Clients rely on Justin to navigate their most challenging problems. Justin has a diverse and cutting-edge practice—he represents professional sports teams in litigation throughout the United States, negotiates global life science deals, and negotiated one of the first commercial space flight passenger agreements. Whether the client is a public company, an emerging company, or an individual, Justin and his team work tirelessly to get results for his clients. Clients describe Justin as: “a solution driven lawyer with excellent judgment,” “always looking to get to ‘yes,’” “one of the only people I trust and a friend,” and “aggressive and a pit bull litigator when necessary.”
Justin serves as a strategic legal advisor, outside general counsel, and litigator to established and emerging companies across industries, including:
- life science healthcare and HealthTech
- real estate development and PropTech
- space tourism
- sports and entertainment
- fashion and retail
- television and film production
- Over the Top (“OTT”) media service providers
- investment funds, family offices and angel investors
Justin has negotiated significant domestic and international transactions, including:
- a private equity consortium bidding on the multi-billion-dollar acquisition of an American mixed martial arts promotion company, one of the largest transactions in history for a sports organization;
- a publicly-traded biotech company in a licensing, commercialization and supply deal covering a pipeline of biosimilar drugs in development in the United States and Europe;
- a production company in connection with a multi-party, global documentary production deal; and
- a multinational pharmaceutical company in connection with a major U.S. land acquisition and development project.
Justin has successfully represented companies in litigation throughout the United States in state and federal courts, including:
- defending a publicly traded company against claims seeking more than $50 million in damages arising from an early stage investment;
- securing a groundbreaking digital fair use victory in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on behalf of a client defending against a claim for copyright infringement challenging its plagiarism detection service;
- obtaining a dismissal on behalf of a professional football team in a multi-million dollar insurance dispute;
- successfully litigating and settling a breach of sponsorship agreement dispute on behalf of a professional basketball team;
- successfully representing a professional sports team in defending defamation claims; and
- pursuing and defending claims on behalf of clients under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Prior to joining Benesch, Justin was a partner at another AMLAW New York City law firm. He also clerked for the Honorable Judge Mary Ellen Coster Williams of the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. Justin is a member of the Leadership Council of the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute. He is an active supporter of the University of Michigan LSA Opportunity Hub. Justin is also the legal advisor for the National Veterans Leadership Foundation.
*Some of the matters above were completed prior to joining Benesch.
Representative Experience
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Represented a North American not-for-profit professional boxing and mixed martial arts organization in connection with communication to Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and other New York political leaders concerning safety risks presented by New York’s law banning combative sports.
- Representing a global pharmaceutical company in connection with major land acquisition and development project.
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Represented an international pharmaceutical company in connection with a commercialization, licensing, and supply transaction involving its pipeline of biosimilar drugs in development in the US and Europe.
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Successfully represented a financial technology company in separate actions seeking copyright infringement damages and damages for breach of a licensing agreement in the Southern District of New York.
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Represented a leading provider of cloud-based educational technologies to prevent plagiarism in copyright infringement litigation challenging digital plagiarism detection technology copying and storing student submissions. Secured fair use victories in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
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Successfully negotiated and resolved claims asserted on behalf of professional sports teams and arenas in breaches of contract actions and intellectual property infringement actions in New York state and federal courts.
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Successfully lifted a default judgment entered against an international fashion company in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and successfully resolved the underlying claims.
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Represented next generation health technology company in $50 million Series B round and $16 million Series A round.