Civil & Commercial Litigation
Our civil practice is designed to deliver the right solutions at a manageable cost, utilizing an imaginative blend of corporate and government regulatory considerations coupled with first-class litigation strategy. Our firm is an active advisor to the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors and National Builders Association, helping minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) navigate the hurdles and challenges they often face.
Our attorneys have an excellent track record in the area of civil litigation and trials, including cases brought within the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties. Our attorneys are admitted to practice in the states of New Jersey and Connecticut and the following federal courts: S.D.N.Y., E.D.N.Y., N.D.N.Y., Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and District Court of New Jersey. Our attorneys have extensive experience working with both directly with clients and with their insurance carriers with civil litigation, including defense claims.
General Counsel & Advisory Services
Wilson & Chan, LLP provides a full array of legal and advisory services to our corporate, municipal, and business clients. We serve as outside counsel to large multi-million-dollar companies, real estate entities, municipalities, public benefit corporations, public/private developments, as well as start-ups and closely held businesses. As outside counsel, we strive to make sure that our clients do everything they can to minimize and manage the risks that are within their control and to avoid conflicts that can result in costly litigation. Our goal is to be an integral part of our client’s team, and ultimately, to its continued strategy for success. In this capacity, we provide consultations, advice, attend board meetings, assist in necessary financings and refinancing, and the giving of opinion on the most common fields of law affecting your business, including general landlord and tenant law, commercial law, construction law, real estate law, contract law, employment law, and premise/tort liability law.
From inception to resolution, Wilson & Chan, LLP’s results-oriented approach to client and case management is designed to maximize client interaction and input, to utilize efficient technology, and to minimize cost. Our philosophy remains driven by developing and sustaining long-term strategic partnerships with our clients.
Insurance Litigation & Coverage Counsel
Wilson & Chan, LLP has represented both insureds and carriers in complex insurance disputes and litigation. Our clients range from Fortune 500 corporations, insurers, municipalities, public benefit corporations, public/private developments, real estate developments, entrepreneurs, and businesses of all sizes. Our attorneys are experts in interpreting insurance policies and resolving insurance coverage disputes – including, but not limited to, insurance coverage disputes, indemnification issues, additional insured issues, timely notice issues, etc. We have experience in cross-border insurance issues, captive formation, reinsurance, and claims administration structuring.
Our team is experienced in litigation of insurance claims, including declaratory judgment actions, premises liability, defense of tort liability litigation, insurance coverage disputes, appeals, and indemnification issues. Moreover, our attorneys serve as “Court Appointed Referees” for the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
We have represented New York City and New York State government agencies, public officials, public-benefit corporations, owners, developers, general contractors, and subcontractors in the areas of civil litigation, personal injury and tort liability defense litigation (including notice of claim issues), Labor Law §§ 200, 240, 241, premises liability, Miller claims, insurance coverage disputes, no fault Insurance Law § 5102 issues, indemnification issues, and appellate practice. Our founding partners regularly engage in all aspects of civil and commercial litigation, including commercial matters, from initial case analysis and reporting, evaluation of alleged liability and injuries, review of accident reports, sustainable verdicts in the designated jurisdiction, discovery, court appearances, motion practice, 50-h hearings, extensive deposition experience, designation of expert witness, independent medical examinations, witness preparation, to trial preparation leading up to and including trial. These cases frequently require strategic positioning and a demonstrated readiness to go to trial, often with the latter producing advantageous settlement terms.
Our firm has represented and/or currently represents the following public entities: (1) the City of Mount Vernon; (2) the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its subsidiaries and affiliated agencies; (3) Westchester County; (4) Empire State Development Corporation; (5) New York State Housing Finance Agency; (6) New York State Affordable Housing Corporation; (7) State of New York Mortgage Agency; (8) State of New York Municipal Bond Agency; (9) Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation; and (10) Battery Park City Authority.
Moreover, our attorneys have represented insurers like The Hartford, AIG, Scottsdale, Nationwide, and Liberty Mutual, as well as both large and small insureds in their insurance coverage disputes. Our firm is fully familiar with the Legal eXchange billing software and the UTBMS litigation code system.
Construction Law & Litigation
Our construction practice, AV-rated in the area of construction law, including litigation, in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, has represented all players in the construction industry, including New York State governmental agencies (e.g., Battery Park City Authority, Empire State Development Corporation, Westchester County), owners, general contractors, construction managers, construction inspectors, engineers, land surveyors, subcontractors, various trades, etc. Our clients are actively involved with private and public works construction, including, but not limited to, projects with the New York State Department of Transportation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, The School Construction Authority, New York Power Authority, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and the County of Westchester. As such, our active involvement in the construction industry keeps us current on industry trends.
Litigation is only part of the strategy, however. Our attorneys are trusted client partners to assist in all phases of our clients’ operations, including general contract and subcontract drafting and negotiating, alternative and informal dispute resolution, and both large and small claims relating to public improvement liens, mechanic’s liens, extra work, payroll and Workers Compensation issues, negative project impact, safety claims, construction delay claims, payment, bonds, Labor Law(s), and prevailing wages.
Our Founders
Since our firm’s inception, our founders’ experience with large law firms, combined with a commitment to maintaining a smaller firm’s ability to minimize overhead and devote significant energy to each client, is what truly sets Wilson & Chan, LLP apart. Moreover, our attorneys have served as judicial clerks in the New York State Supreme Court system and as both in-house and outside counsel.
Each of Henry C. Chan and Jeffrey L. Wilson, bring over fifteen (15) years of legal expertise. Mr. Chan and Mr. Wilson have amassed extensive real estate, commercial, and insurance experience. Mr. Chan also regularly teaches commercial and construction law at Pace University School of Law and the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors. Our attorneys also have comprehensive experience in insurance law and litigation, including the defense of tort liability litigation. Mr. Wilson has worked with clients to establish offshore captive insurers, third-party administrator agreements, and risk management solutions.
Our founding attorneys regularly engage in all aspects of tort liability defense litigation from initial case analysis and reporting, evaluation of alleged injuries, sustainable verdicts in the designated jurisdiction, discovery, court appearances, motion practice, depositions, designation of expert witness, independent medical examinations, witness preparation, to trial preparation leading up to trial, and appellate practice.
Our Approach
Our firm was founded on a simple proposition: that clients deserve better. The best compliment our clients can give is their referral of friends and associates. We have grown organically by providing honest and fair assessments of every matter coupled with consistently positive results. In some cases, we are on our fourth generation of client referrals, giving us confidence our founding philosophy was the right one. This flexible and dynamic approach allows us to tailor our services to our clients’ varied challenges, large and small.
