Biography
Jared Friedmann is a partner in Weil’s Complex Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property & Media practice groups, where he focuses on high-profile commercial, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and employment disputes, including class actions. Jared has been honored as a “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal, named to Benchmark Litigation’s “Under 40 Hotlist,” which noted he “excels at commercial litigation,” recognized as a recommended lawyer by Legal 500, and ranked by World Trademark Review’s WTR1000 as a leading trademark litigator for Enforcement and Litigation.
Jared has extensive experience in all phases of litigation in state and federal courts around the country, as well as in arbitration proceedings.
Selected Experience
- Alibaba Group (S.D.N.Y.; N.D. Cal.; D. Ariz.; S.D. Fla.) – Successfully defended Alibaba in multiple federal court litigations alleging contributory trademark and copyright infringement, including a putative class action.
- Sears Holdings Corporation (Bankr. S.D.N.Y.) – Successfully litigated numerous matters in connection with the chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, including obtaining approval of a sale of substantially all of Debtors’ assets and ensuing multi-hundred million dollar litigation against the buyer.
- Exide Technologies (Bankr. D. Del.) – Led the litigation and trial team in successfully obtaining plan confirmation and approval to abandon a California site over an objection by California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control that included unfounded allegations that the site posed an imminent threat.
- Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (D.N.J.; Federal Maritime Commission) – Successfully defended the Port Authority in multiple litigations involving claims seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
- Tyco Electronics v. State of New York (N.Y. Court of Claims) – Obtained one of the largest settlements ever against the State in the Court of Claims as plaintiff’s counsel in breach of contract action arising from the largest contract ever entered into by the State of New York.
- Spinedex v. United Healthcare of Arizona (D. Ariz.) – Obtained summary judgment dismissing putative ERISA class action by chiropractic provider and plan participants alleging that benefits were improperly denied as “experimental and unproven.”
- Stone Ridge Asset Management (AAA Arbitration) – Successfully defended and counseled company in connection with multiple employment matters, including in arbitration.
- Kroll Associates, Inc. v. Cramer (E.D. Va.) – Served as counsel to plaintiff in breach of restrictive covenant dispute in which client obtained favorable settlement following preliminary injunction hearing.
- International Biometric Group, LLC v. Intrepid Solutions and Services, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.) – Defeated motion for TRO by a competitor seeking to prohibit Intrepid, a leading biometrics company, from participating in a bid for Department of Defense contract, in a dispute involving allegations regarding misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of restrictive covenants.
- McReynolds v. Merrill Lynch & Co. (N.D. Ill.) – Successfully obtained order denying class certification for Merrill Lynch in purported nationwide class action by 16 financial advisors alleging race intentional discrimination and disparate impact in hiring, promotion, compensation, account distribution and teaming.
- Bischoff v. Frank Brunckhorst Co. and Boar’s Head Provisions (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County) – Defended privately held companies and certain owners in action alleging breach of contract and fiduciary duties. Secured very favorable settlement.
Jared has written and lectured on numerous topics, including the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA), federal subpoena practice, dispositive motion practice, drafting effective settlement agreements, e-discovery, and professional responsibility, including as a guest lecturer at Columbia Law School.
Jared is the Chair of Weil’s Hiring Committee and a member of the Firm’s Diversity and Pro Bono Committees. He has received numerous awards for his pro bono work, which has focused on helping disadvantaged children with special needs. Jared is a member and prior co-chair of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest’s Pro Bono Advisory Council and serves on the Executive Board of Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn, New York.
Jared received his B.S. from Cornell University, School of Industrial & Labor Relations. He received his J.D. from Columbia Law School where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a Senior Editor of the Columbia Law Review.From 2004-2005, Jared clerked for the Honorable Colleen McMahon in the Southern District of New York.