Litigation is the pursuit of practical ends, not a game of chess.
—Felix Frankfurter
Geri is known for her creative, out-of-the-box thinking — and her tenacity.
Clients particularly turn to Geri for cases involving novel or cutting edge issues of law. These include the leading case from the New York Court of Appeals setting out the rules on law partners’ solicitation of clients when leaving their law firms, a case permitting claims against a Bet Din accused of issuing an unusual Jewish divorce document to a husband allowing him to divorce his wife without her consent, a case in which the New York Court of Appeals stripped the immunity which would otherwise insulate reports of misconduct to government authorities where the report was alleged to be a blackmail scheme.
Complex litigation requires experience and an understanding of the law.
The secret to successful representation of a client’s interests is to find the most effective legal and practical approach to resolve the issues. Geri delves into each case in search of the legal key, whether in documents or the law that determines the case.
A skilled litigator cuts to the chase.
Geri is a skillful litigator, able to craft arguments that support the client’s purpose and depose witnesses effectively. Her practice is focused on appeals, motion practice, discovery, and if necessary, trial. She handles all kinds of civil cases, including breach of contract, business torts, partnership, joint venture and partnership disputes, securities fraud, antitrust, trademark, ERISA, defamation, church and state issues, and procedural issues.
Geri excels at separating and understanding the tangled strands in complex cases.
Every case has its own set of unique facts and circumstances. It takes years of experience to identify the arguments that will effectively win or resolve a dispute.
Representative Reported Cases
- Posner v. Lewis, 18 N.Y.3d 566 (NY Ct of App. 2012). Defeated defendants’ motion to dismiss complaint filed by nontenured teacher against his father-in-law and brother-in-law, alleging they engaged in a malicious course of conduct resulting in denial of his application for teaching tenure as retribution for his refusal to relinquish his parental rights during his divorce; the Court held that defendants’ conduct in instigating complaints against the teacher to school authorities that resulted in denial of tenure was not entitled to absolute privilege.
- Functional Life Achievement v. City of New York, Index No. 105553/2008 (Sup. Ct. NY 2008). Obtained temporary restraining order in Article 78 proceeding against City of New York and resolved case to ensure continuation of Early Childhood Intervention Program services to the New York City Asian community.
- C.G. Jung Foundation for Analytical Psychology, Inc. v. C. G. Jung Institute of New York (2008). Obtained arbitration award declaring contract rights in favor of client in contract dispute between two not-for-profit organizations.
- USA v. New York State Board of Elections, Index No. 1:06-cv-00263 (N.D.N.Y. 12/20/07). Filed amicus brief addressing issues raised by Justice Department’s efforts to require New York State to comply with Help America Vote Act (“HAVA”) by 2008 election on behalf of the League of Women Voters of New York State, New Yorkers for Verified Voting and New York Public Interest Research Group and Citizen Action of New York.
- Sieger v. Union of Orthodox Rabbis, Index No. 605638/1998 (Sup. NY 1998). Case involved claims on behalf of an orthodox Jewish woman that her husband had bribed a Bet Din (Jewish Court) to obtain a document called a “heter” which falsely stated that she was unfit to be a wife and mother and failed to follow numerous religious rules so as to allow him to remarry under Jewish law without giving her a “get,” a Jewish divorce.
- RTC Properties, Inc. v. Bio Res., Ltd., 295 A.D.2d 285, 286, 744 N.Y.S.2d 173, 175 (1st Dep’t 2002) Resuscitated previously dismissed cause of action to permit recovery with respect to claims arising out of an oral joint venture agreement to develop and operate a power plant.
- Farago Advert., Inc. v. Hollinger Int’l, Inc., 157 F. Supp. 2d 252, 258 (S.D.N.Y. 2001) Obtained summary judgment in case addressing issue as to whether parties intended to be contractually bound only if a formal signed agreement was fully executed by both parties in connection with advertising campaign.
- Romney v. Lin, 105 F.3d 806 (2d Cir. 1997). Case ruled ERISA pre-empted state law imposing personal liability on corporation’s 10 largest shareholders for claim arising under defunct private retirement plan.
- Graubard Mollen v. Moskovitz, 86 N.Y.2d 112, 653 N.E.2d 1179, 629 N.Y.S.2d 1009 (1995). Case defined the standards that now govern the rights and obligations of law partners who leave their law firms.