Adam J. Safer
Director
New York
asafer@goulstonstorrs.com+1 212 878 5178Adam J. Safer
Director, New York
asafer@goulstonstorrs.com+1 212 878 5178Related Expertise
Adam Safer is a trial lawyer who advises joint ventures, operating companies, and their partners in the real estate, financial services, and construction sectors in complex business disputes. He advocates for these companies in federal and state courts across the United States as well as major arbitration forums, including the ICC, JAMS, AAA, and FINRA.
Clients—including real estate owners, developers, and joint venture partners—seek Adam’s counsel in disputes involving alleged breaches of contract, breaches of fiduciary duty, and fraud, and in investigations by state and federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Additionally, Adam advises on matters related to employment mobility, restrictive covenants, unfair competition, and executive compensation. Adam is deeply valued by clients for his practical guidance and tenacity in litigation.
In addition to his client work, Adam serves as the firm's Assistant General Counsel, advising colleagues on professionalism, ethics, and risk management.
A community leader
Adam is dedicated to ensuring access to justice for individuals who might otherwise be unable to obtain legal representation. He heads the New York office’s pro bono asylum practice that represents individuals facing targeted abuse and violence in their home countries. Most recently, Adam helped individuals from Venezuela, Honduras, Tunisia and Mexico gain political asylum in the United States—empowering them to build safer, more stable lives free from fear of persecution.
Adam also dedicated seven years as part of a pro bono litigation team that ultimately helped exonerate a death row inmate by proving his claims of actual innocence.
Related Representative Matters
A joint venture that uncovered evidence of possible fraud by its property manager. The investigation collected substantial evidence, including forensic evidence supporting the claim of fraud. The client was able to use this evidence to successfully replace a property manager that had been underperforming.
Two trustees of a charitable trust seeking to hold accountable a third trustee who had previously managed the trust’s bank accounts and used trust assets for personal expenses. After accelerated discovery and proceedings in multiple states, our team secured a complete victory when the defendant trustee in the primary action agreed to step down, relinquish control of all bank accounts, and pay damages.
Iovino Enterprises joint venture in the successful defense of multiple challenges to the JV’s winning bid of over $1.2 billion for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project that will protect lower Manhattan from flood risk due to coastal storms. Our team defeated multiple applications for temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions sought in separate proceedings by a losing bidder and by community groups at both the trial court and appellate court levels.
The purchaser of old Saint John’s hospital in Queens, New York that was riddled with construction defects against claims by the seller for nonpayment. Our team obtained an order staying enforcement of confessions of judgment based on proof that they were obtained by fraud. The action was ultimately settled to the client’s satisfaction.
A hotel operator in the New York area in defense of claims of breach of contract related to an entity’s annual event. We showed that the hotel met its obligations and the issues raised by the entity were self-inflicted. The claim was dismissed in its entirety.
A property owner in a breach of lease dispute with a commercial tenant. After trial, the client was awarded possession and full rent arrears.
Multiple property owners faced with buyers that want to back out of sales agreements because of changed macro or micro economic factors. Enforced the terms of purchase and sale agreements in multiple matters, including the recovery of substantial deposits.
A publicly traded European telecommunications company and its U.S. subsidiary in an investigation of the subsidiary’s CEO for fraud and embezzlement. Obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing the dissipation of the stolen funds, then obtained an order of attachment and recovered the funds that were held in U.S. banks.
An international investment bank in connection with a court action and FINRA arbitration against former employees who downloaded proprietary information shortly before their resignations to join a competitor. Obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing the use by defendants of the downloaded documents.
A commodities meat wholesaler and two employees it recruited from a competitor. Defeated a motion for a preliminary injunction alleging that our clients had improperly violated restrictions against soliciting their former customers.
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Accolades
- Lawdragon, Leading 500 Litigators in America, 2022, 2024-2026
- Best Lawyers in America® (2023-2026): Construction Law
- Martindale Hubbell Peer-Review Rated AV Preeminent™
Affiliations
- New York City Bar Association
- Ethics in Employment Law, Co-Chair, New York City Bar (2011)
- Member of Labor and Employment Committee of the New York City Bar
- Clerkship with Hon. Lawrence M. McKenna, United States District Court, Southern District of New York
Admissions
- New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
Education
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University ( J.D. , magna cum laude )
University of Wisconsin-Madison ( B.A. )