Thursday, August 13, 2015

Napoli Bern Attys Settle Feud Over Fate Of 9/11 Firm - Law360

Napoli Bern Attys Settle Feud Over Fate Of 9/11 Firm - Law360
Law360, New York (August 13, 2015, 5:50 PM ET) -- New York personal injury attorneys Paul K. Napoli and Marc J. Bern on Thursday reached a settlement in their heated dispute over the fate of their embattled firm Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik LLP, which is known for representing 9/11 workers, an attorney for Bern confirmed.

The attorneys have been embroiled in a contentious fight over control of their firm since at least Oct. 1, with both Napoli and Bern accusing each other of unethical conduct regarding the firm’s management. Settlement details were not immediately available Thursday.

In a July 20 hearing, New York Supreme Court Judge Eileen Bransten had urged the attorneys to contact a mediator and attempt to settle the dispute.

Judge Bransten said each attorney has accused the other of soliciting Napoli Bern’s current clients while branching off to start their own firms. She warned them during the hearingthat they could end up in jail if they tried to poach clients away from the embattled firm, saying the firm was still in operation even though its founders were fighting.

“From the start of this process, Marc Bern’s top priority has been to make sure that the interests of the firm’s clients are protected," Bern's attorney Clifford Robert of Robert & Robert PLLC told Law360 on Thursday. "Today’s settlement allows Marc to focus on what he does best: making sure that injured people are able to secure justice. Putting these distractions behind us will enable Marc and his team of skilled lawyers to continue their efforts on behalf of the firm’s more than 20,000 clients."

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