Scott L. Lanin

Experience Matters. 32+ years’ experience helping individuals, and small and large business clients, with commercial litigation and appeals, foreclosure defense, lender liability, mortgage loan modification, business operating and shareholder agreements and advice, and Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy. Scott understands all of these connected areas of law. Meet with Scott and review your options. Find your best solution. Get peace of mind from personal attention, competitive rates, flexible payment options, quality work, exceptional professional service, and a strategy to fit your budget. We strive to develop long-term relationships and help clients meet their goals. Scott has appeared in State, Federal, Bankruptcy, and Appellate Courts in NY and the US. Outside counsel for 26+ years to a large corporation with $300 million annual revenues. Throughout his career, he has handled legal matters involving mortgages and loans totalling more than $500 million.

NY Metro SuperLawyers 2018-2022 (Top 5%); rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell; and 10/10 on Avvo. Big firm experience, small firm value & the highest qualifications. Formerly associated with a prestigious Manhattan firm and the largest Long Island firm. Former counsel to banks. NYU Stern School of Business (began at age 16; graduated 1986, Top 5%, Finance and Management). St. John’s University School of Law (1989; Law Review – Highest Honor). Pro bono extern mentor at law schools and colleges. CLE instructor (to teach other attorneys) Litigation and Foreclosure skils.

Scott Lanin is also an attorney who can fight for real. He is a certified martial arts instructor with two black belts (4th Dan in ITF Tae Kwon-Do and 2d Dan in karate). These are our core principles: avoid confrontation but fight fiercely when necessary; prepare, plan, and stay calm; negotiate from a position of strength, adapt and overcome adversity, think creatively; pay rigorous attention to details; and courtesy and integrity matter.

Foreclosure Defense

Business Law

Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Formation, Business Litigation

Real Estate Law

Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Easements, Mortgages, Neighbor Disputes, Residential Real Estate

Collections

Bankruptcy

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Debt Relief

• Free Consultation
  Please email or call us to ask if you qualify for a free 20 minute strategy session to review your alternatives. Certain complex cases may require a paid one hour consult to give your legal matter the attention it deserves.
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Contingent Fees
  We primarily handle legal matters on an hourly billing basis or for a flat fee. After we evaluate your matter, if we can assist we will quote you a fee. We require a signed written retainer agreement before we begin to provide legal services. We also offer contingency fees and hybrid fees arrangements (reduced hourly rates and reduced contingency fee percentages) for some cases.
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  We accept credit and debit cards, Zelle, Venmo, wire transfers, and checks. Cash payments may also be made in person.

New York

New York State Office of Court Administration

ID Number: 2329498

Since 1990

2nd Circuit

United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York

United States District Court for the Northern District of New York

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

United States District Court for the Western District of New York

Law Student and College Externship Instructor and Mentor

Externship Programs - Brooklyn Law School, St. John's University School of Law, Touro Law School, Hofstra Law School, Cardozo Law School, New York Law School, Berkeley College

2009 - Current

Training students since 2009. see - https://laninlaw.com/legalassistants_interns/

Managing Attorney

Lanin Law P.C.

1999 - Current

Growth Coordinator - Leadership Team

Manhattan BNI Chapter 54 - Inspiration

2020 - 2022

Judge - Law Student Oral Arguments

Touro Law School

2020 - 2022

Instructor - 4th Dan Black Belt

Team USA Taekwon-Do Fitness & Kickboxing

2000 - 2021

Member

Manhattan BNI 53 - Worth Waking Up For

2016 - 2020

Vice President

Manhattan BNI Chapter 3 - Platinum

2012 - 2016

Vice President Board of Directors

Horizon House

1996 - 1999

Horizon House is a 6 building cooperative corporation on 32 acres in Fort Lee with approximately 1400 units and over 100 unionized employees. It is the largest co-op in the State of New Jersey. Scott supervised the management and operations.

Associate and Head of Commercial Litigation Dept.

NY and Long Island Law Firms and Bankruptcy Trustee

1991 - 1999

Two smaller firms during the 1990's

Judge, Civil Trial Institute

St. John's University School Of Law

1996 - 1996

Associate (Bank Litigation/Mortgage Foreclosure/Receivership/Bankruptcy)

Farrell Fritz

1992 - 1995

Largest firm on Long Island

Associate (Corporate and Bankruptcy)

Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan LLC

1989 - 1991

Formerly know as Whitman Ransom, this law firm was an international firm with offices in Manhattan, London, Greenwich, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. It's NY office was located in the prestigious Pan Am Building on top of Grand Central Station (now the Met Life Building) at 200 Park Ave in Manhattan.

St. John's University School of Law

J.D. (1989) | Law

1986 - 1989

Honors: Law Review - Highest Honor

New York University

B.S. (1986) | Finance and Management

1982 - 1986

Honors: Top 5% in Stern School of Business

10.0 Rating (highest possible rating)

Avvo

Rated in top 5% of NY lawyers by Super Lawyers 2018 to 2022.

Super Lawyers

Peer Rated AV Preeminent for Highest Level of Professional Excellence

Martindale Hubbell

Overall rating of 4.9/5.0 based on 135 reviews as of 12-15-22

Nicejob Review Compilation (Google and Facebook)

Selected as 2021 Top Rated Litigator

The American Lawyer Magazine and Martindale Hubbell

New York State Bar  # 2329498

Attorney

1990 - Current

Business Networking International - Manhattan

Vice Pres. Chapter 3, Member Chapter 53, Growth Coordinator Chapter 54

2011 - 2022

International Tae Kwon-Do Federation

Certified Instructor - 4th Dan Black Belt

2002 - 2022

Foreclosure Guide For The New York Homeowner

New York Recognizes Exception to Waiver of Attorney – Client Privilege

62 St. John’s Law Review 752 (1988)

NY Business & Real Estate Litigator Blog – The Martial Art of Commercial Litigation

nybusinesslitigator.com 1999-2015

NY Foreclosure Law Blog – Solutions and Strategies for Mortgage Defaults

www.nyforeclosurelaw.com 1999-2015

Pre-Printed Invoice Terms, Course Of Dealing, And Possession Of Goods Did Not Give Creditor A Security Interest Under Articles 2 Or 9 Of The UCC

Commercial Law League Association, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Section Newsletter, Vol. 13, Issue 10, pp.1-4 (April 1999)

Manhattan BNI Chapters 3, 53, and 54, Business Networking International, New York, N.Y.

Frequent Featured Speaker for 10 years (2012-2022)

4th Dan Certified Black Belt

International Tae Kwon-Do Federation

2019

2d Dan Black Belt

Howard Lee Karate Institute

1999

Q. What happens after you default mortgage 120 days

February 6, 2023

A: After your default for 120 days, your lender or the lender's servicer may elect to send you a default notice or a letter of acceleration. Accelerating the loan means that they are calling it as fully due and payable now instead of over the regular loan term. They may also send you a 90-day pre-foreclosure notice under RPAPL 1304 which is the New York law requiring that. After they send out the necessary notifications, they might file a summons and complaint with the Supreme Court for the county where the real estate is located and a lis pendens, or notice of pendency, with the county clerk which is public notice that there is a foreclosure action pending on the property. Foreclosure can take quite a long time in New York but you should take immediate steps to address this. You should hire an experience attorney to assist you with a loan modification, foreclosure defense, or if you simply wish to get rid of the property, you may be able to surrender or sell it. There are options to consider but these options can be lost and time barred if you delay. Please note that this response does not create an attorney-client relationship with me or my firm as we do require a signed written retainer agreement to become someone's lawyer. Please feel free to reach out to us to schedule a consult if you are looking for help. I've handled many cases in Brooklyn over 30 plus years.

Q. Does bankruptcy court have jurisdiction regarding a state judgment of foreclosure that is void?

December 29, 2022

A: If the state court issued a judgment of foreclosure, even if you believe that the note and mortgage were somehow void, your remedy would be to challenge that judgment in that court with a motion to reargue or an appeal to the higher state court. If you try to collaterally attack it in a bankruptcy court, you will likely fail. The bankruptcy court and all federal courts give state court judgments what is called full faith and credit and the prior proceeding in state court may bar subsequent litigation of the same issue under the doctrine called res judicata. This doctrine bars claims that were actually litigated before or could have been raised in the prior proceeding. There's also a federal doctrine that applies in the bankruptcy court called the Rooker-Feldman doctrine which basically works to prevent lower federal courts from hearing appeals of state court decisions. Please note that this is provided for general information only and does not create any attorney-client relationship. Our firm requires a signed retainer agreement to create such a relationship. Laws can vary in different jurisdictions. You should consult with a local attorney for specific legal advice about your case. Best of luck.

Q. If you have gotten a judgement in small claims court and the contractor refuses to pay, do u have options

December 19, 2022

A: The area of law you are referring to is called Enforcement of Judgments. There are various remedies including sending information subpoenas to banks to try to locate the judgment debtor's bank account and restrain it, sending a property execution to the sheriff to levy on accounts, or an income execution to garnish wages (up to 10% and only one creditor at a time), and conducting supplementary proceedings to discover information about assets by deposing the debtor or serving an interrogatory. These areas may require legal help from an experienced attorney. The problem is that it may not be cost-effective to hire an attorney for a small claims court matter. Usually the judgments are less than $5,000 and the legal fees may not be worth it to pursue collection further. A good first approach is to serve notice of entry of the judgment with a letter demanding payment and reminding the debtor that statutory interest is 9% so the debtor would be much better off trying to resolve the debt now. Please note that this is intended only as general information and not legal advice specific to your case because I have not reviewed your case. This response does not create any attorney-client relationship. My firm requires a signed retainer agreement to provide legal services. Thank you.