Richard A. Lafont

Richard A. Lafont is a partner at Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Greenberg, Formato & Einiger, LLP.
Mr. Lafont handles complex commercial disputes brought in federal and state trial courts and at all appellate levels or in arbitrations and mediations before all the major dispute resolution forums, including AAA, JAMS and FINRA.  Mr. Lafont has extensive banking litigation experience, including representing U.S. and international banks facing complex creditor defaults, lender liability claims, and creditor disputes in bankruptcy.  He also represents real estate investors, banks, and other corporate clients in a variety of real estate matters, including construction litigation, commercial lease defaults, broker disputes, and commercial foreclosures.

Mr. Lafont has litigated a number of securities fraud cases, including defending corporations, financial services firms, and directors and officers in Rule 10b-5, control person, and RICO actions.  Additionally, Mr. Lafont has represented retail stock brokerage firms in customer claims; corporations prosecuting or defending breach of contract or unfair competition claims arising from violations of restrictive covenants in employment agreements or the potential disclosure of trade secrets; and various corporate clients in prosecuting or defending against breach of contract and business tort claims, including fraud, tortious interference, and negligent misrepresentation.  Mr. Lafont also has conducted litigation due diligence for mergers and acquisitions or multi-million dollar credit reviews.

Mr. Lafont is a member of the American Bar Association, Section on Litigation, the Hispanic National Bar Association, and the Puerto Rican Bar Association.  He is presently Co-Chair of the General Counsel Committee for the Hispanic National Bar Association-New York Region.

Mr. Lafont received his A.B. from Harvard University and his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was an Editor of the Journal of International Business Law.  He is admitted to practice in the States of New York and New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the District Courts for New Jersey and the Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York.