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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 01/11/2022 09:27 AM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 606 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/11/2022 EXHIBIT 3 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/11/2022 09:27 AM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 606 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/11/2022 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK ------------------------------------------------------------- )( MICHAEL I. KNOPF, NORMA KNOPF, and DELPHI CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, Plaintiffs, Index No.l13227 /09 -against- Hon. Richard F. Braun MICHAEL HAYDEN SANFORD, PURSUIT HOLDINGS, LLC, SANFORD PARTNERS, LP, MH SANFORD & CO., LLC and WYNDCLYFFE, LLC, AFFIRMATION Defendants. ------------------------------------------------------------- )( I, Nathaniel H. Akerman, an attorney duly admitted to the practice of law in the courts of New York State, hereby affirm the following to be true under penalty of perjury: 1. I am a partner at Dorsey and Whitney LLP, counsel for the Defendants Michael Hayden Sanford and Pursuit Holdings LLC in a pending litigation brought by the Plaintiffs Michael Knopf and Norma Knopf in federal district court in the Southern District ofNew York. This federal litigation involves notices of pendency (the "Second Notices") placed on the PHC located at 44 East 67 Street, New York, New York and the (3) conjoined condominium apartments at 10 Bedford Street in Manhattan (the "Bedford Townhouse"). Except as stated otherwise or the context makes clear, I make this affirmation based on my personal knowledge. 2. On October 15, 2015, Judge Cote cancelled the Second Notices on PHC and the Townhouse and also found that Plaintiff lacked good faith in filing the Second Notice on the PHC. Knopfv. Meister, Seelig & Fein, LLP, No. 15-cv-5090, 2015 WL 6116926 at *1-2 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/11/2022 09:27 AM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 606 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/11/2022 (S.D.N.Y. Oct 16, 201 5) ("The Defendants have shown that the Plaintiffs lacked good faith in filing the Notice [of pendence]"). 3. I understand that after Judge Cote cancelled these Second Notices, Plaintiffs filed two more notices of Pendency on the Bedford Townhouse. 4. On or about January 12, 2016, Michael Sanford, as manager ofPursuit, asked that I determine whether the October 22, 2015 Interim Injunction issued by the First Department had been vacated by the First Department's November 12, 2015 full panel decision, not withstanding the subsequent December 29, 2015 Order. 5. Following Pursuit's request, on or about January 12, 2016, I and Edward Feldman of Feldman & Associates, PLLC, Esq.-- which was representing Pursuit as its transactional counsel in connection with the PHC Sale -- held a conference call with a Court Attorney employed by the First Department. 6. In that conversation, the First Department Court Attorney confirmed that the October 22, 2015 Interim Injunction was vacated and dissolved after the full panel issued the November 12, 2015 Order, which denied the motion "for prejudgment attachment pursuant to CPLR 6201 or, in the alternative, for a preliminary injunction enjoining defendants from transferring, mortgaging or otherwise impairing the value of the subject properties pending a hearing and determination of [an] appeal." The Court Attorney was clear that there was no longer any restraint on the PHC. FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/11/2022 09:27 AM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 606 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/11/2022 7. I contemporaneously drafted a memorandum memorializing that telephone conference and provided that memorandum to my client, Pursuit. I will provide a copy of that memorandum at the Court's request for in camera review. MR. BERRY'S BASELESS AND OUTRAGEOUS THREATS TO SUE BOTH ME AND MY LAW FIRM 8. Mr. Berry has baselessly threatened to sue both me and my law firm for providing Mr. Sanford with the memorandum described above. To my understanding, Mr. Berry has also threatened to sue Mr. Feldman because he also provided Mr. Sanford with what I understand to be a substantively identical memorandum of the conversation with the First Department Court Attorney. 9. Specifically, on March 10, 2016, Mr. Berry sent an email to me stating that Mr. Sanford "alleges [in a March 8, 2016 Affidavit] that both your [and Mr. Feldman's] firms provided opinion letters to the effect that the 10/22115 order of Judge Sweeney did not have to be complied with. If the statement is not correct let me know promptly. If it is correct we are adding your firms as defendants in the case that we are filing [sic] against Dechert within the next couple days." A true and correct copy ofMr. Berry's March 10, 2016 email is attached hereto as Exhibit A. FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/11/2022 09:27 AM INDEX NO. 150315/2019 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 606 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/11/2022 10. In response to Mr. Berry's outrageous threat, on March 15, 2016, I replied, "Please be advised that any lawsuit filed against me or my firm is sanctionable, and we will pursue all remedies against both you and your clients for such a baseless lawsuit." Dated: March 16, 2016 New York, New York atn __ e lan · est 52nd Street New York, NY 10019-6119 United States of America (212) 415-9200 akerman.nick@dorsey .com