Yankwitt LLP Secures Complete Dismissal of Federal Constitutional and Racketeering Claims in Complex Property Dispute

Yankwitt LLP secured the complete dismissal with prejudice of all federal claims against its client, a Westchester County country club, in a complex dispute with a neighboring property owner represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP and Latham & Watkins LLP.

The federal action, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleged that the club conspired with a local municipality and municipal employees to selectively enforce zoning laws against the plaintiff, in violation of federal civil rights statutes, and asserted civil RICO claims. Yankwitt LLP moved to dismiss, successfully arguing that plaintiff’s allegations could not support constitutional claims against the private club and failed to satisfy the demanding requirements of the civil RICO statute. The court granted the club’s motion in its entirety and with prejudice.

The decision highlights the significant pleading hurdles plaintiffs face when attempting to turn underlying business, property or regulatory disputes into federal civil rights and RICO cases. It also demonstrates Yankwitt LLP’s ability to identify and successfully litigate dispositive issues in complex matters against substantially larger legal teams, at a fraction of the cost.

Yankwitt LLP also represented the club in a parallel state court action involving separate property-related claims brought by the same plaintiff, which ended when plaintiff voluntarily dismissed its case after the close of discovery.