MATTHEW R. BREMNER

Matthew represents clients in a broad range of litigation involving construction site accidents, labor law violations, premises liability, wrongful death, negligent security, toxic torts, products liability, property damage, motor vehicle accidents, insurance coverage disputes, and contractual disputes. He has been named as a Rising Star by New York Super Lawyers® annually since 2014.

Matthew graduated from SUNY Albany with his Bachelor’s Degree in 2004 and Master’s Degree in 2005. He earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 2011, where he served as an Executive Articles & Research Editor on the Editorial Board of the Brooklyn Law Review. During law school, Matt served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Judge Ariel Belen in the Appellate Division, Second Department. Upon graduation, he received the Judge Barry Hurowitz Memorial Award in recognition of overall excellent performance as judicial intern. He was also the recipient of the “CALI Excellence for the Future Award” for academic achievement in the study of personal injury & medical malpractice law, and was awarded the Sheldon Hurwitz Young Lawyer Award in 2018 for recognition of outstanding contribution to the practice of law in the field of insurance. Prior to returning to Harrington, Ocko, and Monk, LLP in the fall of 2011, Matthew worked at the firm as a paralegal and summer associate.

Representative Matters:

• Obtained summary judgment for contractual indemnification on behalf of building owner against general contractor, forcing general contractor to settle labor law claims of injured plaintiff globally and reimburse client for legal fees after protracted refusal by general contractor’s insurer to acknowledge its defense and indemnification obligations.

• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of commercial building owner dismissing plaintiff’s personal injury suit arising from fall on interior floor of premises allegedly caused by water tracked into building during inclement weather. Established client’s entitlement to summary judgment through depositions and other discovery that collectively proved client undertook reasonable safety measures for inclement weather and lacked constructive notice of the alleged condition.

• Obtained summary judgment granting dismissal of pedestrian’s lawsuit against landowner upon submitting marked photographs and client affidavit that proved a utility company owning a nearby sidewalk grating was solely responsible for maintenance and repair of the accident area pursuant to 34 RCNY § 2-07(b). Plaintiff’s counsel initially refused to allow plaintiff to mark the photographs at her deposition, but following successful argument of an Order to Show Cause compelling plaintiff to appear at a further deposition to mark the photographs, they were used to obtain summary judgment over plaintiff’s counsel’s opposition.

• Successfully raised the issue of untimely disclaimer in declaratory judgment action arising from wrongful death lawsuit to overcome employee exclusion in subcontractor’s insurance policy and force subcontractor’s insurer to resolve the underlying action.

• Successfully opposed plaintiff’s motion for partial summary judgment on liability under Labor Law 240 against general contractor where evidence was uncontroverted that worker was struck by a falling tool weighing approximately 50 lbs. Triable issue of fact was created by arguing that despite the occurrence, appropriate safety devices were provided, but circumvented by the sudden and unforeseeable actions of a third party (all claims under Labor Law 241(6), 200, and for common law negligence were dismissed upon cross-motion for summary judgment).

• Numerous favorable resolutions achieved on behalf of clients following the conclusion of party depositions and/or filing of summary judgment motions, including full risk transfer, voluntary discontinuances and nuisance-value settlements.