Jonathan S. Liss

Mr. Liss leads the Corporate Governance and General Equity Litigation Team at Gibbons. His practice is focused on resolving complex business and corporate disputes with an emphasis on shareholder and corporate governance disputes, trust and estate litigation, business torts, commercial contract disputes, and general commercial litigation. He has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial litigation and has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in various matters at the trial and appellate levels in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. He strives to find creative, cost-effective solutions to solve clients’ problems in the most efficient way.

Representative Matters

Reported decisions

1 Reliable Transportation, Inc. v. Trader Joe’s Company, et al., 2020 WL 4279789 (N.J. App. Div. July 27, 2020) Represented defendants, securing dismissal of tortious interference claim, which was affirmed by the Appellate Division

Bart Commodities v. Hudson Coffee, Inc., et al, 2017 WL 3469331 (N.J. App. Div. August 14, 2017) Represented defendants in a complex bankruptcy-related dispute with allegations of fraudulent conveyance, securing a dismissal for defendants, which was affirmed by the Appellate Division

N.J. Alliance for Fiscal Integrity, LLC v. N.J. Sports & Exposition Auth., 2016 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2174 (App. Div. Oct. 3, 2016) Handled emergent appeal on behalf of NJSEA affirming its approval of $1.1 billion in municipal bonds to finance the development American Dream project in the Meadowlands

Harbortouch Payments, LLC, v. Denali State Bank, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64991 (D. N.J. May 19, 2015) Defeated motion for preliminary injunction and secured dismissal of action in favor of pending arbitration

Tutunikov v. Markov, 2013 WL 3940889 (N.J. App. Div. 2013) Represented majority members of a limited liability company on appeal in the New Jersey Appellate Division, in which the court significantly reduced the judgment imposed by the trial court

Sery v. Federal Business Centers, 2008 WL 1776551 (D. N.J. 2008), aff’d, 365 Fed. Appx. 396 (3d Cir. 2010) Secured summary judgment, which was affirmed on appeal, in the representation of the lead corporate defendant in a shareholder oppression action in which the plaintiffs’ claims exceeded $100 million

DiCicco v. Willow Grove Bank, 308 F.Supp. 2d 528 (E.D. Pa. 2004) Defeated summary judgment in the representation of the plaintiff in federal court in this lender liability action

Northwood Const. Co. v. Township of Upper Moreland, 579 Pa. 463, 856 A.2d 789 (Pa. 2004) Represented a taxpayer in Pennsylvania Supreme Court, where the court held that local tax ordinance violated the commerce clause

Protocomm Corp. v. Novell, Inc., 171 F.Supp. 2d 459 (E.D.Pa. 2001) Defeated summary judgment in the representation of the judgment creditor seeking to hold a corporation’s former shareholders liable for judgment

Green Stripe, Inc. v. Berny’s Internacionale, 159 F.Supp.2d 51 (E.D.Pa., 2001) Secured preliminary injunction in the representation of the plaintiff in federal district court in a contract dispute with an exclusive distributor

Other matters

• • Representing trust beneficiary seeking court approval of modification to trust agreement and high eight-figure buyout of trust interests in family business
  • Representing beneficiary of will, where disinherited family members asserted claims for undue influence
  • Representing large education institution in action brought seeking to oppose changes to a trust bequeathed to the institution
  • Representing several limited liability companies, where former employee claimed he was a minority member of the entities
  • Representing minority shareholder of international bank in various matters, including seeking to inspect books and records in Delaware courts
  • Representing majority members of limited liability company seeking expulsion of minority member based on breaches of the entity’s operating agreement
  • Successfully defeated claimed inter vivos promise to inherit family business
  • Counseled client on potential litigation claims involving large life insurance trust
  • Helped secure summary judgment in complex estate litigation where grandchildren made challenge to company’s founder’s disposition of stock based on claims of undue influence prior to founder’s passing
  • Representing large fortune 500 corporation in complex tenant dispute
  • Representing minority member of trucking company in business breakup and shareholder dispute
  • Representing major accounting firm in accountant malpractice action
  • Representing major pharmaceutical company in arbitration with another major pharmaceutical company over royalty dispute and securing multimillion-dollar judgment
  • Representing landlord in action in which numerous tenants are alleging that landlord is improperly claiming exemption to local rent control ordinance
  • Representing commercial landlord in lease dispute with tenant
  • Representing owner of minor league baseball team in dispute with his 50 percent partner
  • Representing major solar panel manufacturer in multimillion-dollar contract dispute with major customer