Partners John Siegal and Erica Barrow received a Law.com Litigator of the Week Shout-out for their well-fought victory over a class certification bid challenging rent increases in rent-stabilized New York buildings currently owned by A&E Real Estate Holdings. The plaintiffs claimed that, between 2003 and 2016, A&E attempted to inflate rents by increasing the cost of renovations. The case involved current and former tenants of approximately 585 apartments spread across 22 buildings.
In the decision denying class certification, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Joel Cohen stated that the claims “necessarily will require proof as to damages and liability on a claim-by-claim basis.”