Salvatore Romanello is a partner in the Complex Commercial Litigation practice group.
Mr. Romanello has represented clients in a wide range of commercial litigation disputes, including significant experience in insurance, class action, arbitration and bankruptcy disputes. Mr. Romanello also has substantial experience in litigation involving New York State governmental entities.
Mr. Romanello is a member of the Board of Directors of the Fordham Law Alumni Association and Manhattan Legal Services, serves as Pro Bono General Counsel to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, and served as a law clerk to the Hon. Richard M. Berman, S.D.N.Y.
Experience
- In re International Aluminum Corp. (D. Del. Bankr.) – Successfully served as lead trial counsel for International Aluminum Corporation in valuation dispute challenge to chapter 11 confirmation plan.
- McReynolds v. Merrill Lynch & Co. (N.D. Ill.) – Successfully obtained order denying class certification for Merrill Lynch in purported nationwide class action by sixteen financial advisors alleging race discrimination in hiring, promotion, compensation, and maintaining an allegedly hostile work environment.
- Malchow v. Oxford Health Plans (D.N.J.) – Successfully obtained stay of all proceedings as lead counsel in putative class action arising from claims concerning failure to pay reasonable and customary amounts set forth in underlying insurance policies.
- Miller v. Farmers Insurance Exchange (Bristow County, Oklahoma) – Co-lead defense counsel in putative action seeking to certify class of automobile policy holders. Action currently pending.
- Tyco Electronics v. State of New York (N.Y. Court of Claims) – Co-lead plaintiffs’ counsel in breach of contract action against New York State seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Action currently pending.
- Cantor Fitzgerald v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (N.Y. Supreme) – Co-lead defense counsel in action seeking substantial business interruption damages arising from the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Action currently pending.
- Hernandez v. Texas Farmers Insurance Company (Travis County, Texas) – Following filing of motion to dismiss, obtained voluntary dismissal with prejudice of Texas state class action involving insurance coverage dispute.
- Hozinsky v. Penn Treaty Network America Insurance Company (C.D. Cal.) – Achieved favorable settlement of insurance coverage claim after conclusion of discovery.
- Flagler Automotive, Inc., et al. v. ExxonMobil Corp. (E.D.N.Y.) – Counsel for ExxonMobil in a putative nationwide class action brought by dealers alleging violations of the Uniform Commercial Code and breach of contract with respect to gasoline pricing. The Weil defense team was successful in having the Flagler class action suit thrown out at summary judgment. The plaintiffs had asked for over $1 billion in damages.
- Puth v. Penn Treaty Network America Insurance Company (Super. Ct. California) – Achieved favorable settlement of insurance coverage claim shortly after filing of motion to dismiss plaintiff’s complaint.
- Darling International f/k/a Darling-Delaware Inc. v. Newark Bay Cogeneration Partnership, L.P. (AAA Arbitration) – Obtained complete victory for Darling as lead arbitration counsel; panel awarded Darling full damages of $7.4 million.
- American Airlines/Amadeus IT Group (S.D.N.Y. and ICC Arbitration) – Achieved a significant victory on behalf of American Airlines on a motion for a preliminary injunction filed file in connection with an arbitration proceeding by Amadeus IT Group that threatened to shut down a major new program American planned to launch within weeks of the injunction hearing.
- Levy v. American Airlines; Frazer v. American Airlines, Inc. (D. Del.) – Obtained summary judgment victory on behalf of American Airlines dismissing two class action lawsuits arising from American’s acquisition of the assets of Trans World Airlines (TWA) in 2001.
- McLaughlin v. Penn Treaty Network American – (SOX Admin. Proceeding) – Co-lead defense counsel in purported whistle-blower action under Sarbanes-Oxley. Reached favorable settlement.
- In the Matter of Madison Square Garden, L.P. v. New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Jets Development LLC (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County) – On behalf of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, defeated a challenge by Madison Square Garden and a number of community groups to the MTA’s Board’s decision to proceed with negotiations with the New York Jets to allow the team to build a new football stadium on Manhattan’s West Side.
- NY1 v. Empire State Development Corporation (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County) – Successfully defended the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) in an Article 78 proceeding before the New York Supreme Court. New York City television station NY1 News sought under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIL) access to videotaped discussions between New York Governor George Pataki, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and the LMDC World Trade Center Memorial Jury.
- Charles Upchurch v. Lower Manhattan Development Corp. (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County) – Defeated motion for a TRO prohibiting announcing the finalists for the World Trade Center Memorial. After hearing argument on the Motion, the judge denied the preliminary injunction, and dismissed the Petition outright, holding that Petitioner had no chance of success on the merits.
- ExxonMobil v. SABIC (Super. Ct. Del.) – Represented Exxon Mobil in breach-of-contract suit against Saudi Basic Industries Corporation. Jury awarded ExxonMobil $416.8 million.