Philip T. Simpson

Philip Simpson focuses his practice on commercial litigation and contested estate matters, with an emphasis on real estate, trust and estate disputes, business relations, and fraudulent practices.

Philip litigates cases in State and Federal Courts at the trial and appellate level and before the American Arbitration Association and private arbitration panels. He regularly advocates for clients in disputes concerning real estate transactions, contested estate matters, commercial landlord/tenant matters, and real estate owning partnerships, partnership and closely-held corporate disputes, and commercial disputes where allegations of fraud or other wrongdoing are claimed. He also has considerable experience representing clients in litigation over secured and asset-based loans, and representing clients in co-op and condominium disputes. Drawing on his experience in revising New York’s guardianship statutes, Philip represents family members in proceedings to appoint guardians for adults.

Some of Philip’s representative litigations include:

• Urgo v. Patel: Dismissal statute of frauds grounds of complaint to enforce joint venture agreement.

• Sullivan v. 226 E2d Owners: Successful action to compel coop board to allow installation of roof deck.

• Matter of Eisdorfer: Obtained reversal of Surrogate Court decision that dismissed a petition to compel an accounting in respect of a testator who died 33 years before the accounting proceedings were started, establishing that statute of limitations had not begun to run in the absence of open repudiation by the executor and trustee.

• Marie France Realty Corp v. 325 East 14th Street Corp: Post-Yellowstone summary judgment in holdover proceeding based on extensive illegal renovations to bar/restaurant space.

• Experience negotiating many commercial L&T workouts, including involving a pharmacy, a gym, a children’s play center, a school, and multiple restaurants.

• Represented well-known landlord and settled a high-profile multi-tenant housing maintenance code case.

• Settled two separate claims by landowners against an inter-state pipeline company for damages to land. • Has represented coops, managing agents, and shareholders in multiple disputes.