More overseas work for LI law firms
Uniondale law firm Ruskin Moscou Faltischek is currently representing Air India in a federal lawsuit against roughly 30 airlines over price fixing. Air India denies the allegations. (April 29, 2011) Credit: Getty Images
Some of Long Island's largest law firms report that they are looking more and more like their cousins in Manhattan when it comes to clients: The Island firms are getting more and more work from overseas.
Ruskin Moscou Faltischek of Uniondale is representing Air India in an antitrust case, and an Indian construction company in an arbitration involving road construction in South Sudan. It also represented two Korean companies regarding what were said to be defective cosmetics made in the U.S. and sold in Korea.
"There's been clearly an increase in international work," said E. Christopher Murray, a partner in the firm's litigation department. "What's interesting is that a lot of this work used to go to New York City firms. But we've been able to crank into that."
In the largest of the cases, Air India was one of about 30 airlines sued in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn for allegedly fixing prices for fuel and security services. The airline denies the allegations, Murray said. The case remains open.
The firm represented the Korean cosmetics company Kiss and a sister company that filed suit against U.S. manufacturers, alleging they sold Kiss defective products. The case has been settled. Murray declined to discuss the settlement.
Laurie Bloom, a spokeswoman for Long Island's largest law firm, Rivkin Radler of Uniondale -- which has 140 attorneys -- said an increase in foreign trade agreements has led to more overseas work for law firms. Bloom said Rivkin Radler is representing clients in Korea, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Germany.
"We've seen an increase [in overseas work] and with the passage of additional trade agreements such as the U.S.-Korea FTA, we think the trend will continue," Bloom said. The U.S. and South Korea signed an agreement in December 2010.
So has it all meant additional traveling for the lawyers? Not necessarily, said Murray. "You can do a lot" with technology. But what about the dinners in Europe and Asia? "Well, we're not against the trips," Murray said.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 15: LI's top basketball players On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay take a look top boys and girls basketball players on Long Island.
