In Muslar v. Hall, 2023 NY Slip Op 01063 (1st Dep’t 2023), the Appellate Division, First Department, recently reversed the trial court’s award of summary judgment to a rental company under the Graves Amendment because the affidavits provided were “of no probative value.”

Lewis Brisbois is pleased to welcome Partner Jason Berger and Associate Brian Drach to its Philadelphia and Los Angeles offices, respectively, as members of the firm’s national Entertainment, Media & Sports Practice.

The Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs (REPO) Task Force, which was established to enforce multi-national sanctions against Russia, issued an advisory on March 9, 2023, identifying common measures used to evade the interdiction efforts of the REPO Task Force. Through these new actions, the REPO Task Force has now moved to crack down on sanctions evasion schemes.

Having failed to quickly find a buyer for the assets and deposits of the newly created Silicon Valley Bank, N.A., Santa Clara, California (SVB), the FDIC has announced that it will expand the bidding process in the hopes of maximizing the value it can obtain from a sale. Now, non-banks will have the unusual opportunity to acquire assets from SVB.

Lewis Brisbois is pleased to welcome five new attorneys to its Madison County, Illinois office, which brings the expanding location’s headcount to 54, including 23 lawyers. The newest members of the Madison County team - Partners Daniel Bradley, Travis Campbell, and Michael Pagan, as well as Associates Nicholas Martin and Matthew Plese – have a combined 80+ years of legal experience across several areas of law.

New York Partners James T. Whalen, Jr. and Sydney Sanchez recently secured a defense verdict on behalf of a transportation company in a case where the plaintiff claimed to have suffered serious injuries that required surgery following an accident.

Lewis Brisbois has been listed among the top 10 law firms on the 2022 Leopard Law Firm Index. Billed as "the legal industry's most inclusive and up-to-date firm rating system," the index, published by Leopard Solutions, is a dynamic rating system that is updated twice weekly and focuses on law firms' profitability, viability, growth, and potential opportunity.

Portland Partner Jacqueline Houser will moderate a webinar on developments in paid leave laws in Washington, Oregon, California, and Colorado on April 3 at 12:00 p.m. PT. She will be joined by Denver Partner Benjamin Hase, Portland associates Ally McClain and Will Stinman, and San Francisco associate Brittany Vulcan.

Miami Managing Partner Todd R. Ehrenreich and Partner David L. Luck, acting as co-counsel with a Boston law firm, recently secured a defense verdict in a multimillion-dollar federal patent infringement case on behalf of a bike wheel manufacturer.

Houston Partner Joelle Nelson will moderate a panel on California’s AB5 legislation at the Transportation Lawyer’s Association (TLA) Annual Conference, hosted at the Paradise Point Resort in San Diego on April 29 at 8:30 a.m. PT.

New York/Fort Lauderdale Partner David Shannon and New York/New Jersey Partner Dan Feldman recently joined Business Aviation Advisor Magazine’s “Above & Beyond” podcast to discuss how aircraft owners may solidify their bonus depreciation position.

On January 25, 2023, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an alert that could significantly impact the acquisition of commercial real estate (CRE) in the U.S. by foreign individuals and entities. The new alert complements ongoing U.S. government efforts to isolate sanctioned Russian elites, oligarchs, and their proxies.

Phoenix Partner Gregg E. Clifton recently authored an article for the March-April 2023 issue of LEAD1 Association’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Institutional Report. Titled “The Worlds of Music and Collegiate Sports Combine with NIL,” the article discusses how college athletes continue to broaden their NIL opportunities beyond the collegiate sports context.

New York Appellate Partner Nicholas P. Hurzeler and Managing Partner Gregory S. Katz recently prevailed when the New York Appellate Division, Second Department, affirmed the dismissal of a Labor Law 240(1) claim involving an accident that occurred in the basement of a house under construction. Balfe v. Graham, ___ AD3d ___ (2d Dept. 2023), decided March 8, 2023.

Fort Lauderdale Partner Sean Shecter and Atlanta Partner Steven Lee recently spoke with Law360 for an article regarding the upcoming trial of the former Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) executives who have been charged with bribing ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.