New York

Dewey juror goes to the emergency room; judge will ask for partial verdict

Updated: A juror in the trial of three former leaders of Dewey & LeBoeuf reported that she was in the emergency room on Wednesday after experiencing vertigo. Judge Robert Stolz of Manhattan said he spoke with the juror and she expected to return to court in the afternoon, the New…

Oct 7, 2015 11:00 AM CDT

Judge tosses defamation suit by Yankees fan caught napping on camera

A New York judge has tossed a defamation lawsuit filed by a Yankees fan caught napping on camera at an April 2014 game. Judge Julia Rodriguez dismissed the suit by fan Andrew Robert Rector in August, the Smoking Gun reports. Reuters, the New York Daily News and the New York…

Oct 5, 2015 10:56 AM CDT

Mom’s release doesn’t preclude child’s copyright suit over T-shirt design, federal judge rules

A mother’s release allowing a second-grader in New York City to participate in a clothing company’s T-shirt design contest does not preclude the child’s subsequent copyright suit, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. However, U.S. District Judge Gregory Woods hasn’t yet decided what he says is the central issue in the…

Oct 2, 2015 10:45 AM CDT

Bond Schoeneck to expand in Buffalo with acquisition of nearly 40-attorney firm

Most of the lawyers from a smaller Buffalo law firm will soon be joining another New York-based competitor, more than tripling its roster in Buffalo. The melding of nearly 40 attorneys from Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel with 230-attorney Bond Schoeneck & King is to take place on Jan. 1, reports…

Oct 1, 2015 3:10 PM CDT

Prison time for lawyer accused of stealing $1.9M from PI settlements to 57 clients

A New York personal injury lawyer accused of stealing over $1.9 million from 57 clients was sentenced Tuesday to a 4- to 12-year prison term. Stephen Krawitz, 63, was originally accused of stealing only $600,000 between November 2008 and March 2014, by depositing settlement checks into his law firm trust…

Oct 1, 2015 10:25 AM CDT

Judge sends sheriff to seize husband’s devices after spyware is found on wife’s phone

Rejecting a lawyer’s argument that the husband in a divorce case should be able to take the Fifth to preclude seizure of his electronic devices, a New York judge earlier this month issued an opinion explaining why he authorized a sheriff to seize the man’s iPhone and computer. At issue…

Sep 29, 2015 3:35 PM CDT

NYC to hire more lawyers, nearly double $34M budget to battle evictions

Faced with a growing population of homeless individuals and families and a lack of good shelter options, the city of New York is planning to hire eviction defense lawyers. The city hopes this will help alleviate the problem by reducing the number of people that are forced from their homes,…

Sep 28, 2015 4:40 PM CDT

Legal Aid threatens suit over interview-room cameras at new $230M courthouse

A new $230 million courthouse in Staten Island, New York, hadn’t been open to the public for a full day before a lawsuit was threatened by the Legal Aid Society on Monday. Despite its gleaming walls, handicapped accessibility, convenient proximity of civil and criminal courtrooms and modern technology, the five-story…

Sep 28, 2015 4:00 PM CDT

Despite lack of law license, man represents clients in court in New York and New Jersey

Operating from a New York City law office, Mikhail Perlov represented clients in court in criminal matters in Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan and Queens, as well as Belmar and Rahway, New Jersey. But there was one big problem: He wasn’t licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey or any…

Sep 28, 2015 9:05 AM CDT

Jimmy Kimmel wins appeal over use of ‘Flying Rabbi’ YouTube video in comedy bit

A New York appeals court has sided with Jimmy Kimmel in a suit contending the comedian’s use of a YouTube video invaded a New York man’s privacy. New York’s Appellate Division, Second Department, upheld a finding that Kimmel’s use of the video was not used for advertising or trade purposes,…

Sep 25, 2015 9:56 AM CDT

A day after making evidence-bag claim, lawyer for hockey star’s accuser abruptly quits

Updated: A lawyer for the woman who accused Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane of sexual assault abruptly quit the case on Thursday, a day after he held a news conference about a mysterious evidence bag. The lawyer, Thomas Eoannou, said he no longer believed the story provided by the victim’s…

Sep 25, 2015 7:17 AM CDT

NYC’s ban on plastic foam food containers is overturned

A judge has struck down New York City’s ban on foam food containers. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Margaret A. Chan, in a ruling Monday, said the ban was “arbitrary and capricious,” the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) report. She also said the city’s contention that…

Sep 23, 2015 3:50 PM CDT

New York state considering proposal to expand right of foreign-based attorneys to practice there

New York is weighing a proposal that would allow foreign attorneys to temporarily practice law in the state. The Wall Street Journal Law Blog reports that New York could become the 10th state to allow foreign lawyers to provide general legal services on a limited basis. New York already allows…

Sep 21, 2015 4:26 PM CDT

Paralegal who ‘couldn’t keep up with the work’ charged with forging court orders

A paralegal at a New York personal injury firm was having trouble keeping up with his work, which involved sales of structured settlements. So he forged the signatures of 76 judges on 117 court orders, between June 2011 and October 2013, prosecutors say. Charged with 117 counts of forgery and…

Sep 18, 2015 8:15 AM CDT

Military hearing begins for accused Army deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

The United States Army laid out its case Thursday for court-martialing Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl on charges of desertion and endangering other soldiers, the Associated Press reports. Bergdahl, a 29-year-old man from Idaho, was part of a high-profile prisoner exchange with the Taliban in 2014. The exchange became a political issue,…

Sep 17, 2015 4:35 PM CDT