Practice of the Firm
The Firm provides competent and cost efficient legal services in several principal areas: banking, bankruptcy and reorganization, construction, corporate, e- commerce, employment, entertainment, immigration and naturalization, international trade, internet law, insurance, labor, litigation, real estate, trademark and copyright, United States Small Business Administration ("S.B.A.") financing functions, and trusts and estates.
A. Banking
The Firm's banking practice is diverse and involves the representation of foreign and United States banks, savings banks, and agencies. Our attorneys have established representative offices, agencies, and branches in the United States. Our attorneys have also drafted letters of credit, loan documents, and agreements.
In addition, our banking practice includes S.B.A. loan transactions, securing of letters of credit, mortgages, commercial and conventional loan transactions, business planning, full range domestic financing, and debt restructuring. We are also involved in the creation of innovative financing techniques and products for our clients. Moreover we also have negotiated and prepared complex loan and security agreements.
We also provide counseling to our banking clientele on various legal aspects regarding transactions with their borrowers and lenders. In addition we counsel our clientele regarding compliance and regulatory issues.
B. Bankruptcy and Reorganization
The Firm's bankruptcy practice is comprised of debt restructuring, foreclosures, loan workouts, assignments for benefit of creditors, and representing creditors and debtors in insolvency proceedings. We are also involved in negotiating and drafting disclosure statements and reorganization plans and related agreements, including asset purchase agreements, loan documents, subordination and inter-creditor agreements, equity and debt instruments, and documents related to corporate governance. In addition, we counsel our clients regarding duties and benefits of debtors and creditors, eligibility for relief, exemption status, and dischargeability of debts.
We also render advice to problem businesses and to creditors dealing with failing businesses. The Firm also has participated as counsel to creditors and debtors in real estate workouts, bankruptcies, and foreclosures.
C. Corporate
Our corporate services include creation, organization, and restructuring of corporations and non corporate entities. In representing our corporate and non corporate clients, we draft agreements and documents relative to partnership compensation arrangements, agency, licensing, shareholder arrangements and distributions, employment and compensation of executives and employees, limited liability operating agreements, and confidentiality and proprietary business information.
We are also involved in the origination of loan documents, securing and protecting copyright and trademark rights, evaluating tax liabilities, negotiating and
drafting joint venture agreements, drafting of lease agreements, and drafting commercial and construction contracts. We also counsel our clients on routine corporate matters, pricing and sales policies, corporate financing, and purchase and sale agreements.
In addition our corporate law team provides legal services in all aspects of corporate financing and capital raising transactions. In most circumstances, we assist our clients in negotiating with the entities providing financing. We also provide specialized services when multiple layers of financing are involved which may include public debt or equity financing and syndication of equity through private placement offerings.
Our attorneys provide legal services in organization and licensing of retail stores, contract drafting, analysis, and review, acquiring of permits, obtaining import and export licenses, procuring of liquor licenses, and organizing not-for-profit medical and professional groups. We also assist minority, women, and disadvantaged business enterprises obtain certification from government agencies to enable them to participate in government projects and programs.
D. E-Commerce
When assisting our clients in e-commerce, internet, and its related activities, we assist our clients in accomplishing goals attributed to the creation of e-commerce business technology and business solutions where the need exists. Consequently, our e-commerce practice provides imaginative and innovative methodology tailored specifically to our client’s needs.
Our e-commerce clients include startup companies as well as large global entities engaged in the business of domestic and global complex e-commerce. We assist our clients in developing initiatives which affect internet business providers and users, including internet auction agreements, front and back end web agreements, web design agreements, strategic alliance and partnering agreements, and online contracting such as certification practice statements and click-wrap agreements.
E. Employment and Labor Law
We represent and advise clients with regard to various employment law issues, including discrimination due to sex, race, national origin, religion or disability, sexual harassment, hiring and termination, employee discipline, secrecy and noncompetition agreements in labor-management relations. We also counsel employers on matters involving the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Firm's services include negotiation, defense, and settlement of individual claims. We also assist employers in preparing corporate policy statements and formulating and implementing guidelines, policies, and in-house procedures.
F. International Trade
The Firm's international trade practice is staffed with attorneys that are multilingual. Our international trade practice involves obtaining international letters of credit and counseling trading entities on methods of securing foreign exchange. The Firm also provides extensive client counseling with respect to obtaining import export licenses, tariffs, and financing.
G. Immigration and Naturalization
We represent and advise clients with regard to issues of immigration of foreign nationals for investment and employment. We counsel clients concerning employment of persons to perform services in a specialty occupation and of persons having distinguished merit and ability. We also counsel clients regarding employment of persons possessing specialized knowledge in positions requiring theoretical and practical application. We also assist clients obtain permanent resident status.
H. Litigation
Our litigation team includes attorneys who are former prosecutors and provides the highest quality of legal services in all phases of litigation from inception through appeal. We handle all areas of civil litigation, including cases concerning general liability, automobile liability, products liability, toxic torts, personal injury insurance defense, insurance coverage analysis, municipal liability defense, environmental law, insurance claims, construction, and labor law. We also handle subrogation matters and first party actions on behalf of insurance companies.
We also represent our clients in litigation cases involving banking, employment and labor, general corporate, commercial, Civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, internet and worldwide web, real estate and commercial foreclosures, construction contracts, taxes, and trademark and copyright infringement. In addition to representing clients in complex civil matters, we represent individuals, financial institutions and corporations in regulatory and criminal proceedings. Our extensive trial experience is invaluable in trying not only civil cases but white collar crime cases in both state and federal courts. We also have experience in handling arbitrations and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
Our litigation work involves hearings, depositions, trials, and preparation of pleadings and motions. We also participate in all phases of litigation from pre-complaint discovery through trial in both state and federal courts. Our attorneys also practice before arbitration panels, administrative agencies, and appellate courts. We actively advise and counsel our clients in the processing and administration of claims. We also have experience in handling arbitrations and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
We expeditiously evaluate the liability exposure in each matter and promptly report our analysis to our clients so that a strategic course of action can be established early on in a case. We often participate in structuring our client's position considerably prior to the anticipated commencement of the litigation. Moreover, we make every effort to resolve all litigation matters expeditiously and efficiently.
I. Real Estate
Our Real Estate team provides a full range of traditional real estate services including construction financing, spectrum of real estate acquisition, sale and disposition of real property, and institutional mortgage lending transactions. These services are provided in matters concerning condominiums, residential subdivisions, office buildings, and other major structures. We also represent clients in connection with private placements of debt secured by real estate and in commercial leasing transactions. We are experienced in sale and lease-backs, convertible mortgages, limited partnerships, and other contemporary real estate investment techniques.
We counsel our clients with regard to purchase and sale, developing and financing, restructuring and workouts, and foreclosure proceedings involving real estate. Our attorneys have also acted as receivers and referees in various real estate foreclosure matters. As a result, we have extensive knowledge in disposing, managing, and operating real estate as well as bankruptcy and foreclosures.
J. S.B.A. Financial Functions
The Firm's S.B.A. practice is extensive and diverse. It involves the representation of many foreign and domestic banking institutions, including some of the largest and oldest banks in South America. We provide advice regarding the S.B.A.'s loan qualifications, loan making policy, loan administration, lending criteria, preferred lenders program, and certified lenders program. We also advise our clients in matters concerning secondary market participation and pooling of S.B.A. guaranteed portion.
The Firm continuously monitors regulatory developments and legislative enactments to assist our lending clients in dealing with policy and regulatory changes in the banking industry. We counsel our clients on all legal aspects regarding the Community Reinvestment Act, including compliance with deposit disclosure laws.
We prepare and create S.B.A. documentation necessary to secure and maintain the governments guaranteed portion in loan transactions. As bank's counsel, we have created documentation for matters concerning loans to businesses eligible under the alter ego exception. We have also created shareholder and real property estoppel affidavits, collateral mortgage documents, consolidation and assignment of real estate mortgage documents and agreements, hypothecation and pledge agreements, general loan and security agreements, and continuing security agreements, just to list a few.
K. Trusts and Estates
The Firm's trust and estates practice involves estate planning, preparation of trusts and will instruments, and the administration of trusts and estates. We also provide counseling to our clients concerning non-testamentary dispositions. In addition, we are involved in fiduciary accounting, probate proceedings, and other surrogate court proceedings.
L. White Collar Crime
Our white-collar criminal practice involves the defense of corporations and individuals under criminal and regulatory investigation. The white-collar criminal defense group is led by former state and federal prosecutors. The firm defends clients who are dealing with investigations by the District Attorneys' Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Justice, the United States Attorneys' Offices, the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Agriculture, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Offices of the Inspector General, and other federal and state regulatory and law enforcement agencies. The firm has handled numerous matters involving allegations of Foreign Corrupt Practice Act violations, procurement and healthcare fraud, financial frauds, money laundering, and The Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO“) violations, just to name a few.
In addition, our experience has shown that behind every white collar criminal case lurks a civil case. Hence both defenses must be carefully maneuvered and coordinated to achieve the best results. Our team believes that special attention must be given to pre-indictment activity, including responses to grand jury testimony, subpoenas, and discussions with prosecutors.
III. Pro Bono and Civic Involvement
Presently, the individual members of the Firm are actively engaged in community and charitable groups, including assisting the formation of not-for-profit organizations actively involved in assisting under privileged and under utilized human capital achieve parity in our society.
Our attorneys are also members of the attorney fraternal organizations and associations both locally and nationally. In addition the members of the firm are delegates to the White House for Small Business.
IV. Equal Opportunity Policy
We are an equal employment opportunity employer who seeks and employs the most qualified personnel regardless of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age marital status, sexual orientation, or disability. The policy of the Firm is to recruit and hire experienced lawyers and other personnel and to base its recruitment, hiring, and promotion decisions solely on job related criteria without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability.
V. Conclusion
We are satisfied that our hourly rate for legal services is competitive with those of most high quality New York law firms in similar practice. We are committed to providing quality and cost-efficient legal services with close personal contact at the partner level. We would be more than pleased to provide an estimate of both the scope of matter proposed to be undertaken and the expected time required to dispose of it effectively.
