On March 25, 1990, a spurned lover set fire to a dilapidated social club in the Bronx, New York — killing 87 people. Most were immigrants looking forward to a festive Saturday night. The national attention and reporting of this tragic event drew plaintiffs’ lawyers from as far away as Puerto Rico. These lawyers combined with some of the most well known lawyers in New York City to launch a full-scale attack against more than a dozen product defendants and four-dozen other defendants.
They were hoping that a Bronx jury would award multi-million dollar verdicts. In spite of the intense publicity and an emotionally charged atmosphere in this plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction, all of the claims against our clients were resolved by dismissals, summary judgments, or less-than-cost-of-defense settlements.