In Daiwa Corporate Advisory LLC v. Katapult Group, Inc. (NY County Supreme Court, Index No. 652164/2021), the trial court held that a contract is enforceable where the fees payable were to be “mutually-agreed” based on “customary and . . . similar transactions and practices in the investment banking industry.”
Category: Contract interpretation
“Willful misconduct”– a commonly used term in contracts does not mean what you think it means
In Manhattan Chrystie St. Dev. Fund LLC v. Witkoff Group LLC (2023 NY Slip Op 50622(U), 2023 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3056), a New York trial court analyzed the meaning of the term "willful misconduct" in a commercial contract (specifically, a guaranty) governed by Delaware law.
The trial court generally...
$175M suit accuses BigLaw firm of ‘critical drafting errors’ and ‘sloppy and imprecise’ contract language (ABA re-print)
https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/175m-suit-accuses-biglaw-firm-of-critical-drafting-errors-and-sloppy-and-imprecise-contract-language
A Forum Selection Clause in Entity Resolutions? Not Necessary! Think again . . . A NY Court disagrees.
In Meltzer v. Kentucky Hi Tech Greenhouses LLC, 2023 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 160, the Manager of a Kentucky LLC filed a lawsuit in New York against the LLC to recover unpaid wages purportedly owed to the Manager by the Kentucky LLC. The LLC moved to dismiss the lawsuit...
Summary judgment in lieu of complaint (per CPLR 3213) is not appropriate for a guaranty that requires payment and performance.
In Bank of America, N.A. v. Filho (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Index No. 654603/2019), the Court held that CPLR 3213 allows summary judgment in lieu of complaint only if the claim is based on instruments for the payment of money only. Thus, an instrument, such as a personal guarantee...
De Facto Merger: The Threat of Unexpected Successor Liability
Click here to be linked to the contents of this article.
Broker Must be the “Procuring Cause” of the Sale to be entitled to Sale Commission.
In Capin & Assoc., Inc. v. Herskovitz, 2021 NY Slip Op. 03249, the Court held that a broker was not entitled to a sales commission because Defendant used another brokerage firm to make an offer, enter into negotiations, conduct due diligence, and close the transaction. Accordingly, the Plaintiff...
Breach of confidentiality clause in LOI/Term Sheet preceding M&A deal
In Garda USA, Inc. v. Sun Capital Partners, Inc., 2021 NY Slip Op. 03146, the Court held that a party's disclosure of ongoing negotiations can cause it to be liable for time and money spent by the other party with respect to the negotiations.
Successful Contract Negotiation Strategies for Business Owners
As a business owner, the contracts you enter can make or break you. Practically all business contracts require negotiations. Therefore, the key to ensuring that the contracts you enter are beneficial to your business is knowing how to successfully negotiate. In this article, we provide you with some tips for ensuring successful...
Remedy specified in a contract is not subject to “other available remedies” clause in that contract
In Highline LLC v. 514 W. 24th St. Partners LLC, 2021 NY Slip Op. 31042(U), the Court held that when the contract itself specifies the remedy for a party's violation of a particular clause in the contract, that specified remedy will prevail and be enforced over another clause...