Peter M. Sartorius

Peter M. Sartorius is an experienced litigator focusing on complex commercial disputes. 

Peter’s practice focuses on representing corporations, private investment funds, commercial property owners and landlords, real estate developers, and individuals in a wide variety of securities, corporate, and complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts. He has significant experience litigating and successfully resolving a broad manner of commercial contract disputes, real estate disputes, securities matters, breach of fiduciary duty actions, and shareholder class action lawsuits.

Peter is a 2006 graduate of Duke University School of Law, where he served as Articles Editor for Law & Contemporary Problems and a Commentaries Editor for the Duke Journal of Constitutional Law & Public Policy. He received his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Missouri, where he graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors.

• Represented hedge fund client seeking rescission of $3 million stock purchase agreement entered into with public company on the basis of material misrepresentations made by the company in its offering documents. After bench trial in New York Supreme Court, Commercial Division, obtained final judgment rescinding the stock purchase agreement and awarding damages of more than $3 million to our client.
• Represented well known real estate developer in dispute regarding the ownership and control of a proposed mixed use development project in Astoria, Queens, value estimated to exceed $300 million. Plaintiff sought damages in excess of $15 million and injunctive relief. Obtained full dismissal of all claims against our clients.
• Represented owners of well-known New York City boutique luxury hotel in dispute with ground lessee’s lender concerning its purported security interest in the hotel structure and fixtures and improvements therein. Obtained pre-answer dismissal of all claims against our clients.
• Currently representing numerous commercial landlords in disputes with commercial tenants arising out of the parties’ respective contractual obligations in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• Represented hedge fund client seeking to enforce its exercise rights under common stock purchase warrants issued by public company. Matter involved significant expert discovery in the areas of securities regulation, securities valuation, and GAAP. Prepared case for bench trial in New York federal district court in less than one year after commencement and achieved multi-million dollar judgment and reimbursement of nearly $1 million in attorney’s fees for client.
• Defended director of public company in shareholder class action lawsuits filed in Delaware Court of Chancery objecting to the fairness of $120 million merger transaction. Case settled favorably to our client on the eve of trial.
• Represented private equity client in dispute with former joint venturer alleging breach of contract and fraud arising out of our client’s investment in overseas mining ventures. Case resulted in a multi-million dollar settlement in favor of our client reached on the eve of trial.
• Represented controlling shareholder and directors of public company in numerous shareholder class action lawsuits filed in New York State court and Delaware Court of Chancery arising out of $128 million merger transaction with affiliate. Cases were dismissed or settled favorably to our clients prior to trial.
• Represented group of investors in lawsuit against well known film producer alleging breach of contract and fraud arising out of their investment in failed feature film project. Obtained multi-million dollar summary judgment for our clients.  
• Represented major entertainment company in licensing and intellectual property disputes in numerous New York State and federal courts.
• Represented digital gaming company in lawsuit against its master licensor, an S&P 500 company, in licensing dispute over well-known digital gaming franchise in Rhode Island federal district court. Case settled favorably to our client.
• Represented boutique art gallery in series of litigations in New York state and federal courts involving ownership of over $10 million in Modernist artworks arising out of the closure of Salander-O’Reily Galleries, frequently described in the media as the “Enron” of the art world.
• Defended hedge fund client in $10 million action commenced by “fund-of-funds” investor alleging breach of limited partnership agreement, breach of fiduciary duties, and fraud arising out of our client’s election to suspend redemptions, close fund, and distribute fund assets to investors. Obtained complete pre-discovery dismissal of action; dismissal affirmed by New York Appellate Division and Court of Appeals. Decisions created New York precedent for enforcement of broad contractual exculpation of fiduciary duties under limited partnership agreements governed by Delaware law.
• Defended hedge fund client in connection with dispute with limited partner arising out of our client’s investment strategy which was alleged to have resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in value in the wake of the 2009 financial crisis.
• Represented private equity client in New York federal district court action seeking recovery of $2 million invested with private investment fund alleged to be operating as fraudulent enterprise.

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