Gregory A. Lomax
Greg is a seasoned trial lawyer with over 30 years experience litigating high stakes business and business tort cases. He currently serves as the Chair of Litigation at his firm, Lauletta Birnbaum, after spending many years honing his skills in two national law firms, WolfBlock, LLP and Duane Morris LLP.
Greg concentrates his practice in the area of commercial litigation and trial work with an emphasis on business disputes involving partnerships, closely held corporations and limited liability companies, as well as complex contract and real estate matters. In connection with such matters, Greg has represented clients in a variety of civil disputes, including matters involving oppressed minority shareholder and intra-company disputes, shareholders’ rights and derivative litigation, restrictive covenants, contracts, unfair trade and trademark matters, actions seeking the imposition of a receivership, land use disputes, bankruptcy litigation, administrative law matters, insurance coverage litigation, transportation law, products liability cases, consumer fraud, and class actions.
A substantial part of Greg’s practice also entails representing real estate developers and owners in a variety of cases involving claims relating to alleged defaults on real estate contracts, commercial leasehold disputes, real estate partnership and joint venture litigation, and land use litigation matters.
In addition, Greg regularly represents clients in a wide variety of general equity matters, which include restrictive covenant disputes, unfair trade matters, including those involving alleged trademark and trade dress violations, and claims involving demands for injunctive relief.
Business Divorce and M&A Litigation
- Lead trial counsel in a lengthy Chancery Court trial involving a shareholder dispute over the ownership of a Canadian hunting lodge that resulted in the firm’s client winning shareholder control over the lodge, as well as winning a judgment of almost $1.0 million against the defendants in that case.
- Lead trial counsel in a shareholder oppression suit by 50% owners of several family-owned construction companies and related entities that resulted in a significant verdict against the adverse parties, including findings of shareholder oppression, after a nearly 50-day Chancery Court trial.
- Lead trial counsel in a commercial arbitration involving claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contractual warranties and related business tort claims stemming from a $30 million merger transaction that resulted in a defense verdict in favor of Mr. Lomax’s purchaser/client on the claimant/seller’s claim for $6.0 million.
- Lead trial counsel for a majority shareholder in a corporate governance dispute involving an international manufacturing company against a minority shareholder that resulted in a favorable settlement for Mr. Lomax’s client.
- Lead trial counsel for a start-up internet store in obtaining injunctive relief compelling former employees and minority owners to return commandeered websites back to the start-up company.
- Lead trial counsel for a minority shareholder of a construction company in a shareholder dispute involving claims of shareholder oppression, breach of fiduciary duty and duty of loyalty, fraud, and breach of contract, resulting in a significant seven-figure buy-out of the client’s minority interests in the defendant company.
- Lead trial counsel in a commercial arbitration matter involving an intracompany dispute between a client and the client’s former co-member of a limited liability company, as well as the limited liability company’s lenders and former attorneys, relating to the company’s failure to pay certain bank indebtedness. Arbitration award included the client being exonerated for the company’s bank indebtedness and a six-figure award of attorneys’ fees against the client’s co-defendants in the case.
- Lead trial counsel in the representation of minority shareholders of a closely held industrial company in an action against the majority shareholder under the Oppressed Minority Shareholder Act, as well as assertions of breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, violations of the implied covenant of fair dealing, misappropriation and similar business tort claims, resulting in a multimillion-dollar acquisition of the clients’ interest in the corporation.
- Represented a 50-percent owner of a closely held corporation in an action against the other 50-percent owner of the corporation resulting from the defendant’s alleged wrongful diversion of a substantial portion of the corporation’s business to a newly formed start-up corporation formed by the defendant. Representation resulted in a substantial buy-out of the client’s ownership interest in the corporation and the client’s preservation of his right to compete with his former shareholder.
- Represented a minority shareholder of a closely held corporation in an action arising from the majority shareholder’s breach of fiduciary duties to the plaintiff and dissipation of the corporation’s assets. Obtained a preliminary injunction that included the imposition of a custodial receivership.
- Represented several family members in an action against other family members relating to the family’s collective ownership of a real estate business worth tens of millions of dollars. The case involved claims of fraud, state and federal civil RICO violations, breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation, and other claims for equitable relief and damages. This matter resulted in the division of tens of millions of dollars of real estate assets amongst the party litigants.
Note: Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
General Equity Litigation/Injunctions
- Lead trial counsel in the representation of a former employer in a preliminary injunction matter against former employees successfully compelling them to return control of two commercial websites and other proprietary information to former employees.
- Lead trial counsel in the representation of an employer in obtaining a preliminary injunction enforcing a restrictive covenant against a former employee of the employer’s lobbying firm.
- Lead trial counsel in the representation of a commodities trader in obtaining a preliminary injunction enforcing a restrictive covenant against its former employee barring the employee from entering into a business relationship with one of the employer’s competitors.
- Lead trial counsel in the prosecution of an $8.4 million replevin and fraud action for a Fortune 100 client against an armored-car carrier and its bankruptcy trustee for funds that the company’s employees had allegedly stolen.
Note: Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Real Estate Litigation/Prerogative Writ Matters
- Defended a million-dollar claim by a commercial real estate broker and a warehouse purchaser relating to brokerage commission claims allegedly stemming from a tenant’s renewal of a commercial warehouse lease.
- Lead trial counsel in the prosecution of an action resulting in the expulsion of a co-redeveloper on a multimillion-dollar commercial/residential redevelopment in Medford, New Jersey.
- Lead trial counsel in a prerogative writ matter defending a challenge by a neighboring town to a land-use approval of a multimillion-dollar shopping center in Bordentown, New Jersey.
- Lead trial and appellate counsel in the defense of a challenge to a real estate developer’s multimillion-dollar low- and moderate-income tax credit award.
- Lead trial and appellate counsel in the defense of an Endangered Species Act challenge by environmental special interest groups to a real estate development located within the New Jersey Pinelands.
- Defended a $25 million commercial dispute over three large co-operative apartment buildings in Northern New Jersey.
Note: Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
General Commercial Litigation
- Lead trial and appellate counsel in the defense of a federal False Claims Act qui tam matter against a hospital system.
- Lead trial counsel in the defense of a loan servicer in a purported consumer class action lawsuit involving fair debt collection practices and several other claims.
- Lead trial and appellate counsel in the representation of a ratepayer in a matter where the ratepayer successfully struck down a municipal utilities authority’s longstanding practice of compounding interest charged to its ratepayers on service-charge arrearages.
Note: Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Published Decisions
- Latta v. Boules, 2023 WL 4420336 (D.N.J., July 10, 2023), successfully obtained judgment for the firm’s client against a construction company defendant for, among other things, fraud and for violating New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act, obtaining an award of compensatory and treble damages, as well as an award for attorney fees, exceeding over $800,000).
- Anders Asset Management, LLC v. PPR Financial Holdings, LLC., 2023 WL 3773858 (3rd Cir.) (June 2, 2023) (affirming Anders Asset Management, LLC v. PPR Financial Holdings, LLC, 2022 WL3048247 (E.D.Pa.) (Successfully argued on appeal for the affirmance of the district court’s dismissal on summary judgment of a plaintiff’s complaint in a membership dispute that the firm’s majority member client violated the minority member’s contractual rights and the client’s implied obligations of good faith and fair dealing to minority member).
- Niessner v. Lunemann, 2022 WL 2232854 (App. Div.) (June 22, 2022) (successfully defended an appeal of a trial verdict in the firm’s client’s favor in a shareholder dispute over the ownership of a Canadian hunting resort that resulted in the firm’s client winning shareholder control over the business, as well as winning a judgment of almost $1.0 million against the defendants in that case).
- Anders Asset Management, LLC v. PPR Financial Holdings, LLC., 2021 WL 5071514 (E.D.Pa.) (October 1, 2021) (successfully moved to dismiss with prejudice four or five counts of a plaintiff’s complaint in a membership dispute involving allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and violation of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing).
- M&M Consulting Services LLC v, Danitom Development, Inc., 2020 WL 3865583 (App. Div.) (April 30, 2020) (successfully appealed and obtained a reversal of a trial court’s dismissal of Greg’s client’s breach of contract claim against a real estate developer for a six figure consulting fee allegedly due under the client’s agreement with the developer and its assignee).
- Health & Body Store, LLC v. JustBrand Ltd., 2012 WL 1700263 (3d. Cir., May 11, 2012) (Successfully vacated on appeal a denial of client’s preliminary injunction application seeking to compel, among other things, the return of two commercial websites by two former employees and minority owners of the Plaintiff employer.)
- Allen v. LaSalle Bank, N.A., 2012 WL 1898612 (D.N.J.) (May 23, 2012) (Successfully obtained a dismissal with prejudice in a purported consumer class action against a mortgage servicer client relating to alleged overcharges in mortgage foreclosure matters.)
- Allen v. LaSalle Bank, N.A., 629 F.3d 364 (3d Cir. 2011) (Case of first impression relating to whether communications by a creditor’s counsel directly to debtor’s counsel is immune from liability under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692).
- Rodriguez v. Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, 552 F.3d 297 (3d Cir. 2008) (Successfully argued for dismissal of a purported federal False Claims Act qui tam and New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act claims against a hospital client).
- In re Pinelands Commission, Resolution No. PC4-04-74, 2007 WL 1541915 (App. Div.) (Defended a second Endangered Species Act challenge to a large South Jersey development firm’s project located within the New Jersey Pinelands.)
- Roadmaster (USA) Corp. v. Calmodal Freight Systems, Inc., 153 Fed. Appx. 827, 2005 WL 2761287 (3rd Cir.) (Defended a freight carrier’s appeal seeking to substantially increase a damage award against the plaintiff.)
- Henderson v. Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, 176 N.J. 554, 826 A.2d 615 (2003) (Argued in a case of the first impression that a county municipal utility authority was not statutorily permitted to charge its ratepayers compound interest, thereby saving a class of ratepayers millions of dollars in future interest payments.)
- Samost v. New Jersey Pinelands Commission, 356 N.J. Super. 363, 812 A.2d 1113 (App. Div. 2003) (Defended an Endangered Species Act challenge from environmental groups to a large real estate development located in the New Jersey Pinelands.)
- In re Tax Credit Application of Pennrose Properties, Inc., 346 N.J. Super. 479, 788 A.2d 787 (App.Div. 2002) (Defended a rival real estate developer’s challenge to a multimillion-dollar tax credit award.)
- In re Reorganization of Medical Inter-Insurance Exchange of New Jersey, 328 N.J. Super. 344, 746 A.2d 25 (App. Div. 2000) (Defended a regulatory challenge to a demutualization plan of one of New Jersey’s largest medical malpractice insurers.)
- In re Levy, 256 B.R. 563 (Bankr. D.N.J. 2000) (Defended a bankrupt debtor’s attempt to extinguish a large judgment lien on a first impression argument that the debtor’s requested relief was barred under the doctrine of laches.)
- National Micrographics Systems, Inc. v. Canon U.S.A., Inc., 825 F. Supp. 671 (D.N.J. 1993) (A widely followed decision establishing standards to determine the enforceability and ramifications of “forum selection clauses” in commercial agreements.)
Note: Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America – New Jersey
- New Jersey Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Camden County Bar Association
- Gloucester County Bar Association
Admissions
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Education
- Widener University School of Law, J.D., 1990
- Juniata College, B.S., Economics and Marketing, 1985
Experience
- Duane Morris LLP
– Partner, 2009-2012 - WolfBlock LLP
– Partner, 2001-2009 - Kozlov, Seaton, Romanini, Brooks & Greenberg, P.C.
– Partner, 1997-2001
– Associate, 1991-1997
Civic & Charitable Activities
- Member, Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ)
Honors & Awards
- Listed in the New Jersey Monthly magazine, Super Lawyers edition, for 2005-2009, 2011-2016 and 2024. This award is conferred by Thomson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology can be found at https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection-process/. No aspect of this selection has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- Listed in Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition, 2010. This award is conferred by Thomson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology can be found at https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection-process/. No aspect of this selection has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell * since 2003.
* AV® Preeminent™ are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. This award is conferred by Martindale-Hubbell. A description of the selection methodology can be found at www.martindale.com/ratings-and-reviews/. No aspect of this selection has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.