Close Window

Danielle C. Lesser
Partner; Commercial Litigation

Contact
212.735.8702
dlesser@morrisoncohen.com

Danielle C. Lesser is co-chair of the Commercial Litigation Department. Her practice focuses on corporate and complex commercial litigation. As part of her diverse practice, Ms. Lesser has handled all aspects of business litigation.

Ms. Lesser regularly counsels and advises corporations, their officers and directors, and individuals leaving their employment in connection with their fiduciary duties, employment claims, restrictive covenants, management of corporate opportunities and other non-competition issues.  Ms Lesser's practice involves litigating in state and federal court, as well as arbitration and mediation; Ms. Lesser handles all phases of litigation from pleading through trial verdict and appeal.

Ms. Lesser's recent representations include:

* Successfully representing the CEO of a publicly traded company in a claim for wrongful termination; securing a multi-million dollar award for him;

* Successfully representing an investment group in blocking a merger, involving a publicly traded company and a private affiliate;

* Successfully representing a large investment firm in dual shareholders' derivative actions in New York and Delaware state courts;

* Successfully representing a real estate developer in a breach of contract action against a major Nebraska landowner in the District of Nebraska;

* Successfully representing an international retailer in connection with lease disputes for space in a major tourist center in New York City;

* Successfully representing a well-known clothing manufacturer and retailer in connection with a lease dispute concerning its headquarters in New York City;

* Successfully representing a French benefits administrator, the insured, onbehalf of our client, a major French insurer in connection with a claim under an errors and omissions policy in California state court.

Education
B.A., Cornell University (cum laude)
J.D., Fordham University School of Law

Admitted
New York

Professional Activities
Member, Association of the Bar of the City of New York

Author: "Boards of Directors Owe Fiduciary Duties to Preferred Shareholders," Securities Regulation Journal, Vol. 32,No. 1, pp. 131-135. Copyright 2004 by West, a Thompson business. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of West from Securities Regulation Law Journal.

Co-author: "Successful Partnering Between Inside and Outside Counsel," Chapter 27, Specialized Approaches to Insourcing Legal Work, West Publications;

Co Author: "Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts," Chapter 28, Jury Selection and Supplements (West Publications);

Contributed to Leslie D. Corwin and Arthur J. Ciampi, "Law Firm Partnership Agreement" (Law Journal Seminars Press, 1998);

Co-author: "Court Says Fiduciary Duties and Covenant of Good Faith Govern Compensation of Law Firm Partners," Law Firm Partnership and Benefits Report, January 1996;

Co-author: "Publishing Trade Secrets: Show.It and Blow.It," Commercial and Business Litigation Newsletter, American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Winter, 1999