OUR TEAM

Mark A. Slama

Partner

New Brunswick, NJ
120 Albany Street Plaza
6th Floor
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
P 732.448.2530 P 732.448.2530 | F 732.846.8877

New York, NY
156 West 56th Street
New York, NY 10019
P 212.237.1041 P 212.237.1041 | F 212.262.1215
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Experience

Mark A. Slama focuses on commercial, real estate, and banking litigation. Mr. Slama has experience in commercial and corporate disputes; banking matters, including lender liability defense and asset recovery; real estate and construction litigation; contract disputes; trust and estate litigation; and complex financial transactions, including fraud claims and fraudulent conveyances. He regularly represents financial institutions and investors in conjunction with distressed real estate assets and loan acquisitions.

Representative Matters

Significant matters handled by Mr. Slama have included a class action suit in which he successfully defended a New Jersey-based financial institution against claims of real estate escrow accounting irregularities. The action was ultimately dismissed permitting the bank to consummate a pending merger transaction. Mr. Slama has also successfully defended a large national bank against claims of lender liability brought by the borrower involving alleged improper loan charges and collections pertaining to a series of commercial transactions.

Other significant matters recently handled by Mr. Slama include:

  • A class action suit in which he successfully defended a New Jersey-based financial institution against claims of real estate escrow accounting irregularities (the action was ultimately dismissed).
  • Successful defense of the transferee of 14 commercial properties in New York City against claims of fraud, undue influence and conspiracy to benefit from fraudulent conveyances.
  • Successful defense of institutional lenders in conjunction with multi-million dollar lender liability claims.
  • An award of summary judgment in favor of a large institutional lender adjudicating the lender's right to lien priority and declaration of its right to payment in a $400 million construction project.
  • Obtaining a favorable decision by the Supreme Court, New York County, holding that its prior ruling invalidating a 100 year lease under the Rule Against Perpetuities Doctrine was in error and that the 60 year remainder in a valuable parcel on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan was a vested property interest that could not be divested as the Court had originally ruled.
  • Successfully represented a federal agency in conjunction with the sale, liquidation and recovery of assets in the New Jersey Bankruptcy Court involving a 277 unit apartment complex and obtained an eight figure recovery on its behalf.
  • Obtained a $50 million judgment against a prominent real estate developer in New York City, along with dismissal of various lender liability claims.
  • Obtained the reopening of a bankruptcy case in the Northern District of New York and obtained an additional recovery on behalf of a secured creditor following an investigation of the debtor, which revealed the debtor's sequestration of assets and misstatement of liabilities in a confirmed plan of reorganization.
  • Negotiated and obtained the agreement of a major title insurer to pay for the client's defense costs in conjunction with a failed construction project involving challenges to the lender's lien priority and negligence in administering project funds.
  • Represented a court-appointed receiver and fiduciary in its role as custodian for distressed real property and as receiver.
  • Represented the owner of a large construction project and obtained a substantial recovery of funds to remediate design and construction errors by the project engineers and other contractors.
  • Successfully represented New York City real estate investors in an action seeking to challenge their status as holders in due course of commercial loans assigned to investors as part of portfolios of commercial loans.
  • Represented several beneficiaries of a billion dollar trust concerning challenges to monetary distributions to beneficiaries by the trustee. 
  • Successfully represented the beneficiary of an estate against challenges of undue influence and defalcation of trust assets.

Speaking Engagements

Mr. Slama has guest lectured at a variety of continuing legal education programs in New Jersey and at Syracuse University College of Law.

Professional Memberships

  • Middlesex County Bar Association (New Jersey)
  • New York State Bar Association
  • American Bar Association

Academia

While attending Syracuse University College of Law, Mr. Slama was a member of the Syracuse University National Trial Team and was named as the Best Overall Advocate at Syracuse University (1986). Mr. Slama is also a member of the Order of the Coif and was awarded the Blake Kennedy Memorial Law Scholarship.


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Practices

Education

  • J.D., magna cum laude, Dean's List, Justinian Law Honor Society, Syracuse University College of Law, 1987
  • B.S., economics, cum laude, Wagner College, 1983

Admissions

  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Western District of New York
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit