Adam J. Richards

212.354.0808
arichards@mrntlaw.com

Adam has a diversified practice. He specializes in the fields of matrimonial and family law while maintaining a robust practice in commercial, small company and shareholder disputes.   Adam’s commercial and civil litigation practice typically involves a wide scope of cases, including commercial contract disputes, shareholder and family business disputes, civil fraud and tort claims. Adam also has extensive experience litigating estate related business and family disputes in Surrogates Court.  He has tried cases at the Federal and State Court level and has handled appeals before the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals as well as New York State’s First and Second Appellate Departments, and before New York’s highest Court, the New York Court of Appeals. Adam has also arbitrated and mediated matters before the American Arbitration Association and JAMS.

In his matrimonial and family law practice, Adam advises clients in contested and uncontested divorce proceedings, child custody proceedings, support proceedings, child relocation proceedings, domestic violence proceedings, post-judgment enforcement proceedings and civil contempt proceedings. He also advises clients during the divorce mediation and settlement process. Adam has litigated and tried contested divorce and family related actions in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County, Rockland County and Orange County. He has represented clients at both the trial and appellate level. He has experience advising clients in connection with the Hague Convention, international child custody laws and parental kidnapping laws as they apply to international child custody disputes overseas and has represented residents of India, Japan, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Spain, among others. Adam has also negotiated and drafted hundreds of pre and post-nuptial agreements, separation agreements and agreements to settle contested and uncontested proceedings.

Adam is a member of the New York Bar Association Family Law Section. He is admitted to practice in New York, the Federal District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Adam is recognized as a “Super Lawyer” for his work in the field of matrimonial and family law.

Adam was born in England, and immigrated to New York in 1990, where he has resided ever since. He has been practicing law since 1996. He is a lifelong and avid fan of Brighton and Hove Albion, FC.

Below is a selection of some of Adam’s reported cases:

• Derago v. Ko, 134 N.Y.S. 3d 801 (2d Dept.2020) (appellate court affirmed lower court decision that action brought for downward modification of child support was not abuse of process and did not constitute malicious prosecution).
• Bishop v. Bishop, 95 N.Y.S 3d 317 (2d Dept. 2019) (appellate court reversed lower court decision dismissing action for upward modification of child support).
• Rams v Def Jam Recordings, Inc., 202 F.Supp.3d 376 (S.D.N.Y 2016) (federal court found professional photographer stated claim for contributory copyright infringement against recording artist for use of image on album cover).
• Demopoulos v Anchor Tank Lines, LLC, 117 F. Supp. 3d 499 (S.D.N.Y. 2015) (federal court dismissed claims for ERISA breach of fiduciary duty as time barred by applicable statute of limitations).
• Warner v Houghton, 841 N.Y.S 2d 499 (1st Dept. 2007) (appellate court reversed judgment of divorce entered by lower court after an inquest where, among other things, lower court failed to provide sufficient explanation for it findings in issuing the judgment). Subsequently affirmed by New York Court of Appeals at 862 N.Y.S.2d 321.
• Morris & Partners, Ltd v. Alfin, Inc,. 650 N.Y.S.2d 201 (1st Dept. 1996) (appellate court found that corporation had breached consulting agreement and affirmed award of damages to consultant).