Meister Seelig & Fein LLP Announces Affiliation With Australia-Based Law Firm
Meister Seelig & Fein, LLP is proud to announce that it has entered into an affiliation with Australia-based law firm, Rotstein Lockwood Reddy.

Rotstein Lockwood Reddy is a well regarded corporate and commercial law firm with main offices located in Melbourne and Sydney Australia. The firm also has a significant presence in India. Rotstein Lockwood Reddy's practice areas include Competition & Market Regulation, Mergers & Acquisitions, E-Commerce, IT Law Employee Relations, Intellectual Property, Real Estate, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Sports & Entertainment, Franchising, and Telecommunications.

Jeffrey Kimmel, a Partner at Meister Seelig & Fein, commented that “the alliance of these two firms provides clients with seamless cross-border services, combining local knowledge with global experience, particularly in the United States, Australia, United Kingdom and India.”
NJ Supreme Court Declares Alcotest® 7110 Scientifically Reliable
MSF represents Draeger Safety Diagnostics, Inc., the manufacturer of the Alcotest® 7110, a sophisticated, microprocessor-based evidential breath testing instrument that is used around the world. New Jersey, and other United States jurisdictions, have chosen the Alcotest® to replace their aging and obsolete Breathalyzer® devices, which are based on fifty-year-old technology.

On March 17, 2008, the New Jersey Supreme Court became the first State high court in the United States to find such a device scientifically reliable, when it declared that the Alcotest® satisfied the rigorous tests for scientific reliability. In reaching its conclusion in State v. Chun, 194 N.J. 54, 943 A.2d 11, 2008 WL 695544 (March 17, 2008), the Court adopted virtually all the fact findings in the reports its Special Master issued after almost twenty weeks of hearings on the instrument’s reliability. It also rejected the challenges to the device mounted by twenty defendants during the contentious and vigorously litigated hearings.

MSF partner, Jeffrey Schreiber, represented Draeger in connection with the hearings and argued the case for Draeger in the New Jersey Supreme Court in March 2007 and January 2008.

For links to some of the media reports on the decision click below.

Courier Post Online
The Philadelphia Inquirer
New York Times
MSF Makes New Law Under the New Jersey's Sales Representatives' Rights Act, NJSA 2A:61A-1 et seq, Obtaining Dramatic Reversal of Erroneous Damages award in Appellate Division
MSF represented the plaintiff, Kas, in Kas Oriental Rugs, Inc. v. Ellman, 394 N.J. Super 278 (App. Div.), certif. denied, 192 N.J. 74 (2007), the first Appellate Division case construing the fee shifting provisions in the New Jersey Sales Representatives' Rights Act, NJSA 2A:61A-1 et seq (the "New Jersey Statute"). The case arose when Kas terminated Ellman, its New Jersey sales representative, and Ellman asserted various claims against Kas, including claims under the New Jersey Statute, contract and quantum meruit/unjust enrichment theories. As a result of MSF's arguments on appeal, instead of being liable for damages to its terminated representative Kas is entitled to recover the substantial attorney's fees and costs it incurred defending against the representative's claims.

Kas was represented throughout this matter by MSF partner Jeffrey Schreiber and Special Counsel Racquel Crespi Weintraub.


FIVE MSF PARTNERS NAMED 2007 NEW YORK SUPER LAWYERS
Benjamin Fein, Stephen Meister, Mark Seelig, Matthew Kasindorf and Jeffrey Schreiber have been listed among the 2007 New York Super Lawyers.

"Super Lawyers are the top 5 percent of attorneys in each state, as chosen by their peers and through the independent research of Law & Politics. Law & Politics performs the polling, research and selection of Super Lawyers in a process designed to identify lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Super Lawyers is a comprehensive and diverse guide to outstanding attorneys, representing a wide range of practice areas, firm sizes and geographic locations. Only 5 percent of the lawyers in each state or region are named Super Lawyers" (www.superlawyers.com).

Click here to download Super Lawyers article
MARK SEELIG GIVES LECTURES AT ESTATE PLANNING SEMINARS
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Mark J. Seelig has recently given lectures to various groups in the New York City area. On October 3, 2007, he presented an overview of estate planning to the International Executive Resources Group. The seminar outlined basic estate planning techniques aimed at (1) establishing a coherent and effective plan for the allocation, distribution and control of a person's assets following his or her death, (2) building a legacy or making a charitable contribution and (3) minimizing taxes applicable to one's property. The presentation also included a synopsis of how federal and state legislation has, and continues to, affect estate planning and estate taxes. The presentation further explained common mistakes that are made when planning an estate, as well as how to avoid them.
NORMANDY SELLS FORT LEE TROPHY
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Matthew Kasindorf represents Normandy Real Estate.
MATTHEW KASINDORF RECEIVES EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD
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Real Estate Department Co-chair Matthew Kasindorf received the coveted "Award for Teaching Excellence" from New York University Dean Robert S. Lapiner for his work at the renowned NYU Real Estate Institute Masters Program.

"As soon as Matt walked into my office for an interview, I knew he had the right stuff. Aside from his poise, polish, and preparation, it was clear immediately that this was a person that our students would love. As an attorney working on the most complex financial deals, my first inclination was to assign him to a finance class, but Matt wanted to stick with his roots and chose to teach the Legal Principles and Practices core course. He was an instant and huge success. When we think of the phrase 'the smartest guys in the room,' we think of Matt. He presents material with clarity and an engaging style that is unique and appealing. His student evaluations hum with praise every semester. We are truly delighted to be able to recognize Matt for his superb contribution to our school." —Daniel Boffey, former director, Administration and Programs, NYU Real Estate Institute
SQUARE FEET; A RELATIVE BARGAIN IN A CORNER OF THE VILLAGE
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Click on the above link to download a copy of the article featuring comments by Partner, Matthew Kasindorf.
RETAIL DOMINATES IN NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND
The retail sector continues to be a hot commodity in the Northeast.
Moderated by Jerrold France, Randall Shearin and Stephanie Mayhem.

Shopping Center Business and Northeast Real Estate Business recently held two retail roundtable discussions in two of the most dynamic markets in the Northeast. The annual New York Retail Roundtable was held at the New York City office of Meister, Seelig & Fein LLP, and the inaugural New England Retain Roundtable was held at the Boston office of Goulston & Storrs. Brokers, developers and lenders came together to discuss the current trends and the health of the retail sector in these thriving markets. A retail destination for decades, New York City continues to evolve and grow, offering shoppers some of the best retail products in the country. New England retail continues to prosper as well, as new mixed-use developments and lifestyle centers populate the landscape.

(Northeast Real Estate Business)
MSF CLOSES 1100 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX IN NJ
Meister Seelig & Fein closed the acquisition of an 1100 unit apartment complex in Collingswood, New Jersey for $70 million dollars including $50 million in bond financing from Camden County Improvement Authority. The project also included negotiation of certain tax abatement agreements with the Borough of Collingswood and Camden County with respect to rehabilitation of the property. The client acquired the property in joint venture with Guggenheim Real Estate Partners and was represented by Stuart Rich and Scott Newmark.


STONEHENGE PARTNERS DEVELOPS LARGE RENTAL COMPLEX ON THE UPPER WEST SIDE OF MANHATTAN
Meister Seelig & Fein represented Stonehenge Partners on the purchase of a complex containing two 14-story elevator buildings and a 520,000-square foot, two-story commercial building between 96th and 97th Streets on Amsterdam Avenue. They will rename the building Stonehenge Village. The building houses 418 residential units and seven commercial spaces. Stonehenge Partners plans to develop the property as rental units. Matthew Kasindorf represented Stonehenge.


MEISTER SEELIG & FEIN NEGOTIATES DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION DEAL BETWEEN iMESH AND SONY
In the wake of the settlement of its high profile copyright infringement lawsuit with the four major U.S. record companies, iMesh has now reached a music licensing deal with the record company SonyBMG. The deal allows iMesh to distribute to users SonyBMG content in a legal peer to peer ("P2P") environment. iMesh is one of the original P2P file trading sites and intends to soon launch a new application utilizing an innovative P2P platform that prevents users from exchanging unauthorized content. Jeffrey Kimmel and Jeffrey Schreiber at MSF represented iMesh in the copyright infringement lawsuit. Jeffrey Kimmel and Debora Stegich of MSF negotiated the SonyBMG license deal on behalf of iMesh.
REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT CO-CHAIR MATT KASINDORF HOSTS SYMPOSIUM OF RETAIL EXPERTS
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Click the link above to view the December 2007 Northeast Real Estate Business article