Yonah Jaffe
Yonah Jaffe is a partner in Reid Collins & Tsai’s New York office.
He primarily represents plaintiffs in complex financial litigation, with substantial experience litigating in the context of bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. Yonah has represented plaintiffs, defendants, bankruptcy trustees, liquidators, and creditors in a variety of matters in state and federal courts, including professional malpractice actions, claims against fiduciaries, business tort matters, shareholder derivative litigation, judgment enforcement, fraudulent transfer litigation, contractual disputes, and other bankruptcy litigation matters.
Yonah began his career in bankruptcy court, clerking for Chief Judge Carla E. Craig of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York. In his career in private practice, Yonah has built on his bankruptcy foundation and evolved into a seasoned commercial litigator, recognized by his colleagues for his ability to tackle tough litigation issues with innovative solutions.
In addition to bankruptcy matters, he has litigated extensively in New York state court and is often consulted to provide procedural insight and strategy on matters pending in New York courts. Yonah has also been involved in state and federal litigation matters across the country. A significant part of Yonah’s practice involves investigating and assessing litigation claims pre-suit.
For his professional achievements, Yonah has been recognized as one of the nation’s top emerging litigators, having been: selected a “Rising Star of the Plaintiffs Bar” by The National Law Journal; honored by Benchmark Litigation on its “40 and Under Hot List;” named “One to Watch” for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Bankruptcy Litigation by Best Lawyers in America®; and selected by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America and one of its 500 X – The Next Generation of Leading Lawyers in America; as well as being named a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” by Thomson Reuters. Yonah received his J.D., cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School, where he served as a Notes and Comments Editor for the Brooklyn Journal of International Law. Yonah earned his B.S. in Marketing, magna cum laude, from Touro College.
Notable Representations:
- Representing plaintiff in shareholder derivative claims on behalf of Fang Holdings Ltd. in New York state court, alleging breaches of fiduciary duties and other misconduct by foreign insiders to loot company through New York’s capital markets.
- Represented Apollo real estate affiliate in proceedings to invalidate eminent domain taking of its real estate by Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
- Representing behavioral health company in New York state court action against venture debt fund for destroying business by breaching forbearance agreement and violating Uniform Commercial Code’s foreclosure rules.
- Represented the chapter 7 trustee of Dura Automotive Systems, LLC, a bankruptcy portfolio company of Lynn Tilton’s Zohar Funds in claims against Tilton and another Dura executive in Delaware Court of Chancery.
- Represented derivative shareholder plaintiffs in breach of fiduciary duty and related claims under Cayman Islands law against insiders of Renren, Inc. Precedents established in the case – holding foreign entities and actors accountable in U.S. courts – strengthen investor protections, with $300 million settlement approved in New York state court.
- Represented Commercial Bank of Dubai to obtain U.S. discovery of interbank transfer records under 28 USC 1782 for use in foreign enforcement proceedings.
- Representing dissenting shareholders in appraisal actions in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda on U.S.-law related issues, including discovery proceedings under 28 U.S.C. 1782.
- Represented a former Fox News employee in claims against Fox News under New York’s Adult Survivors Act.
- Represented the Liquidating Trustee of the BosGen Liquidating Trust in prosecuting over $1 billion in fraudulent conveyance claims.
- Represented the chapter 7 trustee of MoviePass and its parent company in claims against the debtors’ former directors and officers.
- Represented investment funds in claims against pharmaceutical investment fund Celtic Pharma.
- Represented the Joint Official Liquidators of the “AJW” family of investment funds in claims against their former auditor and others. Achieved important appellate victory in New York Appellate Division finding the in pari delicto defense did not bar claims against Marcum LLP, the funds’ former auditor.
- Represented the plan trustee for the trucking company Tango Transport in fraudulent transfer and product defect claims against Navistar, Inc.
- Represented the litigation trustee for SFX Liquidating Trust, in claims against Robert Sillerman, founder of media/entertainment companies including Live Nation.
- Represented the Liquidation Trustee of AWTR Liquidation Trust, successor to VFX and CG studio Rhythm & Hues, in claims against former directors and officers.
- Represented the plan trustee of investment funds associated with notorious hedge fund manager Alphonse Fletcher, Jr. in claims against Fletcher and former professionals.
- Represented the chapter 7 trustee of defunct law firm Thelen LLP in claims against former partners and California Commissioner of Insurance.
- Represented the chapter 7 trustee of Evacuation Complete LLC in claims against former directors and officers.
- Represented foreign representative of Tibanne Co., parent company of infamous bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox in obtaining Chapter 15 recognition of proceedings in Tokyo, Japan.
Publications and Speaking Engagements:
- Panelist - “Litigation Round-Up” - American Bankruptcy Institute - New York City Bankruptcy Conference (May 2023)
- Moderator of “Litigating Claims by Trustees: Avoiding Pitfalls at Plan Confirmation and the Investigation Phase” (February 2022) - part of webinar series in partnership with the American Bankruptcy Institute
- Co-Authored Litigator’s Perspective: Maximizing the Evidentiary Value of Rule 2004 Examinations, ABI Journal (January 2017 - co-authored with Jeffrey E. Gross)