Mr. Skolnik concentrates his practice in the area of commercial litigation and general litigation and dispute resolution, appearing in courts of the United States and in state courts, before juries and arbitral tribunals. Areas in which Mr. Skolnik represents clients include all facets of real estate litigation, partnership and shareholder disputes in closely-held and public companies, pharmaceutical industry disputes, breach of contract actions, bank lending and financing transactions, letter of credit disputes, fraud, interference with business, libel, slander and other tort claims, computer industry disputes, landlord-tenant based disputes and condominium and cooperative litigation, divorce claims, and probate and estate based litigation. Mr. Skolnik’s experience and knowledge of the rules of procedure and evidence make him a multi-faceted litigator, able to assimilate and analyze claims in a variety of business areas.
After graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University, Steve attended Harvard Law School, where he worked closely with Professor Zentaro Kitigawa on issues of comparative law between the United States and Japan. Steve began his career with the law firm of Weil Gotshal & Manges, specializing in corporate law and securities law. While there, Mr. Skolnik worked on a merger involving a then Big Eight accounting firm, and public offerings in other industries. Desiring to practice in the area of litigation, Steve joined a predecessor firm of Cox Buchanan Padmore & Shakarchy, which was then counsel in a series of multi-state litigations in the commodities futures industry.
Mr. Skolnik’s grounding in corporate law gives him the perspective to approach litigation and dispute resolution in economic terms, balancing the cost of pursuing an avenue against its likelihood of success and projected dollar value. He has also continued to devote a segment of his time to practice in the area of corporate law, which includes negotiation and drafting of agreements. Since the inception of his legal career, Mr. Skolnik has maintained an interest in legal ethics, and has lectured at the National Institute for World Trade and guest lectured at New York Law School. He has served as an arbitrator and chairman of the panel of arbitrators under the aegis of the American Arbitration Association, and has also served his community through his membership on committees or counsels of the New York Chamber of Commerce and Town of Scarsdale. Mr. Skolnik has been counsel in an action in federal court involving fictitious securities denominated as prime bank notes, in addition to pursuing other trial level, appellate and corporate work.
He is admitted to practice in New York, Colorado, Texas, the U.S. District Court Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, the U.S. Federal Courts, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit. He belongs to a variety of professional organizations, including the American Association for Justice, The National Trial Lawyers, the Litigation, Business Law and Family Law Sections of the American Bar Association, and the New York City Bar Association. The National Trial Lawyers has selected Mr. Skolnik as one of the top 100 Trial Lawyers in the State of New York. Mr. Skolnik was featured by Super Lawyers 2019 as one of New York County’s top business litigation attorneys. Mr. Skolnik was also selected in the October 2010 edition of Avenue Magazine as one of Avenue Magazine’s Legal Elite, as Avenue presented readers with a list of New York City’s top litigation attorneys.
Mr. Skolnik has received an AV Preeminent RatingTM – the highest Peer Review RatingTM available from LexisNexis Martindale Hubbell.
In his leisure time, Mr. Skolnik has been an avid runner and United States Soccer Federation referee.
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Education
Harvard University Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
J.D. - 1975
Yale University
B.A. - 1972
Honors: summa cum laude
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
Bar Admission
New York, 1976
Colorado, 1997
Texas, 1997
U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 1977
U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1977
U.S. Federal Courts, 1977
U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1991
U.S. Supreme Court, 1991
Honors
AV Preeminent Rating from LexisNexis Martindale Hubbell
Classes & Seminars
Lecturer, National Institute for World Trade
Lecturer, New York Law School
Pro-Bono Activities
United States Soccer Federation, Referee
Past Positions
Weil Gotshal & Manges
Professional Associations
American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, Member
New York Chamber of Commerce, Governmental Affairs Subcommittee, Former
American Arbitration Association, Former Member, Panel of Arbitrators
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Member
American Bar Association, Section on Corporation & Business Law, Member
American Bar Association, Section on Family Law, Member
New York Civil and Criminal Courts Bar Association, Member
American Association for Justice, Member
American Bar Association, Judge, National Moot Court Competitions
New York City Bar Association
The National Trial Lawyers
Practice Areas:
Commercial Litigation
Employment Litigation
General Litigation
Dispute Resolution
Real Estate Litigation
Partnership and Shareholder Disputes in Closely Held and Public Companies
Employment Law
Breach of Contract
Bank Lending and Financing Transactions
Landlord-Tenant Based Disputes
Condominium and Cooperative Litigation
Divorce Claims
Probate and Estate Based Litigation
Intellectual Property
Trademarks
Patents
Business Organizations
Business Litigation
Contracts
Employment Law – employee
Labor Law
Employment Law- employer
Discrimination
wage and hour
sexual harassment
wrongful termination
real estate
business and commercial law
