Breidbart v. Wiesenthal

• Decision Date: 14 May 2014
• Citation: 2014 N.Y. Slip Op. 03469,985 N.Y.S.2d 719,117 A.D.3d 766
• Parties: Murray BREIDBART, et al., appellants, v. Melvin L. WIESENTHAL, et al., nonparty-respondent.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

117 A.D.3d 766

985 N.Y.S.2d 719

2014 N.Y. Slip Op. 03469

Murray BREIDBART, et al., appellants,

v.Melvin L. WIESENTHAL, et al., nonparty-respondent.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, New York.

May 14, 2014.

Borchert, Genovesi & LaSpina, P.C., Whitestone, N.Y. (Anthony J. Genovesi, Jr., and Gary E. Rosenberg of counsel), for appellants.

Marshall G. Kaplan, Brooklyn, N.Y., nonparty-respondent pro se.

THOMAS A. DICKERSON, J.P., JOHN M. LEVENTHAL, L. PRISCILLA HALL, and PLUMMER E. LOTT, JJ.

In an action, inter alia, to compel partnership accountings and a distribution of partnership assets, the plaintiffs appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Kurtz, Ct.Atty.Ref.), dated May 14, 2012, which, after a hearing, granted the motion of nonparty Marshall G. Kaplan, the plaintiffs' former attorney, to establish a charging lien pursuant to Judiciary Law § 475 in the sum of $81,354.52.

ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with costs.

An attorney discharged without cause may recover the reasonable value of his or her services in quantum meruit ( see Matter of Cohen v. Grainger, Tesoriero & Bell, 81 N.Y.2d 655, 658, 602 N.Y.S.2d 788, 622 N.E.2d 288;Schultz v. Hughes, 109 A.D.3d 895, 971 N.Y.S.2d 536). In fixing such an award, the court should consider evidence of the time and skill required in the case, the complexity of the matter, the attorney's experience, ability and reputation, the client's benefit derived from the services, and the fee usually charged by attorneys for similar services ( see Angotta v. Zelezny, 112 A.D.3d 570, 975 N.Y.S.2d 893;DeGregorio v. Bender, 52 A.D.3d 645, 860 N.Y.S.2d 193;SO/Bluestar, LLC v. Canarsie Hotel Corp., 33 A.D.3d 986, 825 N.Y.S.2d 80;Padilla v. Sansivieri, 31 A.D.3d 64, 67, 815 N.Y.S.2d 173). Here, the Supreme Court properly determined that the sum of $81,354.52 was a reasonable attorney's fee ( see NYCTL 1996–1 Trust v. Stavrinos Realty Corp., 113 A.D.3d 602, 978 N.Y.S.2d 320;Man Choi Chiu v. Winston Chiu, 67 A.D.3d 975, 890 N.Y.S.2d 78;Juste v. New York City Tr. Auth., 5 A.D.3d 736, 773 N.Y.S.2d 597.