Litigation

At the motion to dismiss stage, courts usually won't consider affirmative defenses. This issue arose recently in a preferential transfer case, where a defendant sought to dismiss a complaint by arguing it was a mere conduit, not an initial transferee.

When are the principals of a condominium sponsor individually liable for harms suffered by purchasers? In Board of Managers of 570 Broome Condominium, the First Department declined to dismiss a condominium board's fraud and breach of fiduciary claims against individual defendants.

The Second Circuit affirmed the lower courts' judgment that a "transfer made … in connection with a securities contract … by a qualifying financial institution" was entitled "to the protection of ... §546 (e)'s safe harbor ...."

Given the downward pressure on commercial real estate valuations in many areas, and the increasing likelihood that owners of real property will cease paying real property taxes when there is no longer any equity, we decided to report on a recent decision issued by the Ninth Circuit that reversed a decision of the bankruptcy court allocating the distribution of the proceeds of a sale of real property pro rata between the IRS, on account of its tax lien, and the bankruptcy estate.

Scouting Organization's Adverse Possession Claim Against County Land Fails Easement Not Subject to Termination Under RPAPL 1951 Doctrine of Emblements Might Sustain Former Tenant's Claim to Crops Church Property Tax Exempt Because Town Did Not Establish Zoning Violation

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit called Live Nation Entertainment Inc.'s requirement of new procedures for mass arbitration claims unenforceable and rejected the company's bid to keep a proposed class action lawsuit alleging inflated ticket prices out of court.

Landowner Did Not Establish Nonconforming Use Protection Zoning Board of Appeals Misconstrued Town Code Definition NYU Has Standing to Challenge Zoning Amendment

Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.