BLAINE H. BORTNICK joined L&R in 1993 after working as an attorney at a private firm in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia for two years. He became a partner in 1998. Mr. Bortnick represents individuals and a variety of corporate entities in matters ranging from employment issues to complex commercial litigation, both in arbitration and in court. Mr. Bortnick’s background in securities industry employment matters, as well as the Firm’s knowledge and reputation in this field, have enabled him to gain a unique understanding of the difficult issues that are essential to representing clients. As part of his employment practice, he frequently advises clients and negotiates contracts and exit packages on their behalf. In this area, he has often used his knowledge of the intricacies of stock option and other non-cash compensatory arrangements to obtain favorable terms for clients in one of the most complex areas of employment negotiations.

His commercial litigation practice is diverse, ranging from contract disputes to international bank and securities fraud matters, including asset recovery. His clients have included public companies in the securities industry, the oil and gas industry, domestic and foreign banks, and private investment vehicles.

Among his more recent accomplishments is appearing as trial counsel in a sex discrimination case. The jury awarded the plaintiff, an executive secretary, $900,000 in compensatory damages against an international airline, including $500,000 in emotional distress damages. The emotional distress award is the second highest ever in a New York employment case.

Mr. Bortnick is often asked to serve as co-counsel for out-of-state attorneys in negotiating and litigating corporate matters. In this role, he became part of the trial team for an out-of-state bank in successfully defending a claim for several million dollars in fees allegedly owing to a securities firm as the result of the sale and twenty-year leaseback of a Boeing 747. He has also recently worked with several firms as part of an international team of lawyers seeking to recover assets of a foreign bank. Mr. Bortnick also serves as one of the attorneys on the lead trial team in a multi-billion anti-trust class action.

In addition to his work at the Firm, Mr. Bortnick is an adjunct professor of law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, teaching New York Practice. New York State Bar Association Committee on Civil Practice Law and Rules, June 2007 to present.