Firm Victorious in Appeal Reinstating Hearst Heir's $20 Million Lawsuit

Egan & Golden, LLP firm partners Brian T. Egan, Karen Golden and associate Justine Tocci succeeded in convincing the Appellate Division, Second Departmnet to reinstate a $20 million malpractice and fraud suit brought by a grandson of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst against the grandson's wife and the couple's lawyer.

After he suffered a debilitating stroke in 1989 at age 55, John Randolph Hearst Jr. contends, his wife, Barbara, with the help of the couple's lawyer, transferred $20 million worth of property and investments into her own name. The suit also named a trustee as a defendant.

The trial court had converted the defendants' motion to dismiss to a motion for summary judgment, which he granted. However, the lawsuit was reinstated last week by the Appellate Division. In its decision, the court found that the trial judge had misunderstood the burden of proof for undue influence claims, and that Hearst had established a prima facie case against the defendants.

A link to the coverge by the New York Law Journal is here.

Egan Appointed Patchogue Village Attorney

On April 7, 2008, Firm partner Brian T. Egan, Esq. was appointed by the Mayor and Board of Trustees of the Village of Patchogue as the Village Attorney. Egan will continue to serve as the Special Housing Prosecutor for the Village. Egan has previously served as Acting Village Attorney and Special Counsel to the Trustees.

Egan Judges Yale Trial Competition

Patchogue attorney Brian T. Egan, Esq. was invited by the Yale Mock Trial Association (YMTA) to serve as a judge at the 2008 American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) Regional Tournament held on February 16 and 17, 2008 at Yale University. The tournament is a highly competitive event, drawing teams from some of the best schools in the nation, including teams from the Ivy League. The top placing teams here will earn bids to compete at the AMTA National Tournaments and, most importantly, the National Championship Tournament. The tournament judges are selected from experienced trial attorneys and sitting judges. “It was an excellent experience to serve as a judge at Yale, and the caliber of the students’ preparation and trial work was very high” said Egan. Egan is a partner in the law firm of Egan & Golden, LLP, with offices in Patchogue and Wainscott, NY. http://www.egangolden.com/

Firm Lawyers Assume Chairs of Bar Association Committees

Egan & Golden, LLP lawyers have recently been appointed by the Board of Directors of the Suffolk County Bar Association to key committee leadership positions. Firm partner Brian T. Egan, Esq. has been appointed to a second term as Chairman of the bar association’s Professional Ethics and Civility Committee. Firm associate Justine Tocci, Esq. was appointed as Chairwoman of the Women and the Law Committee. Egan & Golden, LLP is committed to the highest principles of service to its clients, the courts and fellow members of the bar.
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