Areas of Practice

Arbitration & Mediation

Breakups: business and professional
      Fiduciary obligations
      Lateral lawyer acquisitions
      and departures

Commercial litigation
      Breach of contract
      Business torts
      Fraud

Employment law
      Employment discrimination
      Hiring and termination

Legal ethics: professional
responsibility

Women's rights
      Equal pay
      Sexual harassment

Areas of Practice> Commercial Litigation

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 resolution of the issues. Geri delves into each case in search of the legal key, whether in documents or the law that determines the case. She knows her way around the courthouse and through the byways of the judicial system.

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, and discovery. 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.

Representative 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 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 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). 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.

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.

O'Keeffe v. Bry, 456 F.Supp. 822 (S.D.N.Y. 1978). Represented Georgia O'Keeffe in dispute with her long-time agent.

“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.”
                              Geri S. Krauss