2022 was a milestone year for Yankwitt LLP: we memorialized our 13th anniversary with a “bar-mitzvah” style party featuring the traditional sign-in board, walk-down-memory-lane montage and yes, of course, the obligatory pigs in a blanket. Turning 13, however, was just one of the many reasons we had to celebrate this year. It would take much more than a newsletter to list them all, but here are a few especially momentous highlights.
Deepening Our Bench
As Westchester’s go-to law firm for high-stakes litigation, Yankwitt LLP cultivates a deep bench of “go to” attorneys, all of whom come to the firm with experience in BigLaw, as federal or Commercial Division law clerks and/or as federal prosecutors. Having these highly selective backgrounds yields attorneys who are the best legal writers, the most creative problem solvers and the most aggressive litigators and trial attorneys, and that is how we consistently resolve cases favorably for our clients.
In 2022, Yankwitt LLP hit the trifecta: we hired three attorneys – Jonathan Ohring, counsel; Scott Wenzel, senior associate; and Ryan Wintermute, associate – each of whom exemplifies our narrow but intentional criteria. We also welcomed two newly minted attorneys: Connor Hilbie, who previously served as our star law clerk, and Ross Keiser.
But our quest for additional quintessential Yankwitt LLP attorneys continues. If you know anyone or are someone who meets our requirements, please reach out. Job descriptions are available on our website, and resumes and cover letters should be sent to [email protected].
A Star-Studded Leadership Team
Speaking of trifectas, the new addition to our leadership team: Partner Alicia Tallbe was promoted to Deputy Chair of Litigation, joining Managing Partner and Chair of Litigation Russell Yankwitt and Partner and Executive Director Dina Hamerman. Together, the three manage the firm’s cases and operations and mentor our junior attorneys. For an inside look into their career paths, check out the New York Law Journal’s recent features on Alicia and Dina in their popular “How I Made It” column.
White Collar/Investigation Practice Expands
2022 saw tremendous growth in our White Collar / Investigations Practice. Led by Benjamin Allee, former Criminal Division Co-Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office White Plains Division and BigLaw attorney, the firm has been retained as defense counsel in multiple high-profile government investigations and white collar litigations.
Yankwitt LLP often works closely with prominent New York City law firms on these matters. The firm leverages its prosecutorial experience and relationships with prominent New York City law firms to represent the target companies’ executives as defendants and witnesses.
A Cornucopia of Case Victories
Our year-end newsletter would not be complete without highlighting a few of the outstanding outcomes we have achieved for our clients. It was a banner year indeed for Yankwitt LLP:
- A complete victory on a motion to dismiss a defamation claim against a nonprofit organization and several associated individuals on the grounds that the alleged statements were protected by the common interest privilege. Read more.
- A favorable settlement in a multi-million-dollar breach of contract case against the firm’s billion-dollar retail and wholesale client, which we achieved through meticulous research that revealed the plaintiff had systemically overbilled our client. Mediation paved the way for aggressive settlement negotiations, culminating in a successful outcome. Read more.
- A milestone win in our client Million Air’s $30 million+ breach of contract case against Westchester County, as the district court held that Million Air asserted a well-pled claim for breach of contract and granted our motion to amend the complaint. Read more.
- A successful motion to dismiss a punitive damages claim in a case where the firm served as personal defense counsel (shadow counsel to the client’s insurer), which dramatically altered the case’s damages calculus in our client’s favor. Read more.
2022 was a stand-out year for Yankwitt LLP, and we look forward to even greater accomplishments in 2023. We encourage you to follow us on social media (LinkedIn Facebook Instagram ) for the latest firm developments, highlights of the firm’s litigation successes, awards, and community contributions, and to stay abreast of the latest legal news on our blog, “The Westchester Litigator.”
Happy and healthy holidays to you!