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  • Michael Knopf, Norma Knopf v. Frank M. Esposito, Dorsey & Whitney, Llp, Nathaniel H. Akerman, Edward S. Feldman Torts - Other (Fraud;Judiciary L. 487) document preview
  • Michael Knopf, Norma Knopf v. Frank M. Esposito, Dorsey & Whitney, Llp, Nathaniel H. Akerman, Edward S. Feldman Torts - Other (Fraud;Judiciary L. 487) document preview
  • Michael Knopf, Norma Knopf v. Frank M. Esposito, Dorsey & Whitney, Llp, Nathaniel H. Akerman, Edward S. Feldman Torts - Other (Fraud;Judiciary L. 487) document preview
  • Michael Knopf, Norma Knopf v. Frank M. Esposito, Dorsey & Whitney, Llp, Nathaniel H. Akerman, Edward S. Feldman Torts - Other (Fraud;Judiciary L. 487) document preview
  • Michael Knopf, Norma Knopf v. Frank M. Esposito, Dorsey & Whitney, Llp, Nathaniel H. Akerman, Edward S. Feldman Torts - Other (Fraud;Judiciary L. 487) document preview
  • Michael Knopf, Norma Knopf v. Frank M. Esposito, Dorsey & Whitney, Llp, Nathaniel H. Akerman, Edward S. Feldman Torts - Other (Fraud;Judiciary L. 487) document preview
  • Michael Knopf, Norma Knopf v. Frank M. Esposito, Dorsey & Whitney, Llp, Nathaniel H. Akerman, Edward S. Feldman Torts - Other (Fraud;Judiciary L. 487) document preview
  • Michael Knopf, Norma Knopf v. Frank M. Esposito, Dorsey & Whitney, Llp, Nathaniel H. Akerman, Edward S. Feldman Torts - Other (Fraud;Judiciary L. 487) document preview
						
                                

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FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 EXHIBIT F Memorandum of Law Submitted Simultaneously Herewith by Co-Defendants Dorsey & Whitney LLP and Nathaniel H. Akerman AFFIRMATIONPAGE9 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK NORMA KNOPF and MICHAEL KNOPF, Index No. 150315/2019 Plaintiffs, -vs.- FRANK M. ESPOSITO, DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP, NATHANIEL H. AKERMAN, EDWARD S. FELDMAN, MICHAEL HAYDEN SANFORD AND SP VOYAGER FUND, LLC, Defendants. MEMORANDUM OF LAW IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP AND NATHANIEL H. AKERMAN'S MOTION TO DISMISS THE AMENDED COMPLAINT Dorsey & Whitney LLP 52nd 51 W. Street New York, NY 10019 212-415-9200 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS PRELIMINARY STATEMENT.................................................................................................... I FACTS............................................................................................................................................ 3 A. The June 2016 and November 2017 Appellate Division Orders Confirming the Status of the Court's Earlier Orders at the Time of the Sale of the Apartment.................. 5 1. The June 2016 Order................................................................................................. 5 2. The November 2017 Order....................................................................................... 6 Knopfs' B. The Federal District Court's Opinions Dismissing the § 1983 Claim.................. 8 1. The Original Order Dismissing the FAC.................................................................. 8 2. The Federal District Court's Consideration of the OCA Report Resulting in its Amended Order........................................................................................................ 9 C. Allegations Relating to the June 7, 2017, Declaration Alleging that the Knopfs Perpetrated a Fraud on the First Department.................................................................... 10 ARGUMENT................................................................................................................................ 13 A. The Knopfs Are Collaterally Estopped from Re-Litigating the Issues of the Phone Call and the Cause of Their Injury by Virtue of the June 2016 Order.............................. 13 B. The Knopfs Are Also Collaterally Estopped from Relitigating the Propriety of the January 12, 2016 Telephone Call and Other Issues Raised by the OAC Report by Knopfs' Virtue of Judge Cote's Decisions Dismissing the § 1983 Claim........................ 16 C. The Judiciary Law and Fraud Claims Are Barred Because the Alleged Fraud and Perjury Exclusively Had to Be Raised in the Action in which the Alleged Fraud or Perjury Occurred............................................................................................................... 18 D. The AC Should Be Dismissed Against Dorsey and Akerman Because There Are Not Sufficient Allegations That Akerman and Dorsey Were Not Acting in their Proper Roles as Attorneys................................................................................................. 20 E. The Alleged False June 7, 2017 Akerman Declaration Is Not Actionable....................... 22 1. The Complained of Actions Fall within the Scope of Akerman's Duty as an Attorney.................................................................................................................. 22 2. There Are Insufficient Allegations of an Intent to Deceive.................................... 23 3. The Knopfs Fail to Allege That They Reasonably Relied on Any Misrepresentations Made by the Declaration......................................................... 24 Knopfs' F. This Court is Precluded from Considering the Tenth Claim Requesting a Declaratory Judgment that the Revised Version of the June 16, 2016 Order Be Declared Void and Invalid................................................................................................ 25 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................. 27 i FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Page(s) Cases Amica Mut. Ins. Co. v. Jones, 85 A.D.2d 727 (2d Dep't 1981)...............................................................................--..............16 Art Capital Group, LLC v. Neuhaus, 70 A.D.3d 605 (1st Dep't 25 2010)..................................................................................22, 23, Baystone Equities, Inc. v. Handel-Harbour, No. 105732/05, 2005 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1908 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cnty. July 19, 2005)..............18 Briarpatch Ltd., L.P. v. Frankfurt, Garbus, Klein & Selz, P.C., 13 A.D.3d 296 (1st Dep't 2004)..............................................................................................20 Bruno v. Bruno, 83 A.D.3d 165 (1st Dep't 2011)..............................................................................................14 Burgos v. Hopkins, 14 F.3d 787 (2d Cir. 1994).......................................................................................................13 Costalas v. Amalfitano, 23 A.D.3d 303 (1st Dep't 2005)..............................................................................................21 Country-Wide Ins. Co. v. Ospina, No. 155966/17, 2019 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 773 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cnty. Feb. 22, 2019)...............16 Davis v. Halpern, 813 F.2d 37 (2d Cir. 1987).......................................................................................................13 Doscher v. Manatt, 148 A.D.3d 523 (1st Dep't 2017) ............................................................................................15 Facebook, Inc. v. DLA Piper LLP, 134 A.D.3d 610 (1st Dep't 24 2015)..........................................................................20, 21, 22, Gonzalez v. Gordon, 233 A.D.2d 191 (1st Dep't 1996)............................................................................................20 Jean v. Chinitz, 163 A.D.3d 497 (1st Dep't 2018)............................................................................................15 Knopf et al.v. Esposito, et al., 2018 WL 3579104 (S.D.N.Y. July 25, 9 2018)........................................................................8, ii FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 Little Rest Twelve, Inc. v. Zajic, 137 A.D.3d 540 (1st Dep't 2016)...................................................................................-........18 Maracina v. Schirrmeister, 152 A.D.2d 502 (1st Dep't 1989)............................................................................................26 Mason v. Ward, No. 88-cv-4704(PNL), 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9965 (S.D.N.Y. July 20, 1991) ....................14 Matter of Jonmark Corp. v.New York State Liq. Auth., 161 A.D.3d 1518 (4th Dep't 2018)............................................................................................4 M.O.C.H.A. Soc 'y,Inc. v. City of Buffalo, 689 F.3d 263 (2d Cir. 2012).....................................................................................................15 New Hampshire Ins. Co. v.Bobak, 72 A.D.3d 1647 (4th Dep't 2010)............................................................................................26 New York City Transit Auth. v. Morris J. Eisen, P.C., 276 A.D.2d 78 (1st Dep't 2000)..............................................................................................19 New York Tile Wholesale Corp. v. Thomas Fatato Realty Corp., 153 A.D.3d 1351 (2d Dep't 25 2017)...............................................................................23, 24, Newin Corp. v. Hartford Acci. & Indem. Co., 37 N.Y.2d 211 (1975) .............................................................................................................19 People v. Asiatic Petroleum, 45 A.D.2d 835 (1st Dep't 1974) ................................................................................................6 Ryan v.New York Telephone Co., 62 N.Y.2d 494 27 (1984)........................................................................................................18, Schwartz v. Public Administrator, 24 N.Y.2d 65 (1969) ...............................................................................................................13 Schiller v. Bender, Burrows & Rosenthal, LLP, 116 A.D.3d 756 (2d Dep't 2014) ............................................................................................23 St. Regis Tribe of Mohawk Indians v. State, 5 N.Y.2d 24 (1958)....................................................................................................................4 Taboola, Inc. v. Aitken, No. 654404/2015, 2016 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2638 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cnty. July 14, 2016) ...18,19 Tina X. v.John X., 138 A.D.3d 1258 (3d Dep't 2016)...........................................................................................21 iii FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 U2 Home Entm 't,Inc. v. Hong Wei Int'l Trading, Inc., 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64297 (S.D.N.Y. 21, 2008)........................................................14 Aug Yalkowsky v. Shedler, 94 A.D.2d 684 (1stDep't 20 1983)........................................................................................18, Statutes 42 U.S.C § 1983..................................................................................................................... passim Judiciary Law § 487............................................................................................................... passim Other Authorities CPLR 3211.......................................................................................................................................1 CPLR 4511.......................................................................................................................................4 CPLR 5015(a)(3)...........................................................................................................................12 Fed. R. Civ. P. 62.1 .......................................................................................................................17 Fed. R. Civ. P.15(a)(2) ..................................................................................................................17 Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(1)..................................................................................................................17 Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(2)..................................................................................................................17 Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(3)..................................................................................................................17 New York State Unified Court System Rules of Professional Conduct § 3.5(a)(2)......................21 iv FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 PRELIMINARY STATEMENT Defendants Nathaniel Akerman and Dorsey & Whitney LLP ("Dorsey") submit this memorandum in support of their motion to dismiss pursuant to CPLR 3211 the Amended Complaint ("AC") of Norma Knopf and Michael Knopf (together, the "Knopfs"). The AC asserts five claims against Akerman and Dorsey: • The First violations of Law based on events pre- Claim, alleging Judiciary § 487, dating October 13, 2017; • The Second to violate Law 487; Claim, alleging conspiracy Judiciary § • The Third Fraud and Claim, alleging Deceit; • The Seventh violations of Law 487 based on the Claim, alleging Judiciary § events in the Esposito federal civil rights action; and • The Tenth judgment and an Order Claim, seeking declaratory voiding invalidating of the Appellate Division. Knopfs' The claims with one exception arise out of a four-minute call by Akerman and another attorney, Defendant Edward Feldman, made on January 12, 2016, on behalf of their client, Michael Sanford, to a Court Attorney at the First Department to inquire as to the procedural status of an October 22, 2015, interim order of a single justice of the Appellate 67th Division requiring the sales proceeds of the apartment at 44 East Street, New York, New York (the "Apartment") to be placed in escrow. The other claim relates to a declaration filed by Akerman on behalf his client, Sanford, to support his position in a New York State Supreme Court proceeding between him and one of his former attorneys that sought to confirm an arbitration award. All five claims should be dismissed, for the following reasons: First, the First, Second, Third and Tenth claims are barred by collateral estoppel arising out of orders by the Appellate Division, First Departrñent and the federal court in the Southern FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 District of New York. The Appellate Division held that those orders did not impose a requirement that the sale proceeds of the Apartment had to be escrowed when the property was sold on February 1, 2016, because the interim escrow requirement had been extinguished when Knopfs' the motion for a preliminary injunction was denied in November 2015. The federal court held that the Knopfs failed to show that they had a right to participate in the January 12, 2016 phone call. Both issues, the validity of the escrow order as of the time of the phone call Knopfs' and the sale of the Apartment and the right to participate in the phone call,were fully litigated and essential to those orders. Second, the First, Second, Third, and Seventh Claims are barred because the allegations of fraud and perjury underlying those claims may only be raised in the action in which the alleged fraud or perjury occurred. More specifically, allthe claims relating to the sale of the Apartment (the First, Second, and Third claims) are barred because the exclusive remedy for that conduct had to be pursued in Knopf v. Sanford, 113227/09, and the Knopfs failed to raise those claims in that action. Similarly, the claim related to alleged perjury in the federal action is barred because the exclusive remedy for that conduct was in that case, where the Knopfs raised the same issue in a motion for sanctions, and the federal court denied that motion. Third, the First, Second, Third, and Seventh claims must be dismissed because they do not plead with sufficient particularity any fraudulent or perjurious conduct that is actionable. Judiciary Law § 487 and fraud and deceit claims must be pled with particularity, and such claims Knopfs' are not valid against an attorney who is properly acting in the role of an attorney. The claims are predicated entirely on a four-minute lawyer's call to the Appellate Division to confirm the procedural status of certain Appellate Division orders and on testimony related to that call, all of which was done in Akerman's capacity as an attorney for Sanford and his companies. AC ¶¶ 2 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 48-57. That is the only fact alleged in the AC with respect to Akerman and Dorsey; the restis belief," simply innuendo alleged on "information and which the Appellate Division has squarely held is insufficient to support a § 487 claim. As a result, there are no sufficiently particularized allegations that Akerman was not acting in a proper role as an attorney or that he acted with an intent to deceive in his deposition testimony. Fourth, that portion of the First claim based on the Akerman declaration of June 7, 2017 is not actionable because the complained-of declaration falls within the scope of Akerman's duty as an attorney, there are insufficient allegations of an intent to deceive, and the Knopfs could not have reasonably relied on any misrepresentations in the declaration since the declaration was not provided to them or directed at them and was submitted in a proceeding in which they were not Knopfs' parties, and because the exclusive remedy with respect to the declaration was in the action in which the declaration was filed. Fifth, the Tenth Claim should be dismissed because this Court does not have the authority to issue a declaratory judgment voiding a duly issued, binding decision of the Appellate Division that was issued upon full briefing of the parties. For all of these reasons, the AC should be dismissed in itsentirety with prejudice as against Akerman and Dorsey. FACTS The allegations against Akerman and Dorsey in the AC can be sum-marized as follows: • Akerman's and Dorsey's participation in the 12, 2016 telephone call with January the Court Attorney, who "advised Akerman and Feldman that the apartment could proceeds." be sold without escrowing the AC ¶ 19; • The 12, 2016 telephone call was an improper ex parte call,AC 23, 81, January ¶¶ 83, 86-90, 92, 107, 147, 187; 3 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 • Akerman knew in advance what the Court would about the Attorney say validity of the October 22, 2015 Order requiring the escrow of any proceeds from the sale of the Property, AC ¶¶ 34(d), 144-45; • Akerman submitted perjured in support of his motion for dismissal and testimony sanctions in the federal case, AC ¶¶ 24-25, 27, 34(a)(b), 129-30, 131-34; and • Akerman's June 2017 Declaration in the action to confirm an 7, seeking arbitration award was a fraud on the Knopfs and the Court, AC ¶¶ 154-60. With the exception of the June 7, 2017 Akerman Declaration, allthe factual issues underlying the above captioned action have been fully litigated by the Knopfs in two separate matters in which final judgments have been entered. The firstwas before the Appellate Division Knopfs' in itsJune 2016 Order denying the motion for contempt against Sanford, his companies Knopfs' and his lawyers. That order from a full panel of the Appellate Division denied the motion forcontempt against Sanford, his entities and his lawyers for not escrowing the proceeds from the sale of the Apartment "because the [October] TRO [requiring the escrow of the plaintiffs' proceeds of the sale of the Apartment} was vacated once prior motion for a denied." preliminary injunction was See Affirmation of Nathaniel H. Akerman ("Akerman A.¹ Knopfs' Aff.") Ex. On November 2, 2017, the Appellate Division denied the motion to vacate the June 16, 2016 Order, predicated on most of the same reasons alleged in the AC. Akerman Aff. Ex. D. The second was in the case of Norma Knopf and Michael Knopf v. Frank M. Esposito, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Nathaniel H. Akerman, Edward S. Feldman and Michael Hayden ' of the but are courtordersor Certain exhibitstothe Akerman Affirmation arenot directlyreferenced in the AC, filings directlyrelevantto negating theallegationsin theAC. These include ExhibitsB, C, D, H, Jand K. This Court can properly takejudicial noticeof thesecourt recordson thismotion. CPLR 4511; see alsoSt. RegisTribe of Mohawk Indians v. State, 5 N.Y.2d 24,36 (1958). "Where 'evidentiarymaterialoutside thepleading's four corners is considered,and the motion is notconverted into one forsummary judgment, the questionbecomes whether the one.'" pleader has a causeof action,not whether the pleader hasstated Matter ofJonmark Corp. v.New York State Liq. 161 A.D.3d 1518 (4th Dep't2018). The factsin thosecourt documents arepresented to negate Auth., 1518, that" action." allegationsin theAC "so thatit mightbe ruled the Knopfs do not have a cause of Id. FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 Sanford, 17 Civ. 5833 (DLC) in the federal court for the Southern District of New York dismissing the Knopfs coniplahit for a conspiracy to violate their civilrights in violation of Title 42 U.S.C § 1983. The complaint in that action, as here, also alleged claims against Dorsey and Akerman under the New York Judiciary Law § 487 and for fraud and deceit. After dismissing the federal claim under § 1983, the districtcourt declined "to exercise supplemental jurisdiction claims." over their state law Akerman Aff. Ex. E at *8 (Knopf v. Esposito, 2017 WL 6210851 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 7, 2017)). However, in the federal case, allof the facts underlying those two realleged" state claims were "repeated and as essentially the same operative facts underlying the § 1983 claim. Indeed, most of the facts underlying the AC relating to the January phone call and the results of the report of the New York State Unified Court System of Court Administration ("OCA") were before the federal district court in itsdismissal of the § 1983 claim and the Knopfs' request for sanctions against Dorsey and Akerman predicated on Akerman's alleged perjury. A. The June 2016 and November 2017 Appellate Division Orders Confirming the Status of the Court's Earlier Orders at the Time of the Sale of the Apartment 1. The June 2016 Order On June 16, 2016, in an initial order and then in a subsequently issued revised order on the same day, an Appellate Division panel denied a motion by the Knopfs for "an order of contempt against defendants and their counsel for allegedly violating a temporary restraining (TRO)." order issued by a single justice of this Court on October 22, 2015 Akerman Aff. Ex. A. In its revised June 2016 Order, the Appellate Division panel explained why the October 2015 Order granting interim relief requiring the escrowing of the sales proceeds was no longer Knopfs' effective after the November 2015 Order denying the application for a preliminary Knopfs' injunction. The revised June 2016 Order denied the motion for contempt "because the 5 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 plaintiffs' TRO [the October 2015 Order] was vacated once prior motion for a preliminary denied." injunction was Akerman Aff Ex. A (emphasis added.) In so ruling, the Appellate Division cited itsown decision in People v. Asiatic Petroleum, 45 A.D.2d 835, 836 (App. Div. 1st Dep't 1974). Id. 2. The November 2017 Order Over a year later,on June 22, 2017, the Knopfs challenged the revised June 2016 Order before the Appellate Division and moved to vacate that Order and reinstate the initialOrder. Akerman Aff. Ex. C. In challenging the June 2016 Order, the Knopfs presented to the Appellate Division many of the same issues they raise in the AC. The Knopfs argued that the June 16 Order should be vacated because: • "the revision of the order was not prejudicial to the Knopfs (because of the potential only adverse collateral estoppel of the revised order, see Rodrigues supra) but also unfairly so, since the Knopfs have never had an opportunity to analyze or dispute the information and memoranda," conclusions set forth in thisthe Akerman and Feldman Akerman Aff. Ex B, ¶ 48; see AC ¶¶ 36, 119, 280, 284. • "Akerman indicated that he knew when [he and contacted the already that, they Feldman] Appellate Division, they would be told that the restraints had been 'dissolved as a matter law,'" of Akerman Aff Ex. C, ¶ 8,see AC ¶¶ 34(d), 144-45; • The court "did not recuse herself, nor did she insistthat the Knopfs be added to attorney call," the Akerman Aff Ex. C, ¶ 8, and therefore "the ex parte conference call in which . . opinion," unethical," . [she] issued her advisory was "unlawful and Akerman Aff Ex. C, ¶ 19, violating New York ethical rules, Akerman Aff. Ex. C, ¶ 20, see AC ¶¶ 34(c), 89. • Even though the court stated "that the reason the December 29, 2015 motion was attorney moot,'" denied was 'because itwas Akerman Aff. Ex. C, ¶ 9, and the June 16, 2016 plaintiffs' Order held that "the TRO was vacated once prior motion for a preliminary denied," injunction was "Justice Sweeny's escrow order [of October 22, 2015] was not a TRO," Akerman Aff Ex. A, Ex. C, ¶ ¶ 22-23, it"was part of a different motion sequence decision" than the November 12, 2015 denying the preliminary injunction, Akerman Aff. Ex. C, ¶ 25, and Justice Moskowitz's entry of a new escrow order on February 25, 2016, Akerman Aff. Ex. C, ¶ 17, "made itclear that she agreed with the Knopfs that the December 29, 2015 order had continued the escrow requirement in effect,"Akerman Aff. Ex. C, ¶ 26, see AC ¶ ¶ 101-102, 117. 6 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/03/2019 01:24 PM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 44 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/03/2019 Knopfs' The centerpiece of the motion to vacate the revised June 2016 Order was to plaintiffs' eliminate the language-"the TRO [the October 2015 Order] was vacated once prior motion for a preliminary injunction was denied"-that was not present in the initialorder, so as effect." to avoid "collateral estoppel Akerman Aff. Ex. A, Ex. C, ¶¶ 21-22. The Knopfs argued TRO," that "Justice Sweeny's escrow order [of October 22, 2015] was not a Akerman Aff. Ex. C ¶ 23, and that a subsequent December 2015 order denying a cross-motion made by some of the effect," defendants had "continued the escrow requirement in Akerman Aff. Ex. C ¶ 26. Knopfs' On November 2, 2017, the Appellate Division denied the motion to vacate the revised June 2016 Order and reinstate the initialversion of the June 16, 2016 Order based "upon motion," reading and filing the papers with respect to the [Knopfs'] Akerman Aff. Ex. D, thereby Knopfs' denying the effort to eliminate the key language in the revised order. Thus, the orders of the Appellate Division establish that as of November 2015 (the date Knopfs' the Court denied the preliminary injunction motion), the temporary restraining order of October 2015, requiring the escrowing of the proceeds from sale of the Apartment, had been extinguished. On two occasions, a full panel of the Appellate Division confirmed that result. On