Sullivan & Cromwell v. Charney: A Photo Essay (Part 1)

Here is the first set of our photographs from yesterday’s hearing in New York Supreme Court in the lawsuit(s) between Aaron Charney and Sullivan & Cromwell (litigation nickname still to be determined).
We’ve taken a page from the Lavi Soloway playbook: these photos are thumbnail images. If you click on the thumbail, you’ll be able to see a larger version of the picture, in all of its glory.
More photographs, after the jump.



We camped outside the courthouse at 60 Centre Street, in the freezing cold, waiting for everyone to emerge.

The first group to depart was the Sullivan & Cromwell crew, pictured above.
Left to right (click on the thumbnail to enlarge): David Braff, S&C’s litigation chief (who is openly gay and lovin’ it at S&C, thank you very much); three folks we didn’t recognize; and S&C litigation partner Richard Klapper, who provided the verification for S&C’s Complaint.
Update (2:55 PM): Make that two folks whose identities we don’t know:

“One of the S&C lawyers you didn’t identify is Vince DiBlasi, the biggest of the big shot litigators at S&C. See here. He represented the securities industry before the Second Circuit in the IPO litigation. See here.

The bottom line is that he’s someone whose time is very valuable. What was he doing at the hearing?”

Further Update: Per Lavi Soloway, the two young lawyers in the group are S&C associates Stephen Ehrenberg and Jessica Klein.

The S&C crew, viewed from behind. We were surprised that they were walking so far apart (and not talking). Does this reflect an individualistic firm culture?
This tableau was more dramatic in person. It had a certain macho, Untouchables quality to it: Biglaw litigators, swaggering away from the OK Corral.
The S&C group was followed by the Fourth Estate: the many legal affairs reporters covering the case.

Press-shy members of the press: Anna Schneider-Mayerson, of the New York Observer; and Robert Kolker, of New York magazine.

Nathan Koppel, of the Wall Street Journal (and WSJ Law Blog).
We’re longtime fans of Koppel’s writing. We didn’t expect him to be so handsome and well-groomed, though. For some reason, we pictured him as a heavyset, unkempt, older gent — the legal affairs version of sportswriter Oscar Madison, of The Odd Couple.
Update: Per Friendster, Nathan Koppel is 38, married, and a resident of Brooklyn. His hobbies and interests: “bonsai trees, tennis, talking to myself.”

The lovely and stylish Vivia Chen, senior reporter for The American Lawyer, who has an ethereal glow about her. We complimented on her magnificent mink coat. They must pay well over at The American Lawyer. What’s their PPR — “profits per reporter”?
(Click on the thumbnail to see the bigger version of this picture. Is it just our imagination, or is that older gentleman on the right totally checking Vivia out? Does he aspire to be a WGWAG — White Guy With an Asian Girl?)

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