Ezra H. Alter

Overview

Ezra focuses his practice on the defense of product manufacturers, raw material suppliers, contractors, landowners, and employers in toxic tort claims involving chemical burn and other exposure claims, including benzene talc and asbestos. He also litigates employment discrimination, breach of contract, restrictive covenant, and insurance coverage cases, as well as trusts and estates matters in the New York Surrogate’s court.

Ezra has successfully litigated a wide variety of complex procedural and evidentiary issues, including those relating to apportionment of liability to joint tortfeasors in multi-defendant actions at trial. He has spoken at a public conference on hearsay exceptions which could be used to admit prior interrogatories and corporate representative transcripts against settled co-defendants under the New Jersey Rules of Evidence. Through relentless preparation and deep knowledge of evidentiary and procedural rules, Ezra routinely and successfully handles matters in the courts of the States of New Jersey and New York, as well as the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, and District of New Jersey.

Ezra also has experience in appellate law, having obtained two complete reversals of dispositive motion denials in the New York Supreme Court. He drafted the appellant’s brief and orally argued the matters before the First and Second Department of the New York Appellate Division.

Representative Matters

• Obtained reversal of denial of motion to dismiss for lack of specific personal jurisdiction in a multi-million dollar wrongful death action (Grandelli v. Hope St. Holdings, LLC, 176 A.D.3d 922 (2nd Dep’t 2019)
• Obtained reversal of denial of dispositive motion and motion for reconsideration in a disability discrimination claim against an accounting firm. (Fernandes v. Jadah Carroll, LLC, 189 A.D.3d 577 (1st Dep’t 2020).
• Successful opposition to co-defendants’ discovery motion upheld on appeal with the award of costs to client. (Grandelli v Hope St. Holdings, LLC, 185 AD3d 555 (2d Dep’t 2020).