Bruce H. Beckmann

bhb@beckmannassociates.com

Bruce heads the firm's litigation and real estate practices.  The litigation practice includes a wide variety of business and commercial litigation, real estate litigation, estate litigation, as well as medical malpractice and products liability matters in both state and federal courts and in alternate dispute resolution forums.  He is admitted in New York, to the United States District Court of the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, Second Circuit and to the United States Supreme Court.  A number of his cases have been featured in the New York Law Journal and The American Lawyer.  

In the area of real estate law, Bruce represents owners, operators and developers of shopping centers, office buildings, office parks and other commercial and residential properties in the acquisition, financing, development and leasing of properties throughout the United States.  Bruce is a member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association and has served on its Commercial Tribunal. His experience in representation of companies in the garment manufacturing and textile trades led to his appointment to and service upon the AAA Textile Tribunal Panels.  Prior to founding Beckmann & Associates LLC, Bruce was a senior litigation partner at a Manhattan law firm and general counsel to an international trading and equipment leasing company.

With 51 years experience, from his early days trying cases with and for the past President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America where he worked on high stakes injury and wrongful death cases, including the historic Kent State civil action against the Governor of Ohio for the wrongful death of one of the students, Bruce has litigated a wide range of significant cases.

Representative cases include: 

• Medical Malpractice-Managed Care: for a teenage boy against doctors in HIP managed care group for failing to diagnose bone cancer;
• Products Liability: for an infant against a major manufacturer of child care products for negligent design of product, causing infant to fall and sustain fractured skull;
• Medical Malpractice-Wrongful Death-Hospital: for estate of elderly patient who died after being mishandled and dropped by aides at major metropolitan hospital center;
• Medical Malpractice-Ophthalmology: for a young woman against an eye surgeon upon becoming blind following cataract surgery;
• Medical Malpractice-Obstetrics:  for an infant sustaining facial disfiguration during Caesarian delivery;

• Dental Malpractice: on behalf of a woman against dentist for inserting poorly fitting crowns, requiring extensive reconstruction of mouth.
• Premises Liability: on behalf of a woman against a major "big box" retailer for placing merchandise high and insecure, falling upon client and breaking her back;
• Securities Fraud: successful defense (full dismissal of Complaint) in action by White & Case partner, and other high profile New Yorkers, against Nevada gold mining company from failed investment.  Case featured in New York Law Journal;
• Intellectual Property: successful defense/settlement of former White House Chief of Political Affairs Ed Rollins in book publishing dispute with major publisher;
• Bank Fraud: successful recovery on behalf of Chase Manhattan Bank against individual for fraudulent funds transfers;
• International Arbitration/Banking: successful recovery of substantial award in international arbitration before International Commerce Commission in Paris against SWIFT, the world's largest provider of bank to bank wire transfer facilities;
• Contested Estate Accounting Proceeding:  obtaining complete dismissal of objections in Surrogate's Court in complex intra-family dispute;
• Property Damage:  successful recovery on behalf of Aston Martin Lagonda, manufacturer of luxury automobiles, against negligent driver in movie shoot, with unique valuation issues;
• Contract Defense/Broker Dealer: successful defense of Merrill Lynch & Co. in action by aggrieved client
• Broker Malfeasance: successful recovery by client of churned account against Prudential Securities;
• Insurance: successful recovery on behalf of widow against Allstate after insurer refused to pay on policy when husband shot dead shortly after taking policy;
• Defense to Lawyers' Suit:  successful defense and dismissal of action brought by major law firm White & Case against UK client for unpaid legal fees.  Case featured in The American Lawyer.

Bruce holds a J.D. from American University's Washington College of Law.  He is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the New York State Bar Association (Commercial and Federal Litigation Sections), and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association.