Justin T. Nastro

Title: PARTNER

Title: PARTNER
Phone: 212-381-3033
Cell: 347-439-5266
Fax: 212-425-1901
Email: nastro@freehill.com
vCard: download

Practice Areas:
- Maritime
- Restaurant & Hospitality
- Transportation
- Insurance Defense
Education:
- University of Scranton, B.A., 1995
- University of Seton Hall School of Law, J.D., 1998
Bar Admissions:
- New York
- New Jersey
Other Court Admissions:
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
Professional Affiliations:
- The Risk Management Society
- Maritime Law Association of the United States
- Connecticut Maritime Association

Justin is licensed in New York and New Jersey and practices regularly in both State and Federal Court. His litigation practice focuses on representing clients in the shipping, restaurant & hospitality, trucking, insurance and general transportation industries.

He currently counsels and defends a national restaurant chain in all manner of liability claims, and regularly advises and defends commercial shipping entities and their respective insurers in bodily injury and related matters. He is experienced with the defense of lawsuits concerning heavy machinery, tug/barge and dredging operations, commercial motor vehicles and various passenger ferries and cargo vessels. Justin has significant experience defending toxic tort litigation on behalf of a national solvent recycling company and has worked on cases involving exposure to benzene, asbestos and industrial chemicals.

Defense of Jones Act, Public Vessel Act and other admiralty claims against marine entities and vessel owners.
Investigation, analysis and defense of various personal injuries, casualties and property damage claims against vessel owners, motor vehicle/fleet entities and premises owners and operators.
Representation and defense of a publicly traded national restaurant chain in all types of general liability litigation.
Representation of a solvent and petroleum manufacturer and recycling company in lawsuits alleging exposure to benzene and other chemicals.
Defense of mass tort claims against a national chemical company in a semiconductor manufacturing litigation.
Defense of wrongful death and other personal injury claims against terminal operators and owners of heavy equipment including cranes, tractor-trailer/chassis combinations and construction machinery.
Counsel to private equity firm with respect to contractual disputes with international borrowers, sanctions, and other regulatory concerns.

Decisions of Interest:

Ahmed v. American Steamship Company – New York State Supreme Court, Queens County, Index No. 5939/08
Roy v. Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. – Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County, Docket No. MID-L-4915-08
Muboyayi v. Gelco Corporation and American Express, Supreme Court of the State of New York, Bronx County 2013 – dismissal of personal injury action against leasing company pursuant to the Graves Amendment
Muboyayi v. Quintero, Appellate Division of The Supreme Court of N.Y., First Department, 2016 N.Y. Slip Op 0142 - affirming dismissal of complaint for failure to conduct discovery. (Appellant’s motion for leave to appeal denied by State of New York Court of Appeals, Mo. No. 2016-367).
Sol Group Marketing Company v. American President Lines Ltd. and APL Co. Pte Ltd., 2016 AMC 392, 2016 WL 205444 (S.D.N.Y. 2016) – dismissal of plaintiff’s claim for fraud in the inducement and enforcement of ocean carrier’s service contract liquidated damages clause.
Condoleo v. American President Lines Ltd. and APL Co. Pte Ltd, et al, 2019 AMC 1656, 2019 LEXIS 69826 (E.D.N.Y. 2019) – Magistrate Report and Recommendation recommending dismissal of personal injury action with breach of warranty and negligence claims against ocean carrier and container lessee.To read Magistrate Judge Lindsay’s Report and Recommendation, click HERE
Condoleo v. American President Lines Ltd. and APL Co. Pte Ltd., et al, 2019 AMC 1679, 2019 WL 2575405 (E.D.N.Y. 2019) – Order and decision of the U.S. District Court for the EDNY, adopting Magistrate’s Report and Recommendation in full and granting summary judgment dismissing negligence, breach of warranty and product liability claims against ocean carrier and container lessee, with favorable rulings on issues of admissibility of expert testimony and res ipsa loquitur. To read Judge Feuerstein’s opinion, click HERE
Richard v. 86^th Street Pooh, LLC and Chipotle Mexican Grill of Colorado, LLC, Index No. 518543/2019. Award of Summary Judgment in a premises liability action finding no negligence on behalf of a commercial tenant with respect to an alleged defective sidewalk condition, with dismissal of the co-defendant landlord’s cross-claims for contribution and contractual indemnification and demand for insurance coverage, under the terms of the governing lease and related case law. To read the decision, click HERE

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Guidelines and Principles – Presentation at Heidmar Inc., Connecticut, September 2014
"The Shipowner’s Limitation of Liability Act: Practices and Procedures" – Continuing Legal Education course presented to The Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee of the New York County Lawyers’ Association, on October 2, 2013.
Personal Injury Litigation & Leased Equipment Liabilities: The Ocean Carrier's Perspective - Presented to Gard (North America) Inc., October 28, 2020, NYC.

Title: PARTNER
Phone: 212-381-3033
Cell: 347-439-5266
Fax: 212-425-1901
Email: nastro@freehill.com
Location: 80 Pine Street, 25th Floor New York, NY 10005-1759

Education:
- University of Scranton, B.A., 1995
- University of Seton Hall School of Law, J.D., 1998
Bar Admissions:
- New York
- New Jersey
Other Court Admissions:
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey

Representative Cases :

Defense of Jones Act, Public Vessel Act and other admiralty claims against marine entities and vessel owners.
Investigation, analysis and defense of various personal injuries, casualties and property damage claims against vessel owners, motor vehicle/fleet entities and premises owners and operators.
Representation and defense of a publicly traded national restaurant chain in all types of general liability litigation.
Representation of a solvent and petroleum manufacturer and recycling company in lawsuits alleging exposure to benzene and other chemicals.
Defense of mass tort claims against a national chemical company in a semiconductor manufacturing litigation.
Defense of wrongful death and other personal injury claims against terminal operators and owners of heavy equipment including cranes, tractor-trailer/chassis combinations and construction machinery.
Counsel to private equity firm with respect to contractual disputes with international borrowers, sanctions, and other regulatory concerns.

Decisions of Interest:

Ahmed v. American Steamship Company – New York State Supreme Court, Queens County, Index No. 5939/08
Roy v. Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. – Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County, Docket No. MID-L-4915-08
Muboyayi v. Gelco Corporation and American Express, Supreme Court of the State of New York, Bronx County 2013 – dismissal of personal injury action against leasing company pursuant to the Graves Amendment
Muboyayi v. Quintero, Appellate Division of The Supreme Court of N.Y., First Department, 2016 N.Y. Slip Op 0142 - affirming dismissal of complaint for failure to conduct discovery. (Appellant’s motion for leave to appeal denied by State of New York Court of Appeals, Mo. No. 2016-367).
Sol Group Marketing Company v. American President Lines Ltd. and APL Co. Pte Ltd., 2016 AMC 392, 2016 WL 205444 (S.D.N.Y. 2016) – dismissal of plaintiff’s claim for fraud in the inducement and enforcement of ocean carrier’s service contract liquidated damages clause.
Condoleo v. American President Lines Ltd. and APL Co. Pte Ltd, et al, 2019 AMC 1656, 2019 LEXIS 69826 (E.D.N.Y. 2019) – Magistrate Report and Recommendation recommending dismissal of personal injury action with breach of warranty and negligence claims against ocean carrier and container lessee.To read Magistrate Judge Lindsay’s Report and Recommendation, click HERE
Condoleo v. American President Lines Ltd. and APL Co. Pte Ltd., et al, 2019 AMC 1679, 2019 WL 2575405 (E.D.N.Y. 2019) – Order and decision of the U.S. District Court for the EDNY, adopting Magistrate’s Report and Recommendation in full and granting summary judgment dismissing negligence, breach of warranty and product liability claims against ocean carrier and container lessee, with favorable rulings on issues of admissibility of expert testimony and res ipsa loquitur. To read Judge Feuerstein’s opinion, click HERE
Richard v. 86^th Street Pooh, LLC and Chipotle Mexican Grill of Colorado, LLC, Index No. 518543/2019. Award of Summary Judgment in a premises liability action finding no negligence on behalf of a commercial tenant with respect to an alleged defective sidewalk condition, with dismissal of the co-defendant landlord’s cross-claims for contribution and contractual indemnification and demand for insurance coverage, under the terms of the governing lease and related case law. To read the decision, click HERE

Presentations and Publications :

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Guidelines and Principles – Presentation at Heidmar Inc., Connecticut, September 2014
"The Shipowner’s Limitation of Liability Act: Practices and Procedures" – Continuing Legal Education course presented to The Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee of the New York County Lawyers’ Association, on October 2, 2013.
Personal Injury Litigation & Leased Equipment Liabilities: The Ocean Carrier's Perspective - Presented to Gard (North America) Inc., October 28, 2020, NYC.