Woods Lonergan PLLC Awarded 2026 Chambers & Partners New York Spotlight for Litigation: General Commercial

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BreachOfContract—Woods Lonergan PLLC is pleased to announce that it has been featured in Chambers & Partners’ 2026 New York Spotlight Awards guide in Litigation: General Commercial. Woods Lonergan is a New York City–based litigation boutique representing middle market business owners, founder-led and privately held companies, family enterprises, and boards in high-stakes commercial disputes across the New York Metro area, including matters involving $1 million to $100 million in dispute value. While anchored in New York, the firm also handles complex commercial disputes nationwide, often against global companies and institutional counterparties. The recognition reflects the firm’s trial-ready, partner-led approach in consequential New York business disputes where enterprise value, ownership rights, or board governance are at stake.

In its 2026 guide, Chambers & Partners notes:

“Woods Lonergan is recognized for its adept handling of a range of commercial litigation. The New York-based group litigates on issues including partnership, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty cases. The team has additional expertise in IP litigation and plaintiff-side class action representation.”

Strategic Representative Matters: 7- and 8-Figure Outcomes in New York Commercial Litigation

Woods Lonergan uses litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) strategically to deliver decisive outcomes in New York’s premier trial and appellate venues, particularly in disputes where ownership control, governance rights, enterprise value, or time-sensitive relief is at stake.

General Commercial, Corporate, and Contract Disputes

• $60M B2B Shareholder Dispute: Resolved a $60 million shareholder dispute among a CEO, minority owner, and investor member involving breach of fiduciary duty, self-dealing, corporate governance and restructuring issues.
  
  Minority shareholder dispute; self-dealing; corporate restructuring.

• $12M Breach of Contract (Global Tech Company): Secured a confidential settlement in a service vendor agreement dispute involving performance obligations, termination rights, and related claims, including promissory estoppel.
  
  Services agreement; termination-for-cause dispute; reliance-based claim.

• $4.5M Shareholder Dispute (New York Supreme Court): Resolved a shareholder/partnership dispute concerning ownership rights, corporate governance, and fiduciary-duty claims involving a New York-based e-commerce brand.
  
  Ownership/control dispute; partnership governance; NY Supreme Court (Commercial Division).

• $3M Vendor & Supply Chain Dispute: Represented a global manufacturer in a breach of supply agreement matter involving international materials and exclusive distribution rights.
  
  Breach of supply agreement; exclusive distribution; cross-border performance.

• $2M Specialty Food Retailer Business Divorce: Resolved a privately held business divorce involving partner deadlock, dissolution / exit strategy, and related ownership and control issues for a regional specialty food retailer.
  
  Partner deadlock; dissolution/buyout; closely held company.

• $1.6M Employment Class Action Settlement: Secured a class-wide recovery in a wage-and-hour matter resolved as an employment class action settlement.
  
  Class certification; wage-and-hour settlement; statutory damages.

• $1.54M Stock Purchase Agreement Victory (Appellate Division): Obtained Appellate Division affirmance of a trial win involving a stock purchase agreement, shareholder/contract claims, and post-closing obligations.
  
  Post-closing obligations; indemnification dispute; Appellate Division affirmance.

• $1.2M Digital Wallet / Escrow Dispute (Federal Court): Litigated claims arising from unauthorized transfers from an escrow/digital wallet in connection with a failed Bitcoin acquisition.
  
  Escrow agent dispute; unauthorized transfer; digital asset transaction.

Commercial Litigation Involving Real Estate Assets and Catastrophic Property Damage

• $300M Midtown Hotel Development: Defended a developer’s operational rights and equity stake, protecting control and future upside in a major Manhattan asset.
  
  JV equity dispute; operating rights; development control.

• $50M Investment Fraud (Midtown Real Estate): Secured a multi-million-dollar recovery in a complex fiduciary breach and legal malpractice scheme involving high-value Midtown Manhattan assets.
  
  Investment fraud; legal malpractice; damages recovery.

• $40M Family Real Estate Portfolio Dispute: Settled multi-state business and partnership litigation involving control, dissolution, and allocation of a physical real estate asset portfolio.
  
  Portfolio control dispute; dissolution/buyout; multi-state litigation.

• $30M Real Estate Fraud Recovery: Obtained a substantial recovery arising from a complex fiduciary breach and legal malpractice scheme involving commercial real estate assets.
  
  Fraud-based recovery; malpractice exposure; commercial real estate.

• Confidential Multi-Million-Dollar Infrastructure Damage Settlement: Obtained a multi-million-dollar recovery for a property owner following catastrophic utility negligence, proving business interruption and operational losses caused by infrastructure failure.
  
  Utility negligence; business interruption damages; operational loss proof.

• $6.8M Jury Verdict (NYC Infrastructure): Obtained a jury verdict establishing municipal negligence for catastrophic property damage and related business interruption damages arising from infrastructure failure.
  
  Trial verdict; municipal liability; business interruption damages.

• $2.35M Verdict & Appeal (Commercial Lease Enforcement): Secured a trial verdict and appellate affirmance in a commercial lease matter involving lease enforcement and guaranty liability.
  
  Guaranty enforcement; landlord remedies; appellate affirmance.

Data Breach and Privacy Class Action Matters

• $30M Class Action Settlement (23andMe Data Breach): Served as counsel for a class representative in a data breach class action resulting in a $30 million settlement involving exposure of genetic and personal data, pending final approval by the Court.
• $18M Yale New Haven Data Breach Recovery: Established liability and helped secure a major recovery in data privacy / cybersecurity litigation involving large-scale exposure of medical records; the final approval by the Judge is pending.
• $1.2M Sunflower Medical Data Breach Settlement: Secured a favorable settlement in data privacy litigation arising from unauthorized access to patient data.

Partner-Driven New York Trial Firm for Middle Market Commercial Disputes

Woods Lonergan PLLC is a New York City–based litigation boutique focused on complex commercial disputes for business owners, corporate officers, boards of directors, and middle-market companies. The firm is purpose-built for closely held, founder-led, and privately held enterprises in New York commercial litigation involving $1 million to $100 million in dispute value—matters where the outcome affects ownership and governance rights, enterprise value, or strategic control.

Woods Lonergan operates on a partner-led model in which senior trial lawyers drive case strategy, motion practice, and negotiation. The firm regularly represents middle-market companies and family enterprises in disputes against larger counterparties, including institutional lenders, REITs, global companies, and Am Law 100 firms in New York state and federal courts. Clients frequently retain Woods Lonergan when a matter is time-sensitive, approaching trial, or has stalled after substantial spend at larger firms without a clear path to resolution. When engaged, the firm recalibrates strategy, narrows the issues, and advances the dispute toward an efficient outcome through negotiation, ADR, or trial.

Chambers’ 2026 Spotlight recognition reflects the partner-led, trial-ready approach our clients rely on in consequential New York commercial disputes,” said James F. Woods, Managing Partner. “We represent middle-market business owners, corporate officers, and boards in matters ranging from business divorce and governance disputes to contract conflicts with larger counterparties. When enterprise value, ownership rights, or board governance are at stake, we apply disciplined strategy and courtroom readiness. We are frequently retained after matters have stalled at larger institutional firms, and we move them toward resolution through negotiation, ADR, or trial.”

Core Strengths in Litigation: General Commercial | Spotlight New York

Woods Lonergan’s core strengths include the following categories of New York general commercial litigation (with representative matters reflecting these themes):

• Business Divorce: Dissolution, buyouts, and exit disputes for privately held, founder-led, family, and SME businesses, including management deadlock and judicial dissolution.
• Shareholder and Partnership Disputes: Minority shareholder oppression, freeze-outs, governance conflicts, and ownership/control disputes in privately held and family enterprises.
• Fiduciary Breach and Corporate Fraud Recovery: Breach of fiduciary duty, self-dealing, misappropriation, and fraud-based claims for privately held and family businesses.
• Supply Chain and Vendor Litigation: Manufacturing, services, distribution, and supply agreement disputes, including exclusive distribution rights and termination/performance conflicts.
• FinTech and E-Commerce Litigation: Commercial contract disputes, platform and transaction conflicts, and digital-asset/escrow disputes for small and middle-market technology companies.
• Licensing and Royalty Litigation: Brand rights, licensing enforcement, royalty accounting, and payment disputes for SME and privately held firms.
• Executive Compensation Disputes: Deferred compensation, bonus and equity compensation disputes, and separation-related claims for C-suite professionals.
• Alternative Fee and Contingency Litigation: Results-aligned counsel for select $1 million to $100 million commercial disputes through hybrid contingency and alternative fee arrangements (AFA).

Strategic Economic Alignment: Hybrid Contingency and Alternative Fee Arrangements for $1M–$100M Disputes

For select New York general commercial disputes involving $1 million to $100 million in dispute value, Woods Lonergan offers results-aligned hybrid contingency and alternative fee arrangements (AFA) designed for founder led, middle-market businesses and boards. In appropriate matters, the firm may combine a reduced hourly rate with a success-based fee component tied to defined business outcomes—such as recovery, value protection, or control and governance rights. This approach can provide a sophisticated alternative to large, institutional law firm pricing while maintaining trial-ready advocacy and strategic rigor in New York commercial litigation.

About Woods Lonergan PLLC

Woods Lonergan PLLC is a New York–based litigation boutique focused on complex general commercial litigation and real estate disputes for privately held, founder-led, and family enterprises, as well as corporate officers and boards. With a primary focus on the New York Metro area, the firm also handles select matters nationwide, including disputes involving global companies and cross-border commercial relationships. The firm provides trial-ready, partner-led counsel in matters where enterprise value, ownership/control rights, or governance outcomes are at stake, and frequently represents clients opposite larger institutional counterparties. In select New York general commercial disputes involving $1 million to $100 million in dispute value, the firm may offer hybrid contingency or alternative fee arrangements aligned with client outcomes—providing a senior-led, trial-focused alternative to institutional firms. The firm welcomes co-counsel and referring counsel relationships in commercial matters in the New York Metro area.

Woods Lonergan PLLC

One Grand Central Place

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1410

New York, NY 10165

Phone: (212) 684-2500

Email: info@woodslaw.com
Website: www.woodslaw.com
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Contacts

Media Contact: Nancy Byrne

Email: nancy.byrne@woodslaw.com