Partner

Walter J. Fleischer, Jr. is a vice chair of the firm's Commercial Litigation Practice Group that includes over 150 lawyers.  He has extensive experience in various areas of commercial litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, including real estate litigation; title, lien and boundary disputes; mortgage foreclosures; lease disputes; contract litigation; creditors' rights; and shareholder and other business disputes including corporate governance issues.  Walt also has significant experience litigating chancery and equitable matters, including injunctions, enforcement of non-compete agreements and suits for specific performance of contract obligations.

In the bankruptcy arena, Walt has handled: trials of non-dischargeability issues; defense of preference actions; and prosecution of motions to dismiss bad faith filings. He has also represented secured and unsecured creditors.

Representative Matters:

• Represented a large national bank in connection with the foreclosure of a mortgage securing a loan in excess of $30 million. We successfully defeated the borrower’s challenges to the bank’s right to foreclosure and request for appointment of a receiver. We then negotiated a workout, giving the borrower an opportunity to refinance. After the borrower was unable to obtain financing, title to the property was transferred to the client’s affiliate through a deed in lieu of foreclosure transaction.
• Successfully represented a UK-based bank in connection with loans totaling more than $22 million made to six related entities secured by six different properties. After a lengthy trial, we obtained a favorable judgment. The borrowers then filed for bankruptcy. We obtained relief from the automatic stay to allow our clients to proceed with foreclosure. At that point, the borrowers paid the judgments, including the entire principal amount owed together with approximately $1.5 million in interest and legal fees.
• Represented a major national commercial bank in connection with the foreclosure of a mortgage lien of $52 million on a hotel/conference center. We obtained a judgment, negotiated a deed in lieu of foreclosure transaction, and then represented the lender/owner in litigation over the proper allocation of several million dollars of utility liens, and the subsequent sale of the property and an associated liquor license.
• Successfully represented the owner of land leased to a hotel and an office building against title claims by a prior owner in the chain of title who alleged that the land had been improperly transferred pursuant to a scheme involving a forged deed and related instruments.
• Successfully represented a major national title insurer in numerous coverage matters.
• Successfully represented a large real estate developer against claims including fraudulent transfers and alter ego liability in a matter seeking to recover in excess of $10 million.

Walt is admitted to practice in the State of New Jersey, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third and Sixth Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court. 

Walt graduated from The Johns Hopkins University, where he received a bachelor's degree.  He received his J.D. from the University of Maryland, where he was editor-in-chief of the Maryland Law Review from 1977 through 1978 and a member of the Order of the Coif.

He is an affiliate of the New Jersey State Bar Association and the Morris County Bar Association, where he serves on the Chancery Practices Committee.