Nicole Haff
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Counsel
Music & Entertainment
Commercial & Business Litigation
New York
Bar & Court Admissions
New York District of Columbia U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Professional Affiliations
New York City Bar Association, Chair, Council on Intellectual Property
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
University at Albany, State University of New York, B.A. (summa cum laude)
Nicole Haff is counsel in M&R’s New York office and member of the firm’s Commercial & Business Litigation Department. She litigates and resolves disputes for clients in the television, publishing, music, technology, new media and cryptocurrency industries. Nicole also has significant experience providing advice and counsel regarding the U.S. Copyright Act (including DMCA compliance) and U.S. trademark law. She also handles general contract, entertainment, and defamation matters.
Nicole employs a pragmatic approach to her cases and has argued, or played a central role in, successful appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Appellate Division for the State of New York, and New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. She honed her skills as a litigation associate at an Am Law 50 firm, before moving on to more senior roles, including Chairing the Litigation Department at a New York-based entertainment and business law boutique just prior to joining M&R.
Over the years, Nicole has been designated as both a “Rising Star” and “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyer Magazine—this in recognition of her work as a business and intellectual property litigator. Martindale-Hubbell has designated her as “AV Preeminent,” the highest-level peer rating an attorney can receive.
Given her unique background, Nicole has been quoted or interviewed by CNN, Forbes, Fox News Radio, Bloomberg, Time Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, the Daily Mail, and the New York Law Journal, among other outlets.
Awarded over $1.3M and adjudicated prevailing party in JAMS evidentiary hearing against an established smart-contracts/cryptocurrency company.
Defeated, in full, an application for emergency relief asserted under R-38 of AAA’s Commercial Arbitration Rules against the founder and managing member of global brand management firm. Final Emergency Award granted client his attorneys’ fees for defending against the application.
Successfully defended against a motion for a preliminary injunction and the appointment of a receiver by an alleged former partner/joint venturer. Successfully dismissed claims asserting the formation of an oral partnership/joint venture, fraud and breaches of fiduciary duty.
Achieved release of a client’s song on a well-known artist’s album when the artist-adversary was not honoring the terms of an agreement he entered into with the client.
Obtained the full amount of future and back royalties asserted by a creative that conceptualized and passively produced an extremely popular reality television series (without litigation).
Obtained a settlement in excess of $650,000 for a former cryptocurrency executive who was denied the right to exercise stock options granted to her pursuant to an employment agreement (with threat of litigation).
Argued for, and obtained, dismissal of appeal before the Second Circuit on a $16.7M claim on basis that the court lacked appellate jurisdiction.
