Meaghan Gragg

Highlighted Matters – Litigation

• In re Estate of Assadour O. Tavitian, File No. 2020-4113 (Sur. Ct., N.Y. County): Lead litigation counsel for the Estate of Assadour O. Tavitian.
• Julius H. Schoeps, et al. v. Sompo International Holdings, Inc., et al., Case No. 22-07013 (N.D. Ill.); Case No. 25-1405 (7th Cir.): Advised Sompo International Holdings in winning dismissal with prejudice of an action to recover one of Van Gogh’s iconic Sunflowers paintings (valued at $250 million) plus $1.5 billion in damages. Advised Sompo International Holdings in opposing appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
• Shenzhen Zehuijin Investment Center v. Yingkui, et al., Case No. 24-6215 (9th Cir.): Lead appellate counsel on the brief for Petitioner-Appellee Shenzhen Zehuijin Investment Center in opposing appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit of the trial court’s confirmation of a $30 million arbitration award issued by a Beijing Arbitration Commission Tribunal.
• Singapore Co. v. California Co. (N.D. Cal.): Lead counsel on behalf of a Singapore-based tech platform in litigation of a breach of contract dispute with a California services provider. Developed and executed a strategy to block threatened service termination, preserving access to critical data. Directed emergency relief filings and secured a favorable pre-filing settlement.
• Central Park Realty Holding Corp. v. Andrea Azcárraga, 130 W. 57 Co., LLC, et al., Index No. 156274/2022 (N.Y. Sup. Ct., Commercial Div.): Co-lead counsel on behalf of prominent Mexican family in intra-family dispute over division of multibillion-dollar TV and media empire litigated in the courts of Mexico and New York. Secured dismissal of the New York action.
• Sakab Saudi Holding Co. v. Saad Khalid Al Jabri, et al., Case No. 21-10529 (D. Mass.): Co-lead counsel on behalf of Saudi-owned counterterrorism organization in a civil action alleging that a former high-ranking Saudi government official perpetrated a $3.5 billion fraud against it. Argued the District Court’s order to show cause why the case should not be dismissed due to the U.S. government’s intervention and assertion of the state secrets privilege to protect classified national security information.
• Global Gaming Philippines LLC and GGAM Netherlands B.V. v. Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels Inc. and Sureste Properties, Inc. (UNCITRAL arbitration): Co-lead counsel on behalf of Cantor Fitzgerald’s joint venture Global Gaming Asset Management, a Las Vegas-based casino operator, in a Singapore-seated arbitration of its dispute with Bloomberry Resorts, owner of the premier casino gaming resort in the Philippines. After a 7-day arbitration hearing in Washington, D.C., obtained and confirmed a $300 million award.
• GlaxoSmithKline LLC v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Case No. 19-05231 (E.D. Pa.): Co-lead counsel on behalf of Boehringer Ingelheim. Secured favorable settlement and dismissal with prejudice of an action by GlaxoSmithKline seeking damages and injunctive relief for unfair competition in violation of the Lanham Act.
• James Levine v. Metropolitan Opera Association, Inc., et al., Index No. 651266/2018 (N.Y. Sup. Ct., Commercial Div.): Co-lead counsel on behalf of Maestro James Levine in defamation and breach of contract suit against the Metropolitan Opera.
• Cameco Inc. v. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc., ICC Case No. 22832/MK: Counsel on behalf of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) in defense of a uranium supply contract dispute with Canada’s largest uranium miner. After a 7-day arbitration hearing in Tokyo, secured a favorable award for TEPCO, in which an ICC tribunal slashed $700 million in claimed damages by more than 94%.
• In re Lehman Brothers Inc., Case No. 08-01420 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y.): Counsel on behalf of the Trustee for the Securities Investor Protection Act liquidation of Lehman Brothers Inc., the largest and most complex bankruptcy in history; led the general creditor claims litigation and administration process, involving more than 14,000 general creditor claims asserting more than $127 billion against the estate; managed and supervised a team of more than 30 lawyers; argued motions before the Bankruptcy Court; argued appeals before the Southern District of New York District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; led mediations that resulted in favorable settlements for the estate; argued motions for approval of the first, second and third distributions to general creditors.
• Federal Insurance Company v. Speedboat Racing Ltd. v. Rambler 100 LLC v. Alexander E. Jackson, Case No. 12-01480 (D.Conn.): Counsel on behalf of SpeedBoat Racing Ltd. and Alexander E. Jackson in litigation of dispute arising out of the failure of a 100-foot racing yacht’s keel during a race off the coast of Ireland. Secured a favorable settlement.

Highlighted Matters – Art Transactions

• Sotheby’s, Inc. Secondment (Sept. 2021 – March 2022) (provided in-house legal support for Sotheby’s during a 6-month Secondment, including negotiating high-value consignment agreements, custody agreements, guarantees, irrevocable bids and NDAs).
• Representation of individual collectors and trusts, estates and foundations in negotiating high-value consignment agreements with auction houses.
• Representation of artists in negotiating commission and licensing agreements.
• Representation of artists estates and foundations in negotiating gallery representation agreements.
• Representation of high-net-worth collectors in negotiating purchase and sale agreements for high-value artworks, including works by Edgar Degas and Claude Monet.
• Representation of high-net-worth individual and institutional collectors in negotiating loan and donation agreements to museums.
• General representation of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, including copyright, fair use and licensing advice.
• General representation of a high-profile art advisory firm, including negotiating services and consulting agreements and collaboration agreements.
• Advice to artists estates and foundations on catalogues raisonnés.