Robert R. Reed
How Judge Reed rules, drawn from 35 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Reed
Robert Reed was elected to the New York State Supreme Court in 2016 and joined the Commercial Division in 2020. He previously served on the New York City Civil Court and as an acting Supreme Court justice. Before taking the bench, he practiced law for more than two decades, including service in the New York State Attorney General’s Office, and earned degrees from Stanford University and Harvard Law School.
Judge Reed's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Reed, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Filing
E-filed documents must be text searchable; electronically submitted memoranda need bookmarks and hyperlinks.
“All e-filed documents must be text-searchable. All electronically submitted memoranda of law must contain bookmarks and hyperlinks”
Motions
Summary judgment motions must be filed within 60 days after the Note of Issue.
“Summary judgment motions must be filed not later than 60 days after the filing of the Note of Issue.”
Conferences
Conference adjournment requests must go to the Part Clerk at least 48 hours in advance.
“All requests to adjourn a conference shall be directed to the Part Clerk at 646-386-3238 or by emailing the Part Clerk at [email protected]. Applications to adjourn a conference shall be made at least 48 hours in advance of the scheduled conference.”
Conferences
A conference may be adjourned at most twice and for no more than two months total.
“Parties may adjourn a conference no more than two times, and for no more than a total of two (2) months.”
How Judge Reed decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In West v. B.C.R.E.-90 West Street, LLC, Judge Reed rejected an agency regulation's exception because the legislature had not included that exception in the governing statute.
“The very fact that HPD found it necessary to insert that exception into the legislature's language merely emphasizes the fact that no such exception was enacted by the legislature.”
In Brawer v. Lepor, he granted a discovery motion only as to the law firm's retention and engagement letters and invoices, denying the rest.
“plaintiff's motion to compel is granted, only to the extent that defendants must disclose DLA retention and engagement letters and DLA invoices. The motion is otherwise denied.”
In SPG Capital Partners LLC v. Cascade 553 LLC, he held that the parties' term sheet was nonbinding because it remained subject to due diligence, further negotiation, and acceptance of loan documents. He rejected the lender's claim that its due-diligence work made the exclusivity clause enforceable.
“Where, as here, a term sheet is expressly conditioned on the completion of the lender's due diligence, further satisfactory negotiation by the parties, and the acceptance of the loan documents, the document is not binding.”
Procedural preferences
In Bourbiaux v. Probst, he denied a civil-contempt request over discovery and directed the parties toward ordinary discovery procedures and a conference.
“plaintiffs seek relief that is more appropriately addressed through ordinary discovery ... the court will schedule a conference pursuant to Part 43 -- Practice Rules and Procedures 7(d) and Commercial Division Rule 14.”
In Batneft Co. v. Commerja-X Corp., he denied the plaintiff's summary-judgment motion as premature because issue had not yet been joined.
“Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is premature and must be denied. According to CPLR 3212 (a), a 'party may move for summary judgment in any action after issue has been joined'”
In Aterian Group, Inc. v. FCO Genesis I, Inc., he denied counsel's withdrawal request because counsel's proof of service did not show the required notice to the client.
“Counsel's affidavit of service is inadequate -- as it does not comply with this court's directives and does not comply with the CPLR 321 requirement that his withdrawal be made upon notice to counsel's client.”
In Heredia v. Lanco Brokerage Corp., Reed referred the valuation of the plaintiffs' shares and related questions about dissipation of corporate assets to a Judicial Hearing Officer or Special Referee for a report to the court.
“a Judicial Hearing Officer (‘JHO’) or Special Referee shall be designated to hear and report to this court on the following individual issues of fact ... determining the fair value of plaintiffs' shares”
Cautions
In Trump v. Trump, the First Department reversed his denial of discovery about estate valuations. It held that the requested material was relevant to Mary Trump's pleaded fraudulent-inducement defense and remanded for further proceedings.
“Supreme Court improvidently exercised its discretion in denying defendant's motion. ... These principles entitle defendant to the requested discovery material to establish her affirmative defense.”
In Trump v. Trump, he dismissed claims against a newspaper and its reporters arising from their newsgathering and held that New York's anti-SLAPP law required the plaintiff to pay their attorneys' fees and costs. He explained that the statute also covers claims outside defamation.
“the newly amended anti-SLAPP law mandates that plaintiff pay defendants' attorneys' fees and costs because plaintiff's claims plainly constitute a strategic lawsuit against public participation”
In Cortlandt Street Recovery Corp. v. TPG Capital Management, L.P., he awarded fees and costs after finding that the plaintiff continued pursuing claims after notice that virtually identical claims in a related action had been dismissed.
“Plaintiff's failure to withdraw its claims, following notice of dismissal of virtually identical claims in the related action, constitutes frivolous conduct.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Ordered that the motion of defendants B.C.R.E.-90 West Street, LLC and Lee Rosen for summary judgment is denied, except to the extent that it is hereby Ordered that the motion of defendant Lee Rosen for summary judgment to dismiss the complaint herein as against him is granted”
“Ordered that the motion of plaintiffs ... for partial summary judgment is granted to the extent that it is hereby Declared that plaintiffs' respective leases are governed by rent stabilization”
“ORDERED that The Times defendants' motion (sequence number 003) to dismiss the complaint as against them is granted; ... ORDERED that the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Causes of Action are hereby dismissed with prejudice”
“Because plaintiff's claims are barred by releases, both motions are granted and the complaint is dismissed.”
“ORDERED that ... plaintiff shall fully respond to defendant's request for interrogatory responses and provide an itemization of all special damages alleged ...; and it is further ORDERED that defendant's request for estate valuation materials from the plaintiff is denied”
“Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that the motion for default judgment is denied”
“ORDERED that plaintiff's request for supplementation of defendants' response to post deposition demands is denied, and plaintiff's request for defendant's client list and tax records for the period of 2019-2023 is denied”
“ORDERED that the motion of Leo Jacobs, Esq. to be relieved as counsel for defendant Abe Cohen (mot. seq. no. 002) is granted, upon filing of proof of compliance with the following conditions”
“that portion of Apax's motion seeking reasonable fees and costs pursuant to 22 NYCRR 130-1.1 is granted, without opposition, and the remainder of Apax's motion (mot. seq. no. 014) is denied as moot”
“ORDERED that the motion of plaintiff Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. for an extension of time to serve the summons and complaint upon defendant Cavello Bay Reinsurance Limited (motion sequence no. 006) is granted”
“ORDERED that the portion of plaintiff Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.'s motion (motion sequence no. 008) seeking renewal of motion sequence number 005, is denied”
“ORDERED, that the motion of Mark T. Doerr, Esq. and Michael S. Marron, Esq., to withdraw as counsel for defendants Federico & Company d/b/a M&W Suppliers and Wallace Shimabukuro (motion seq. no. 005), is denied, without prejudice”
“ORDERED that defendant's order to show cause is denied, with leave to re-file.”
“ORDERED that plaintiff's motion to discontinue this action (motion seq. no. 006) is granted, and this action is hereby discontinued, without prejudice”
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