Banking and Finance Litigation

• Representation of a large New York-based hedge fund in a $47 million commercial foreclosure and subsequent collection proceeding that recovered the full amount of the judgment.
• Representation of national banks in federal and state courts in the successful defense of putative class actions involving, for example, prime interest rates, equipment leasing, information security, credit insurance, payoff fees, and real estate partnerships.
• Representation of a lending consortium in the foreclosure of a $1 billion acquisition and contraction loan made in connection with the redevelopment of a sports and entertainment complex.
• Representation of a lender in connection with a $400 million loan to one of the nation’s largest developers of retirement communities in its sixteen administratively consolidated Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases in the Northern District of Texas.
• Representation of various investment funds in connection with the conversion of approximately $200 million of debt to equity to facilitate the acquisition of a bus manufacturer through a pre-negotiated Chapter 11 process in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
• Representation of a lead lender in a $100 million syndicated loan in a multi-state real estate developer’s bankruptcy.
• Representation of a prepetition and DIP lender owed in excess of $100 million in the bankruptcy of one of the nation’s largest paper supply companies in a bankruptcy case pending in the Eastern District of Texas and a related case pending in the District of Delaware.
• Representation of a hedge fund in the foreclosure of a consolidated $60 million mortgage secured by an assemblage of commercial development properties in the Hudson Yards neighborhood in Manhattan.
• Representation of a major national bank in a multi-state residential real estate project to recover a $200 million loan, pending in Bankruptcy Court in the District of New Jersey.
• Representation of a life insurance company in the foreclosure of an acquisition, building and project loan in excess of $95 million secured by a development property (a former hospital) in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in Manhattan, and obtained a judgment of foreclosure and sale.
• Representation of agent of participated $62 million dollar acquisition and construction loan in restructuring and foreclosure of the largest office tower in New Jersey.
• Representation of the first priority lender in the foreclosure of a senior living complex with respect to a first priority $35 million loan.
• Representation of a large financial institution as a secured creditor of a $25 million loan in the administratively consolidated Chapter 11 cases of a large residential real estate developer and its affiliates pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.
• Representation of a financial institution in connection with a negotiated restructuring of $53 million of credit components, real estate loans and tax-exempt bonds issued by an affiliated group of nursing homes, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities in New York State. The representation required expertise in New York State foreclosure law, health law, tax-exempt financing and governmental issues.
• Successfully defended a major national bank in a lengthy jury trial against allegations of a $250 million lender liability claim.

Representative Decisions

• Investors Bank v. Torres, 457 N.J. Super. 23 (App. Div. 2018), certif. granted, 2019 N.J. LEXIS 290 (N.J. Mar. 5, 2019)

  3/5/2019 Joshua N. Howley

• Paul Sciarra, LLC v. HSBC Bank USA, N.A., et al., 2017 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 359 (App. Div. Feb. 15, 2017)

  2/15/2017 Joshua N. Howley

• Heyman v. CitiMortgage, Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 138346 (D.N.J. Oct. 9, 2015)

  10/9/2015 Joshua N. Howley, William R. Tellado

• Ronald DeLuca, et al. v. CitiMortgage, et al., 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 20692 (3d Cir. Oct. 11, 2013)

  10/11/2013 Joshua N. Howley

• Archbold, et al. v. Hampden Bancorp, Inc. et al., Civil Action No. 12-3873 ES-JAD, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 187560 (D.N.J. Sept. 30, 2013)

  9/30/2013 Joseph L. Buckley, William R. Tellado

• Elvira Peng, et al. v. CitiMortgage, et al., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 132392 (D.N.J. Sept. 17, 2013)

  9/17/2013 Joshua N. Howley

• Archbold, et al. v. Hampden Bancorp, Inc. et al., Civil Action No. 12-CV-3873 ES-JAD, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 187552 (D.N.J. Sept. 9, 2013)

  9/9/2013 Joseph L. Buckley, William R. Tellado

• Jesus and Ligaya Flores, et al. v. HSBC, et al., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 90673 (D.N.J. June 28, 2012)

  6/28/2012 Jeffrey J. Greenbaum, Joshua N. Howley

• Ronald DeLuca, et al. v. CitiMortgage, et al., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1008 (D.N.J. Jan. 4, 2012)

  1/4/2012 Joshua N. Howley

• State of West Va. ex rel. Citifinancial, Inc. v. Hon. John T. Madden, et al., 223 W.Va. 229, 672 S.E. 2d 365 (2008)

  12/10/2008 Joseph L. Buckley

• DialAmerica Marketing, Inc. v. Citicorp Credit Services, Inc., 2008 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 3039

  11/19/2008 Joseph L. Buckley, Richard H. Epstein

• Hing Q. Lum, et al., Appellants v. Bank of America, et al., 2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 10812 (3d Cir. 2007)

  5/7/2007 Joseph L. Buckley

• F. James Donnelly, P.C. v. Copelco Capital Inc. 2007 WL 1062066 (N.J. Super. A.D.)

  4/11/2007 Joseph L. Buckley

• Cunningham v. Citigroup, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS, 33805 (D.N.J. Dec. 16, 2005)

  12/16/2005 Joseph L. Buckley, Jeffrey J. Greenbaum

• Gardner v. Bank of America Nat. Trust and Savings Ass'n, 2004 WL 5211176 (N.J. Super. A.D.)

  12/27/2004 Joseph L. Buckley, Thomas A. Della Croce, Richard H. Epstein

• Rosenberg v. Washington Mutual Bank, F.A., 369 N.J. Super. 456, 849 A.2d 566 (App. Div. 2004)

  3/22/2004 Jeffrey J. Greenbaum

• Lum v. Bank of America, et al., 361 F.3d 217 (3d Cir. 2004)

  3/11/2004 Joseph L. Buckley

• Carmine Restaurant, Inc. v. Citibank, N.A., 300 A.D.2d 149, 752 N.Y.S.2d 49, 49 UCC Rep. Serv.2d 1266 (1st Dep't 2002)

  12/19/2002 Joseph L. Buckley

• Rolo v. City Investing Co., 155 F.3d 644 (3d Cir. 1998)

  10/2/1998 Joseph L. Buckley, Mark E. Duckstein

• Continental Bank Real Estate Department v. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, 97 N.J.A.R.2d (CAF) 100 (1997)

  7/8/1997 Joseph L. Buckley

• United States Small Business Administration v. Citibank, N.A., 31 U.C.C. Rep. Serv.2d 795 (S.D.N.Y. 1997)

  2/4/1997 Joseph L. Buckley

• Burns & Beck v. Citibank, N.A., 640 N.Y.S.2d 90 (1st Dep’t 1996)

  4/4/1996 Joseph L. Buckley, Mark E. Duckstein

• Baureis v. The Summit Trust Co., 280 N.J. Super. 154 (App. Div.), certif. denied, 141 N.J. 99 (1995)

  3/14/1995 Mark E. Duckstein

• Washington Savings Bank v. Tardy, 268 N.J. Super. 597 (App. Div. 1993)

  12/13/1993 Mark E. Duckstein

• Schachter v. Citibank, N.A., 193 A.D.2d 593, 597 N.Y.S.2d 453 (2nd Dep’t 1993)

  5/3/1993 Joseph L. Buckley

• Sadler v. Citibank, N.A., 947 F.2d 642 (2d Cir. 1991)

  10/22/1991 Joseph L. Buckley

Press Releases

• Sills Cummis & Gross Welcomes Lauren C. Watson

  4/8/2019

• Sills Cummis & Gross Welcomes Tyler J. Kandel

  4/4/2019

• Sills Cummis & Gross Promotes Attorneys: New Members and Of Counsel Named

  10/1/2018

In The News Items

• A Group Approach to Coping with the Subprime Mortgage Crisis

  The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel 3/1/2008 Joseph L. Buckley

• The Subprime Irony: Bust for the Economy Is Boom for Law Practices

  New Jersey Lawyer 2/25/2008 Mark S. Olinsky

Presentations

• When Your Commercial Borrower Defaults: A Proactive Guide to Collateral Realization

  Citibank’s Global Risk Management Group 10/16/2012

• The "Dos and Don'ts" of Loan Documentation

  The "Dos and Don'ts" of Loan Documentation from an Enforcement Perspective Citibank 9/21/2012

• RealShare Breakfast Series: New Jersey Opportunities

  Opportunities in Office: Distressed Properties and the Future RealShare/ALM 6/5/2012

• 3rd Annual Bank and Financial Institutions Special Asset Executive Conference on Real Estate Workouts

  Loan Modification Strategies (Stuart Glick) and A Special Asset Officers Guide to Cure Options: Lessons Learned for Loan: Documentation Deficiencies Including Avoiding Lender Liability (Mitchell Haddad) IMN 3/12/2012 Mitchell D. Haddad

• When Your Commercial Borrower Defaults: A Proactive Guide to Collateral Realization

  Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. 5/12/2010

• Class Action Issues Facing Banks and the Financial Services Industry

  Banking Law Section and Class Action Committee, New Jersey Bar Association 4/23/2008 Jeffrey J. Greenbaum

• National Flexible Packaging Credit Group Seminar

  Collecting What You Are Owed from Pre & Post Bankruptcy Companies National Flexible Packaging Credit Group 8/12/2004

• Getting Paid What You're Owed & Keeping It: Strategies for Dealing with Delinquent Accounts Pre and Post-Bankruptcy

  National Metal Producers Association 3/12/2004

• Operating a Business in the Vicinity of Insolvency

  3/9/2004

• Credit Conference 2003 - Fiscal Fitness

  What To Do When the Government Comes Knocking National Association of Credit Management - Midwest (Chicago Institute of Credit) 10/9/2003

• An Overview of Antitrust Law

  National Swimming Pool and Spa Industry Credit Group 8/22/2003

Publications

• Avoid Becoming A Dreaded Mortgagee-In-Possession In NJ

  Law360 7/13/2017 Joshua N. Howley

• The New Jersey Supreme Court Extends the Powerful New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act to Foreclosures

  The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel 11/1/2011 Joshua N. Howley

• Using Assignments of Rents and Leases Effectively

  The RMA Journal 9/1/2011

• New Jersey Courts Place Roadblocks on Lenders' Ability to Enforce Mortgage Documents

  The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel 1/1/2011 Joshua N. Howley