Education:     J.D., Boston University School of Law, 1977      B.S., magna cum laude, State University of New York at Albany, 1974       Major: Business with a concentration in Finance Bar Admissions:     New York, 1978     United States District Courts for the Southern (1979) and Eastern (1986) Districts of New York Howard divides his practice among real estate, commercial litigation, and corporate work. He was a partner in Karp and Sommers from 1983 to 2000, and from 2000 to 2008 was a sole practitioner. He joined Aronauer, Re & Yudell, LLP as Of Counsel effective January 1, 2009. Howard has 30 years of experience negotiating and drafting commercial leases of all types, representing landlords and tenants, as well as negotiating and drafting contracts for the purchase and sale of real estate, representing buyers and sellers. In 2008 he represented a client who sold two properties (one of which involved the defeasance of a mortgage) in Manhattan for approximately one hundred million dollars, and then, in a Section 1031 exchange, purchased three replacement properties. For 30 years Howard has had an active litigation practice. He has handled jury and non-jury trials in state and federal courts, and arbitrations before the American Arbitration Association, the New York Stock Exchange, and the National Association of Securities Dealers. Two of his reported decisions are: Goldcrest Transport Ltd. v. Across America Leasing Corp., 298 AD2d 494, 748 NYS2d 411 (2nd Dept 2002), reversing a lower court decision (that Howard did not handle) dismissing a case on the grounds that a tenant voluntarily entered into a new sublease thereby preventing it from suing its original sub-landlord; and Zellner v. Stephen D. Conrad, M.D., P.C., 183 AD2d 250, 589 NYS2d 903 (2nd Dept 1992), upholding a lower court decision (that Howard did handle) enforcing a restrictive covenant against an at will employee (this was a case of first impression in New York). In 2008 Howard won a motion for summary judgment dismissing a claim against a person being sued by a bank on a loan purportedly signed pursuant to a power-of-attorney on the grounds that the requirements of the power-of-attorney were not met. In 2009 Howard represented a limousine company that entered into a business combination with another limousine company. Howard and his wife, Gladys, live in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Gladys has an online business selling crossword-themed gifts (www.puzzleprezzents.com). They have two grown sons. Howard follows all sports, and plays softball and jogs. His favorite team is the Los Angeles Dodgers. E-Mail: hsommers@aryllp.com

Howard M. Sommers | Aronauer, Re & Yudell, LLP, serving New Jersey, New York