Steven Skulnik focuses his practice on litigation and arbitration matters. He has trial and appellate experience in many areas including commercial contracts, art and antiquities law, banking, employment law, real estate, shareholder and partnership disputes, trade secret, trademark, information technology and unfair competition. He has tried actions in federal and state courts and in international and US arbitrations.

Mr. Skulnik represents employers in all aspects of employment law including discrimination, wrongful discharge, retaliation and sexual harassment matters. He also assists clients in maintaining policies and procedures consistent with antidiscrimination and other employment laws.

Mr. Skulnik is a member of the Panels of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR) and Federal Arbitration (FedArb) and is also a court-appointed mediator for the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.

Representative Experience

• Defending the owner of a hotel in various lawsuits brought by a France-based bank claiming to hold a valid mortgage loan in excess of US$200 million and successfully obtaining reversal of the bank’s summary judgment on appeal.
• Defending a retailer of high-fashion clothing and accessories in a dispute with a competitor seeking damages in excess of US$15 million under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, and defending and arguing the successful judgment on appeal.
• Prosecuting claims of a Spain-based oil drilling company against a Venezuela-based affiliate by attaching a large bank account found in New York.
• Defending a purchaser of all of the stock of a corporation engaged in the chemical business in an arbitration seeking to recover for unanticipated tax liability.
• Defending a company in a claim brought under a stock repurchase agreement in which the parties disputed the valuation method of the company.
• Defending a claim seeking damages against a licensee of luxury goods brought by a high-fashion design house in which it was claimed that purchase targets set forth in the contract should be interpreted as a guaranteed minimum royalty.
• Defending management against a claim by an executive seeking severance pay on the ground that he resigned with "good reason.”
• Representing the government of the Republic of Italy in the United States District Court and in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to support its effort to repatriate a rare and historically significant item of cultural property that was illegally imported into the United States.
• Defending a hedge fund against a claim by an investor concerning Securities and Exchange Commission approval of Standby Equity Distribution Agreements.
• Defending a national television network in Poland in a dispute with its US distributor.