New York Law Journal Reports on New Documents Obtained in Case Against State of New York
On December 23, 2019, the New York Law Journal published the report, “NRA Secures New Documents in Bid to Revive Selective Enforcement Claims Against NY Officials.” The report states that the NRA "says it’s obtained new information that proves state officials in New York acted deliberately, and unlawfully, to strangle the gun lobby group of its financial resources because of its positions on gun control measures."
“The NRA has troubling new information that underscores the true motives of the State’s actions,” said William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors and lead counsel for the NRA. “Our client is determined to bring this evidence to light – to expose the backroom meetings and communications that were essential to Defendant’s scheme to silence and harm the NRA by any means necessary.”
According to a December 20 legal filing, documents obtained by the NRA show the state singled out its insurance products for sanctions while ignoring other policies with similar violations.
The Journal reports that evidence from those documents was included in a new version of the NRA’s lawsuit against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the state Department of Financial Services, and Maria Vullo, the former superintendent of that agency.
New York Times Magazine Profiles NRA, Firm Advocacy
A New York Times Magazine profile story from December 22, 2019, “Inside Wayne LaPierre’s Battle for the NRA,” reports about various lawsuits and investigations being successfully managed by the firm’s client, the National Rifle Association.
Since March 2018, the firm has represented the NRA on a broad range of legal and regulatory issues, including a well-publicized First Amendment case against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Department of Financial Services. The article provides an in-depth look into a myriad of important matters, and features interviews with NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre and firm Managing Partner William Brewer.
Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors Recognized by Best Lawyers
Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors received recognition from U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers in the 2020 “Best Law Firms” rankings.
The list recognizes firms for professional excellence that have received impressive ratings from clients and peers. The firm’s Dallas and New York offices were recognized in the area of Commercial Litigation.
In addition, partner William A. Brewer III was recognized in Best Lawyers in the area of Commercial Litigation in both Dallas and New York.
The Best Lawyers in America recognizes the top 5% of practicing lawyers in the United States.
The 2020 rankings are based on law firm assessments completed by almost 16,000 lawyers and evaluations from more than 12,000 legal clients.
Brewer Foundation/NYU IPPF Debate Contest Making Headlines
The Brewer Foundation and New York University recently announced the high school debate teams advancing to the “Top 64” round of the 19th annual International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) debate competition. By advancing, the students remain eligible to win a $10,000 grand prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to the IPPF Finals in New York City.
The IPPF is the first and only international debate competition that gives high school students the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy.
This year, the IPPF received qualifying round essays from more than 150 teams, representing schools in 28 U.S. states and 19 countries. Each essay affirmed or negated the IPPF topic, "Resolved: When in conflict, a nation's self-interest should outweigh its international commitments to migrants."
Media outlets including Patch.com reported on the advancing teams.
Brewer Storefront Hosts RISD Candidates Forum
Brewer Storefront, the firm’s community service legal affiliate, and the North Dallas Suburban Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority hosted a Candidates Forum on October 14, 2019, at Hamilton Park United Methodist Church in Dallas for the upcoming Richardson ISD Board of Trustees Election.
The Storefront represented former RISD trustee David Tyson in a voting rights case that resulted in an agreement to establish a new election system with five single member districts and two at large districts on the board. Candidates for District 4 (Regina Harris, Patricia Price Hicks, Taler Jefferson and Sakennia Reed) and District 2 (Vanessa Pacheco) participated in the forum.
Community Impact reported about the debate in an Oct. 15 article titled "Richardson ISD board candidates discuss priorities ahead of first single-member district election on Nov. 5."
"This is really a historical time for Richardson Independent School District under this new five-two model," said Lacy Durham, a North Dallas suburban alumnae and moderator at the forum. "It's an opportunity for us to be more reflective of our diverse community."
On Nov. 5, voters elected Regina Harris to the new District 4 seat. The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board endorsed Harris, and reported that she is a webinar services manager who has also served in various RISD PTA leadership roles, and on the district's diversity committee. Harris is the first African American woman elected to the board.
NRA Achieves Victory in San Francisco
As chronicled in various media reports, Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors client the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) achieved a victory in San Francisco, after Mayor London Breed formally disavowed key provisions of a municipal resolution that signaled the blacklisting of contractors linked to the gun group.
On September 3, 2019, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution that called for the City to investigate ties between its contractors and vendors and the NRA. The city declared the NRA was a "domestic terrorist organization."
On September 9, 2019, the NRA filed a lawsuit against the City and County of San Francisco and members of the Board of Supervisors. The lawsuit alleges violations of the NRA’s First Amendment rights, along with other related constitutional claims.
Rather than await a decision from a court, on September 23, 2019, San Francisco Mayor London Breed issued a formal memorandum to City officials, declaring that "no [municipal] department will take steps to restrict any contractor from doing business with the NRA or to restrict City contracting opportunities for any business that has any relationship with the NRA."
"The memo serves as a clear concession and a well-deserved win for the First and Second Amendments of the United States Constitution," says William A. Brewer III, the NRA’s outside counsel. "It is unfortunate that in today’s polarized times, some elected officials would rather silence opposing arguments than engage in good-faith debate. The NRA is America’s oldest civil rights organization – and won’t stand for that."
Brewer Client NRA Sues City of San Francisco
The New York Times reported that Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors client the National Rifle Association (NRA) sued San Francisco on September 9, 2019, for allegedly violating the NRA’s First Amendment speech rights after the city’s board of supervisors declared the NRA a terrorist organization.
William Brewer, the NRA’s outside counsel, called the city’s action “an assault on all advocacy organizations across the country.”
The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court in San Francisco. The Times reported that the suit alleges that the city moved to “blacklist anyone linked to the N.R.A.” The suit also called the designation a “frivolous insult” but contended that “San Francisco’s actions pose a nonfrivolous constitutional threat.”
“In the face of recent, similar blacklisting schemes,” the lawsuit continued, “financial institutions have expressed reluctance to provide bank accounts for disfavored political groups, and city contractors fear losing their livelihoods if they support or even work with the N.R.A.”
The Washington Post also reported on the lawsuit, noting that the NRA alleges the resolution is “obviously unconstitutional.”
The Real Deal Reports on Real Estate Lawsuit in South Florida
The Real Deal South Florida Real Estate News reported on Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors client Wayne Goldberg, a retired hospitality executive, suing the development group Fernbrook Florida over a penthouse condo he alleges he was falsely induced to purchase in the luxury Sabbia Beach development in Pompano Beach, Florida, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
The lawsuit was filed in Broward County Circuit Court and the complaint alleges that the developer “held units off the market in order to create the appearance that units were in high-demand and to inflate sales prices.” The lawsuit contends that when he visited the penthouse that he “observed multiple severe, material deviations from the agreement and its amendments” and that a personal elevator had been placed in front of the “much-vaunted windows of the penthouse overlooking Pompano Beach.”