Aaron recently rejoined Husch Blackwell's Kansas City office after spending four years as Resident Litigation Counsel in the firm's London office. He focuses his practice on business litigation, insurance litigation and construction and design.
Aaron has coordinated prosecution and defense of numerous cross-border disputes. This includes assisting foreign clients with U.S. litigation matters as well as U.S. clients who have commercial disputes in foreign jurisdictions. He has acted as lead and assisting counsel in numerous commercial litigation matters in arbitration as well as in state and federal courts throughout the United States.
Prior to joining the firm as an Associate in 2005, Aaron served as general counsel and vice president of Gorham, Gold, Greenwich & Associates.
Clerkships
· The Hon. Gary A. Fenner, U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri, 2001-2003
Experience
· Lead counsel in contract enforcement action on behalf of Italian design firm. Our client entered into a multi-million Euro contract to design and manufacture furniture and fixtures for a New York city boutique hotel. Upon completion of the services, the hotel owner refused payment of approximately €1,000,0000. Coordinating the claim from London, Aaron filed a mechanic's lien on the hotel and proceeded with a breach of contract lawsuit for the contract balance. Priot to filing the lawsuit and incurring more significant costs, Aaron was able to leverage a very favorable settlement for the client.
· Lead U.S. counsel in multi-million dollar construction dispute involving American, British, Chinese and Mexican entities. Because the contract central to the relationship was governed by New York law, Aaron provided U.K. trial counsel and the client with analysis of the contract and helped position the case in preparation for arbitration hearing. Prior to the hearing, the client reached a favorable settlement for its claim.
· Counsel in successful prosecution of arbitration claims for breach of contract, tortious interference, conversion and malicious trespass to property (prevailing on all counts) against a nationally recognized newspaper publisher. The client, which had paid $450,000 for two newspaper routes in 1993, made an "expense" claim in 2005 under its contract with the newspaper publisher. Rather than following the dispute resolution process provided in the contract, the newspaper publisher summarily rejected the expense claim and repossessed both routes, without compensation. At the arbitration hearing, the client was awarded $2.4 million, including $750,000 in punitive damages.
· Counsel in defense of arbitration claims for indemnification of additional construction expenses. The client owned a hospital it sought to have demolished and entered into a contract with a general contractor to coordinate the work. A demolition subcontractor alleged it had incurred more than $1 million in additional expenses and sought recovery from the general contractor. The general contractor in turn attempted to "pass through" the claim to the client. While the general contractor was found liable for damages to subcontractor, Aaron successfully defeated the "pass through" claim.
· Assisted in prosecution of client's claims in excess of $300,000 for printing services provided, and defended counterclaims of $140,000 for unjust enrichment. The New York Supreme Court entered summary judgment in favor of the client in excess of $350,000, dismissed opponent's counterclaims with prejudice, and granted the client's request for sanctions against them for assertion of frivolous counterclaims.
· Assisted in litigation of breach of contract claim against national sporting goods retailer for improper termination of multi-year services contract in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Prior to decision by the Court, opponent agreed to return a significant portion of the work to the client, on favorable terms, in exchange for dismissal of the lawsuit.
News & Publications
Publications
1.1.00, A Plurality of the Supreme Court Asserts a Due Process Right to do Absolutely Nothing in City of Chicago v. Morales, Creighton Law Review