and able to purchase certain real property that Halperin and his entity, SPJ LLC, were looking to sell. Goli prepared marketing packages for Hess Oil,…
Transfer of Looted Company Held Valid
Steve Hong is the sole shareholder of Koryeo International Corp. Hong sued his mother, Kyung Ja Hong for looting Koryeo before she transferred the corporation to him. Hong worked for the corporation after law school. His parents promised to transfer the corporation to him in exchange for his agreement to…
The Kati Dispute
A dispute between The KatiRoll Company, Inc. and Kati Junction, Inc., both of which sell Indian food, produced a court decision useful in examining trademark/servicemark and trade dress issues. In 2002, KatiRoll opened its first store-front in New York City. That location would expand to two additional restaurants in Manhattan.…
S&P Is Forced to Provide Broad Access of its Books to Shareholders
One of the repercussions of the mortgage meltdown was the subsequent scrutiny of the bond rating agencies, including S&P. Claims were made that the rating agencies ignored bond risks and overstated the quality of certain bonds so that the agencies would earn more fees from the increased volume of bonds…