Report on New York State's Commercial Litigation Courts Released

The Chief Judge's Task Force on Commercial Litigation in the 21st Century: Report and Recommendations to the Chief Judge of the State of New York (June 2012) is available on the New York courts web site.  The Commercial Division in New York state courts began as a pilot project in 1993 and now is established in eight counties.  A Task Force was commissioned to study commercial litigation "to ensure that the New York Judiciary helps our State retain its role as the preeminent financial and commercial center of the world."

The Task Force's recommendations include:

• establishing a new class of Court of Claims judges

• increasing the monetary threshold for actions to be heard in the Commercial Division

• providing Commercial Division Justices with additional law clerks

• rehiring Judicial Hearing Officers

• recruiting seasoned commercial litigation practitioners as Special Masters

• convening an Institute on Complex Commercial Litigation

• earlier assignment of cases

• revised procedures on expert discovery

• limits on privilege logs

• adjustments to e-discovery

• creating a permanent statewide Advisory Council on the Commercial Division.

PM