Overview
When businesses face complex disputes, they turn to Robinson+Cole. We serve corporations and other entities, from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, across virtually every industry, locally and around the globe. We know that success requires not only the extensive trial and appellate experience that our lawyers possess but also a deep understanding of the client’s business operations and the commercial issues driving the conflict. Our superior reputation is built on more than 150 years of helping clients resolve their toughest business challenges.
Our Services and Our Team
As trusted advisors, our lawyers are often involved by clients soon after a dispute arises, before any lawsuit or arbitration demand is filed. Whether our role at that stage is direct or behind the scenes, our ultimate goal remains the same: a swift conclusion that meets the client’s business objectives. If the opposing party does not promptly come to terms or abandon its claims, we work to best position our client for potential litigation.
As forceful advocates, our lawyers have amassed an impressive track record of success, achieving very favorable results in hotly contested, sophisticated, multimillion-dollar business disputes, including bet-the-company cases and class actions. We have extensive experience taking cases to trial in federal and state courts, and in arbitrations, around the country, involving claims and issues such as the following:
Represented plaintiff in action against United States subsidiary of Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp. for breach of agreement to finance equipment leases negotiated by plaintiff. After two weeks of trial, defendants increased their settlement offer by a factor of 14 and the matter settled.
Prevailed in a multimonth jury trial defending an institutional client against contract and tort claims. The plaintiff filed its case seeking $100 million in damages arising from a failed development project. On the eve of trial, we eliminated $90 million of the damages sought through a successful motion practice. Thereafter, the remaining $10 million in claims were tried to conclusion, with the jury returning a unanimous verdict in favor of our client.
Represented privately held trust in a securities fraud action against a private investment broker and her company. Obtained judgment exceeding $1.3 million after trial, which was successfully defended on appeal to the Second Circuit. After the defendants failed to satisfy the judgment, succeeded in piercing the corporate veil of the company in a five-day jury trial to reach the assets of the broker's husband, a co-owner of the company, and successfully defended that judgment at the Second Circuit.
Successfully defended a manufacturer of nutritional supplements against a proposed nationwide consumer product class action brought in California state court. The manufacturer, which distributes its product worldwide, was facing claims based on allegations that included product mislabeling and unfair trade practices, as well as violations of the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA) and California-specific causes of action. We aggressively litigated the case in the early stages, and prior to any discovery production by the defendant or any depositions being conducted, the plaintiff agreed to a voluntarily dismissal with prejudice without any payment from the defendant.
Successfully defended entity in an arbitration trial involving a multimillion-dollar breach of contract claims. The arbitration concluded after several days of evidence, and the three arbitrators thereafter issued a unanimous award in favor of our client.
Obtained favorable midtrial settlement for client in a construction-related dispute involving allegations of breach of contract and Unfair Trade Practices Act violations.
Won complete motion to dismiss in a hotly contested Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration, resolving matter for client in less than six months. FINRA panel granted motion to dismiss, agreeing that the client was not associated with the securities in question, had no contact with the claimant, and had no supervisory responsibilities with respect to the sale of the securities at issue.
Won summary judgment for a client in a complex federal action based on the Noerr-Pennington doctrine.
Won preliminary injunction for a client under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act after a three-day evidentiary hearing.
Represented institutional client in a breach of contract and unfair trade practices lawsuit against an international services provider. Following extensive fact and expert discovery, we negotiated a recovery for our client of several million dollars.
Defended international company in a civil lawsuit brought against it by the U.S. Department of Justice in New York arising from an accident that led to multiple fatalities and required extensive environmental remediation. The government initially demanded $200 million to settle the dispute. After our depositions of the government’s key fact and expert witnesses, the government agreed to settle for approximately 2 percent of its initial demand.
Represented manufacturing company in a lawsuit and arbitration asserting claims against the former CEO for fraud in connection with the CEO's acquisition of controlling interest in company. The company alleged that the CEO acquired the stock at an artificially low price and then sought to sell it back to the company at an artificially high price. Following the company prevailing in a declaratory judgment action in court over which the contract controlled the arbitration, the matter settled with the CEO selling the stock back to the company at a fraction of his initial demand.
Successfully represented client in a four-day preliminary injunction hearing in the United States District Court, District of Connecticut, in a case involving the Connecticut Franchise Act, breach of contract, the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, and tortious interference with contractual relations.
Representation of a multinational health care information technology provider in an injunction action intended to prevent a breach of contract by a state health care agency. Robinson+Cole obtained an emergency ex parte injunction to prevent the state agency from disclosing trade secrets proprietary to our client in response to a freedom of information request promulgated by a legal aid organization opposed to managed care in governmental health care programs. Subsequently, Robinson+Cole defended against the agency’s efforts to lift that injunction and a subsequent appeal. The matter ended while the appeal was pending when the legal aid organization withdrew its FOIA request.
Successfully prosecuted three attempts to monopolize cases against AT&T and the Bell System on behalf of over 50 central station alarm companies.
Successfully handled an attempt to monopolize a case on behalf of the number two long distance telephone company on Guam against the market leader.
Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a resort development in South Carolina against a real estate brokerage firm, which had alleged Sherman Act violations.
Obtained jury verdict on behalf of the sellers of a satellite technology company in a fraud action brought in federal court in Orlando.
Obtained summary judgment for a Fortune 500 company in defense of claims that the client had a continuing obligation to provide access to its wastewater treatment facilities, fire suppression system, and parking lot for the plaintiff's use of an adjacent commercial property.
Won jury verdict in federal court in Boston on breach of contract case against Lufthansa Congo.
Obtained favorable verdict after a jury trial involving allegations of unfair competition and unfair trade practices in the specialty chemical industry.
Obtained favorable verdict after a jury trial representing a large research university in a breach of contract action.
Represented chemical manufacturing company in a case involving allegations of bad faith competitive bidding for a tender offer on the company’s publicly traded shares, including obtaining reversal of a pre-trial ruling at the Connecticut Appellate Court.
Represented a global provider of integrated financial information and analytics in lawsuit brought by an outsourcing company alleging breaches of contract, breaches of fiduciary duty, and fraud. Obtained favorable settlement for our client after winning partial summary judgment.
Obtained a $50 million judgment and successfully foreclosed on the security interests for a global technology provider in a lawsuit brought against a number of its competitors to recover on a note our client had purchased from a third party.
Represented a cybersecurity and data backup company in lawsuit brought against former executive for breach of employment and stock option agreements. Obtained summary judgment for our client enforcing a forfeiture for competition provision and dismissing the defendant’s counterclaims.
Represents one of the largest cable operators in the United States in putative class actions accusing it of unfair trade practices and consumer protection violations.
Represents premium all-natural pet product company in breach of contract, fraud, and unfair trade practices lawsuit.
Represents cloud computing company in lawsuit accusing a competitor of trade libel and defamation.
Represents clients in personal and real property tax appeals for commercial taxpayers against Connecticut municipalities. Obtained favorable resolutions for clients involving valuation disputes.
Josephson, LLC v. Affiliated FM Ins. Co., 2022 WL 999134 (R.I. Super. 2022) – rulings on cross motions for partial summary judgment in COVID-19 business interruption litigation holding, as a matter of first impression under Rhode Island law, that COVID-19 is not capable of causing physical loss or damage to property and that the policy’s Contamination Exclusion unambiguously applies to bar the claims.
ITT Inc. v. Factory Mutual Ins. Co., 2022 WL 1471245 (D. Conn. 2022) – ruling on motion to dismiss COVID-19 business interruption litigation holding under Connecticut law that none of the policyholder’s attempts to classify the impact of COVID-19 as physical loss or damage succeeds and therefore concluding that claims for coverage under Time Element, Civil or Military Authority, Ingress/Egress or Logistics Extra Cost fail.
Procaccianti Companies, Inc. v. Zurich American Ins. Co., 2022 WL 2802357 (D.R.I. 2022) – ruling granting motion to bifurcate and stay discovery on bad faith dismiss in COVID-19 business interruption litigation pending resolution of breach of contract and declaratory judgment claims relating to insurance coverage.
Defended family in fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and related claims brought by a New York City-based art dealer stemming from the purchase and subsequent sale of a Picasso sculpture for over $20 million. Won pre-answer motion to dismiss prior to engaging in discovery.
