education
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Brown University, B.A., Magna Cum Laude
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University of California Berkeley School of Law, J.D.
Admitted In
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New York
yonaton aronoff
PARTNER
Yonaton Aronoff is a commercial litigator and counselor with a well-earned reputation for aggressiveness, efficiency and value. He thrives in high-stakes environments, no matter the venue. Clients rely on his logical advice and knack for finding practical solutions to complex problems.
Mr. Aronoff represents businesses and individual clients, as both plaintiffs and defendants, in disputes spanning a broad array of claims and subject matters. He has successfully litigated cases involving commercial contracts, investors’ rights, executive employment, business torts, trade secrets and unfair competition, retail and apparel disputes, e-commerce issues, and intellectual property. He has deep experience in all aspects of commercial litigation, including numerous trials, arbitrations, and evidentiary hearings.
A zealous and creative advocate, Mr. Aronoff currently leads the firm’s representation of 42 current and former employees of BuzzFeed (NASDAQ: BZFD) who allege they were shortchanged in the media company’s initial public offering (IPO) in 2021. The case, which raises potentially precedent-setting legal issues regarding the rights of professionals following a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger, has been profiled in The New York Times, New York Magazine and other notable outlets.
Business divorces are another particular focus for Mr. Aronoff. Over the course of his career, he has helped dozens of high-profile companies navigate hotly contested internal and inter-business disputes. Mr. Aronoff regularly counsels individuals and companies both at the pre-divorce stage and in the context of a partnership separation. He does not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, Mr. Aronoff designs a unique strategy for each situation depending on his client’s ultimate goals. He seeks value-preserving business solutions when possible, but will not hesitate to utilize aggressive litigation when the situation demands it.
Mr. Aronoff has been recognized by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Litigators in America, Super Lawyers since 2013 and, prior to joining Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler, was a litigation partner at Foley & Lardner LLP.
Mr. Aronoff’s other significant representations and successes include:
● The successful defense of a national apparel brand in a AAA arbitration in which the claimant sought over $10 million in damages
● Winning summary judgment in New York State court for a large insurance and financial services client against corporate raiding allegations
● Prosecuting, and settling during trial, substantial securities fraud claims on behalf of former employee-shareholders of a Fortune 500 corporation who alleged they had been fraudulently blocked from participating in a valuable sale transaction
● Defending and settling federal court claims against a railroad operator accused of improper sand mining
● Successfully prosecuting and defending numerous executive employment and restrictive covenant disputes on behalf of both senior executives and employers
● Successfully defending the co-founder of a healthcare private equity fund against claims brought by his fellow co-founder and counseling him throughout the business separation
When not advocating for his clients, Mr. Aronoff devotes considerable time and energy to animal welfare issues. He formerly served on the board of directors of Farm Sanctuary, a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the conditions of animals on factory farms through education and advocacy. In June 2012, Mr. Aronoff was appointed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to serve on the board of directors of Animal Care Centers of NYC as one of its independent board members.
Mr. Aronoff holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from Brown University, and a J.D. from the University of California Berkeley School of Law.