Jake Lewis

Jake Lewis's practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, including corporate contractual disputes, fraudulent conveyance actions, and employment-related claims. He represents a diverse range of clients in the financial services, media and entertainment, healthcare, energy, and hospitality industries, among others, in state and federal courts as well as in arbitral tribunals. He also advises clients on pre-litigation strategy and negotiations. 

Representative Matters

• Representation, as lead trial counsel, of a prominent media personality in 8-day federal trial involving client's Hague Convention petition to return their abducted child, with only 45 days between filing petition and the start of trial. 
• Representation of one of the largest global asset managers and its affiliates and subsidiaries in over two dozen federal and state cases, as plaintiff and defendant, involving life settlement investments.
• Representation of a media and technology company in disputes with the company's former lender and equity holder, including litigating breach of contract and related claims in Delaware Chancery Court. 
• Representation of a lender and preferred equity holder of a for-profit legal education provider in obtaining the dismissal, and affirmance on appeal, of an action in New York state court alleging state-law intentional and constructive fraudulent conveyance claims.
• Representation of a major NYC-based operator of award-winning restaurants in New York and elsewhere in disputes with a landlord, including those arising from COVID-19 related closures.
• Representation of the principals of a real estate investment firm in a breach of contract action asserting claims against a large hedge fund relating to the parties’ agreement to release each other from legal claims relating to potential transactions with another party.
• Representation of a leading energy marketer in obtaining judgment against a former client in a breach of contract action.
• Representation of a COVID-19 testing provider in multiple breach of contract actions against former clients.
• Representation of a major commercial mortgage lender in multiple breach of contract actions against former prospective borrowers.
• Pro bono representation of clients in various matters and fields, including civil rights cases under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Innocence Project referrals for non-violent drug convictions, asylum applications, Housing Court proceedings on behalf of unrepresented tenants, and organizations supporting survivors of sexual assault.

Prior to joining Friedman Kaplan, Jake was an associate at Paul Hastings, LLP, where he focused on commercial disputes and government investigations. 

Outside the Office

Jake served on the Board of Directors of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Volunteers for Ukraine, which provides direct humanitarian aid to victims of the war in Ukraine, during the peak of the initial humanitarian crisis until approximately September 2022. He has also helped coach New York-area high school Mock Trial teams and has served as a judge for high school Mock Trial competitions.