Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP

Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP is a litigation boutique that focuses on civil rights, commercial, criminal, and ethics matters.

We represent individuals, businesses, and institutions in all aspects of litigation and pre-litigation.

"Ohio State and 279 of the 280 individual remaining Richard Strauss survivors involved in the pending litigation have re...
06/05/2026

"Ohio State and 279 of the 280 individual remaining Richard Strauss survivors involved in the pending litigation have reached settlements in principle in a total amount of $100 million. The university’s Board of Trustees has now publicly ratified these agreements in principle, and all parties thank the mediators for their assistance. The mediation and its confidentiality are continuing as the parties work to finalize the details of the settlements, and additional information will be shared as appropriate."

To read more, please visit our website:

https://ecbawm.com/news/major-announcement-in-the-ohio-state-university-sex-abuse-case/

ECBAWM Partner Andy G. Celli will join noted First Amendment lawyers Jameel Jaffer, Director of the Knight First Amendme...
06/04/2026

ECBAWM Partner Andy G. Celli will join noted First Amendment lawyers Jameel Jaffer, Director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University; David McCraw, General Counsel of The New York Times; Amrit Singh, Professor and Founding Director of Rule of Law Lab at NYU School of Law; and Faiza Patel, Senior Director of the Brennan Center’s Liberty & National Security Program, to discuss the state of our constitutional free speech and free press guarantees and the role of the legal profession in preserving First Amendment rights.

To read more about the panel, please visit our website : https://ecbawm.com/news/ecbawm-partner-andrew-g-celli-jr-selected-as-panelist-at-new-york-city-bar-association-on-protecting-free-speech/

ECBAWM and co-counsel secured a major victory for immigrant New Yorkers after a federal district court granted a stay la...
05/20/2026

ECBAWM and co-counsel secured a major victory for immigrant New Yorkers after a federal district court granted a stay largely prohibiting ICE from conducting civil immigration arrests at New York City immigration courthouses while litigation proceeds in African Communities Together and The Door v. Todd Lyons. The ruling marks a significant step toward ensuring immigrants can safely attend mandatory court proceedings without fear of arrest.

The lawsuit — brought by Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Make the Road New York — challenges ICE policies that allowed agents to arrest individuals appearing for immigration hearings.

Under the stay, ICE officers are now largely prohibited from conducting civil immigration enforcement actions in or near 26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway. The court’s ruling follows the government’s admission that a 2025 memorandum it had relied on throughout the litigation did not, in fact, authorize immigration courthouse arrests.

You can read more on our website: https://ecbawm.com/news/ecbawm-co-counsel-secure-major-victory-halting-ice-courthouse-arrests/

On Monday, May 11, 2026, the Hon. Anthony Brindisi of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New ...
05/14/2026

On Monday, May 11, 2026, the Hon. Anthony Brindisi of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York denied a motion to dismiss filed by Defendants Oneida County and several Oneida County Correctional Officers in an ECBAWM lawsuit regarding the tragic death of Antwan Cater in an upstate New York jail in 2024. Mr. Cater was just 25 years old when he died after experience a seizure while he was held in an Oneida County jail, where he was incarcerated following his arrest for a minor offense.

ECBAWM attorneys Katie Rosenfeld, Julia P. Kuan, and Nick Bourland represent the Plaintiff, Mr. Cater’s father, Terry Watson, in the suit.

On Monday, May 11, 2026, the Hon. Anthony Brindisi of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York denied a motion to dismiss filed by Defendants Oneida County and several Oneida County Correctional Officers in an ECBAWM lawsuit regarding the tragic death of Antwan Cater in an upstate New York jail in 2024. Mr. Cater was just 25 years old when he died after experiencing a seizure while he was held in an Oneida County jail, where he was incarcerated following his arrest for a minor offense.

ECBAWM has secured nearly $5.2 million in settlements on behalf of the estates of Jose Mejia Martinez and Donny Ruben Ub...
05/06/2026

ECBAWM has secured nearly $5.2 million in settlements on behalf of the estates of Jose Mejia Martinez and Donny Ruben Ubiera, two men who died from methadone overdoses while incarcerated at Rikers Island. The settlements — $2.7 million for the estate of Jose Mejia Martinez and approximately $2.5 million for the estate of Donny Ruben Ubiera — resolve federal civil rights lawsuits alleging that correctional staff failed to respond appropriately to clear signs of medical and psychiatric distress and failed to provide timely, lifesaving care.

“When they arrived at Rikers, Jose Mejia Martinez and Donny Ubiera each needed mental health care, substance use treatment, and a safe environment,” said Katie Rosenfeld, Partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP. “On the day he died, officers failed to provide any aid to Mr. Mejia for many hours — even after they saw him losing consciousness, failing to respond to verbal prompts, slumped over on a table, being lifted out of his seat by two other people, and then being carried to a cell, where he then lay motionless for many hours. Jose deserved better: to live, overcome his struggles, and see his family again. But he was denied that chance by the broken jail system on Rikers Island.”

“These settlements reflect the devastating consequences of a correctional system that repeatedly failed two vulnerable men in its custody. Jose Mejia Martinez and Donny Ruben Ubiera each showed clear signs of medical and psychiatric distress, and in both cases, the City failed to provide the supervision, treatment, and emergency intervention that could have saved their lives. We hope these resolutions bring some measure of accountability and underscore the urgent need for meaningful reform at Rikers,” said Julia P. Kuan, Partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP.

ECBAWM attorneys Julia P. Kuan, Katie Rosenfeld, and Nick Bourland represent the estates of Jose Mejia Martinez and Donny Ruben Ubiera.

Read full coverage here: https://ecbawm.com/news/ecbawm-secures-nearly-5-2-million-in-settlements-for-families-of-two-men-who-died-from-methadone-overdoses-at-rikers-island/

On April 27, 2026, ECBAWM attorney Debbie Greenberger argued on behalf of the National Retail Federation and the Retail ...
05/06/2026

On April 27, 2026, ECBAWM attorney Debbie Greenberger argued on behalf of the National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association—two merchant trade groups, which, together, represent thousands of merchants with hundreds of thousands of stores, millions of American jobs, and over $2.7 trillion in annual retail sales—in a hearing before the Honorable Brian Cogan in the Eastern District of New York to object to the proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit concerning alleged antitrust violations in the credit card “swipe” fee market. In the hearing, ECBAWM argued that the terms of this proposed settlement, which would resolve one of the largest class action lawsuits in history, did not offer adequate relief to merchants and was “deeply unpopular” among the merchant trade groups’ members.

ECBAWM has been proud to represent the National Retail Federation and Retail Industry Leaders Association for over a decade. In 2016, ECBAWM helped secure a Second Circuit reversal of the District Court’s approval of a prior iteration of the proposed settlement agreement. Read more about that here. In 2024, ECBAWM helped convince the Court to reject the prior proposed class action settlement in this same action.

Access full press releases on our website: https://ecbawm.com/news/ecbawm-clients-leading-merchant-trade-groups-object-to-deeply-unpopular-proposed-settlement-of-antitrust-claims-concerning-credit-card-swipe-fees/

On April 27, 2026, ECBAWM filed an amicus brief on behalf of 30 labor scholars in a case where three labor unions—the Un...
05/01/2026

On April 27, 2026, ECBAWM filed an amicus brief on behalf of 30 labor scholars in a case where three labor unions—the United Auto Workers (UAW), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the Communications Workers of America (CWA)—are challenging Department of Homeland Security’s catch and revoke policy, which surveils non-citizens’ social media use and revokes visas or immigration authorization in retaliation for posting disfavored views.

The U.S government moved to dismiss the unions’ amended complaint, arguing in part that unions lack standing because people join unions solely for collective bargaining purposes, not for the vindication of civil liberties or political expressive rights.
In the amicus brief, ECBAWM rebuts the government’s ahistorical and mistaken portrayal of labor unions. The brief emphasizes that opposing policies through which DHS chills free speech and terrorizes immigrant communities is plainly germane to unions’ core purposes. It further explains that unions are directly harmed by these policies, which undermine organizing, collective advocacy, and the protection of workers’ rights.

ECBAWM attorney Hafsa S. Mansoor authored the brief, with significant contributions from Harvard Law Professor Laura Weinrib, University of Minnesota Law Professor Charlotte Garden, and ECBAWM staff Carlos Martinez Montes, Sadie Cook, and Patrick Perez.

Access the full brief on our website: https://ecbawm.com/news/ecbawm-files-amicus-brief-on-behalf-of-30-labor-scholars-in-case-challenging-dhss-catch-and-revoke-policy/

The New York Times recently reported on ECBAWM’s lawsuit filed with co-counsel Vladeck, Raskin & Clark P.C. challenging ...
04/29/2026

The New York Times recently reported on ECBAWM’s lawsuit filed with co-counsel Vladeck, Raskin & Clark P.C. challenging UPS’s package delivery practices at the Park Hill and Fox Hill apartment complexes on Staten Island.

The lawsuit challenges a policy that UPS has maintained for decades, which requires residents of those complexes to retrieve packages from a designated UPS truck pickup location, rather than receiving direct building delivery. ECBAWM’s lawsuit brings claims under a disparate impact theory: that UPS treats the residents of Park Hill and Fox Hill complexes, who are 99% non-white, less well than similarly situated neighboring complexes with a higher proportion of white residents. The article describes the practical impact of the policy on residents, including seniors and individuals with mobility limitations, and notes allegations in the complaint that UPS provides different delivery service at other residential buildings on Staten Island.

The plaintiff class is represented by ECBAWM attorneys, Andrew Wilson, Diane Houk, Matthew Brinckerhoff, and Laura Kokotailo, as well as paralegal, Toby Shore. The case is pending in federal court in Brooklyn.

Read the full article and press here: https://ecbawm.com/news/nyt-covers-emery-cellis-lawsuit-challenging-upss-staten-island-delivery-practices/

Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Sherodd Craft, who sp...
04/23/2026

Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Sherodd Craft, who spent more than 24 years incarcerated following his 2002 murder conviction — one that was vacated in 2025. The lawsuit alleges that Mr. Craft’s wrongful conviction was the result of serious misconduct during the investigation, including coerced witness statements, fabricated evidence, and the failure to disclose exculpatory information.

“After almost 25 years in prison, I am grateful to finally be home with my family,” said Sherodd Craft. “But nothing can give back the time I lost or the moments I missed with my children and loved ones. This case is about seeking accountability and making sure what happened to me does not happen to anyone else.”

“Sherodd Craft spent more than two decades imprisoned for a crime that he did not commit, based on the work of detectives whose misconduct is alleged in the complaint, including a discredited officer with a documented history of serious misconduct and involvement in other cases that resulted in wrongful convictions,” said Julia P. Kuan, Partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP. “While nothing can restore the years Mr. Craft lost or the time he was separated from his family, we never lost faith in his innocence. This lawsuit seeks accountability for the decades taken from him and the profound injustice he will carry with him for the rest of his days.”

“This lawsuit details how Mr. Craft’s conviction was built on statements that were coerced and fabricated, without any physical or forensic evidence linking him to the crime,” said Earl S. Ward, Partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP. “This lawsuit seeks to hold those involved accountable for the conduct alleged in the complaint and the consequences it had for Mr. Craft.” ECBAWM attorneys Earl Ward, Julia Kuan, Sydney Zazzaro, and Nick Bourland represent Sherodd Craft.

Read the full article here: https://ecbawm.com/news/ecbawm-files-federal-civil-rights-lawsuit-on-behalf-of-sherodd-craft-after-more-than-two-decades-of-wrongful-incarceration/

Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP (ECBAWM) filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the United States Dist...
04/15/2026

Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP (ECBAWM) filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on behalf of Christopher Ellis, who spent more than 30 years in prison before being acquitted at a retrial in 2025. The complaint names Nassau County and several members of the Nassau County Police Department as defendants. It alleges that Mr. Ellis’s conviction resulted from unconstitutional investigative practices, including a coerced confession, a tainted eyewitness identification, and the failure to disclose exculpatory evidence. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

“This case represents a complete breakdown of the criminal justice system in Nassau County,” said Ilann M. Maazel, Partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP and counsel for Mr. Ellis. “It’s scary how police can concoct a murder charge against an innocent man. We look forward to holding all of these defendants responsible for their role in this appalling case.” On January 24, 2025, following a week-and-a-half-long trial, a jury found Mr. Ellis not guilty on all charges. The indictment was dismissed accordingly.

The complaint asserts claims under federal and state law, alleging that Mr. Ellis’s constitutional rights were violated through coercive interrogation practices, the fabrication and use of unreliable evidence, improper identification procedures, and the suppression of material exculpatory evidence.

The complaint further alleges that these actions were not isolated but were consistent with longstanding policies, practices, or customs within Nassau County, including alleged failures to train, supervise, and discipline officers, as well as an alleged pattern of misconduct in other cases. The defendants deny any wrongdoing, and the allegations will be tested in court. Mr. Ellis seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the decades he was incarcerated, as well as for the emotional, psychological, and economic harm he alleges he suffered.

Read more here: https://ecbawm.com/news/ecbawm-files-federal-civil-rights-lawsuit-on-behalf-of-christopher-ellis-following-wrongful-conviction/

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