What We Do

COMMERCIAL LITIGATION

We are experienced commercial litigators who have appeared in numerous federal and state courts and in arbitrations and mediations. While our cases are diverse, they all involve sophisticated disputes that require creative and aggressive counsel to meet complex challenges.

Our experience in high-stakes business lawsuits encompasses a wide range of industries and subject matter areas. The cases we have litigated include complex contractual disputes, securities law violations, trade secret misappropriation, copyright infringement, and private antitrust enforcement actions.

Our clients are as diverse as our cases and include private individuals, investment management firms, financial institutions and accounting firms, small businesses and start-ups, telecommunications companies, manufacturers, and credit and payment card companies. We have represented both plaintiffs and defendants in multi-billion dollar disputes and an array of smaller and medium-sized matters.

• Represented private equity firm in multimillion dollar warehouse lending dispute with a leading insurance conglomerate. Secured favorable judgment and recovered attorneys fees and costs after multi-day arbitration.
• Represented start-up medical device manufacturer in a $200 million breach-of- contract case in Delaware state court against an international medical device provider. The matter was settled after jury verdict in favor of client.
• Represented start-up consumer electronics financial services company in a multimillion dollar federal trade secret case against a national retailer. The matter was settled after a jury verdict in favor of client.
• Successfully defended a national retail energy supplier in a class action lawsuit in New York State court alleging consumer fraud. Secured dismissal of all claims.
• Successfully defended board member of a multinational banking and financial services company in a federal lawsuit alleging insider trading. Secured dismissal of all claims.
• Secured favorable settlement on behalf of leading provider of storage services in New York City in complex property and business law litigation brought in New York State court.
• Secured favorable settlement for international accounting firm in auditor liability lawsuit in federal court.

CIVIL RIGHTS
 
Taylor & Cohen LLP is committed to advancing the public good and addressing injustice. We have litigated a number of federal civil rights actions in federal courts across several states. As lawyers, we believe that we have an obligation to ensure that all persons are treated fairly and with dignity and respect before the law.

• Co-counsel with the New York Civil Liberties Union for the New York State Mental Hygiene Legal Services in a federal lawsuit brought on behalf of thousands of persons treated in, and confined to, the psychiatric units of Brooklyn’s largest public hospital, Kings County Hospital Center. Successfully secured, together with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York, a complete overhaul of nearly all operations of the psychiatric units, from physical plant maintenance to patient care and discharge planning.
• Co-counsel with Lambda Legal Services in a federal lawsuit against the Indian River School District in Philadelphia, New York. The complaint asserted discrimination claims related to the bullying of a gay student and a high school’s refusal to allow students to form a gay-straight alliance club. As a result of the litigation, the school district was required to retain consultants to educate and train faculty on responding to harrassment; compile statistics about student harrassment on its campuses; and adopt peer leadership programs to detect, prevent, and remediate harassment. Additionally, the high school permitted the formation of the gay-straight alliance club.
• Counsel to Disability Rights New Jersey in a federal lawsuit against the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services on behalf of thousands of New Jersey psychiatric patients challenging the lack of due process afforded to patients who are involuntarily medicated. Won a ruling that defendants had violated the rights of paitents under the U.S. Constitution and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Co-counsel with the National Center for Law and Economic Justice in a federal class action lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) on behalf of evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita with physical disabilities. As a result of the litigation, FEMA was required to provide accessible temporary housing facilities for all qualifying individuals in a timely manner and to establish hotlines and other means to inform persons with disabilities of their right to accessible temporary housing.

CRIMINAL DEFENSE
 
We have defended individuals and companies in high-profile criminal cases and government investigations. Our work involves every facet of a criminal case, from pre-indictment investigation and advocacy, through motion practice and trial. We have also appeared before a wide range of government enforcement agencies, including the SEC, FINRA, multiple state Attorneys General and other state regulatory agencies.

• Served as defense co-counsel in the nation’s first jury trial of a U.S. citizen accused of attempting to join the terrorist group ISIS.
• Represented a trader at a leading financial institution in parallel criminal and SEC investigations relating to the valuation of collateralized debt obligations.
• Represented auditors in SEC investigation relating to alleged accounting fraud.
• Represented investment advisors in investigations by FINRA and state agencies relating to the marketing of structured products.
• Secured a non-custodial sentence for a defendant who pled guilty to federal narcotics trafficking charges.

INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS
 
Investigating potential wrongdoing promptly and aggressively can enhance a company’s credibility with law enforcement, regulators and the investment community and thereby mitigate or even eliminate legal, financial and reputational harm. We have conducted sensitive internal investigations for small and medium-sized companies in a variety of matters. Working discretely, thoroughly and expeditiously, we gather and assess information from documents and individuals and report our conclusions to management, board committees, and/or general counsels, as the situation requires.
 
When an internal investigation is conducted by a company, Taylor & Cohen LLP is also highly qualified to represent the company’s officers, directors and employees who need their own counsel to protect their interests as individuals.

• Engaged by the general counsel of a healthcare nonprofit to investigate allegations that its chief executive bribed politicians in return for favorable treatment.
• Engaged on behalf of a small financial consultancy firm to investigate claims that its deceased president and sole shareholder had fraudulently overbilled bankruptcy estates in numerous Chapter 11 proceedings. A written report based on the investigation was provided to the U.S. Trustee as well as a court-appointed examiner.
• Represented whistleblowers in Federal False Claims Act cases to protect against conflicts arising from documents and information covered by the attorney-client privilege.

ARTISTS
 
We understand the unique challenges faced by artists and individuals working in creative industries. Taylor & Cohen LLP has helped artists, photographers, models and others in creative fields protect their works, businesses, and professional image. Our representation covers a wide array of matters, including standard contractual disputes, copyright infringement, First Amendment issues, right to publicity, catastrophic loss, and moral rights.

• Represented model in a right-to-publicity action concerning the unauthorized use of her image on New York City subway advertisements.
• Represented award-winning photographer in a lawsuit against an international magazine conglomerate concerning copyright violations and the loss of nearly 40,000 slides and negatives.
• Represented owner of valuable antique decorative artwork in connection with its use by a a New York City boutique.