Rivkin Radler’s Murphy, Mann and Feld receive half-million-dollar award against professional boxer

Casey Murphy, Greg Mann, and Brian Feld of Rivkin Radler LLP in Uniondale, New York, obtained a summary judgment award in the Southern District of New York of over half a million dollars for the firm’s client. The case was brought on behalf of a high-end jeweler against the professional boxer, Gervonta Davis, for failure to pay for three pieces of merchandise.

In December 2019, Rivkin Radler’s client delivered a diamond-encrusted charm with Davis’ nickname, “Tank,” accompanied by dollar signs, a diamond tennis chain, and a Richard Mille RM-11 diamond-encrusted watch to Davis’ exact specifications. Davis lodged no objection to either the invoice or workmanship of the jewelry until September 2020. Instead, Davis personally signed a check for the invoice amount and handed it to the firm’s client. Subsequently, the check bounced, and Davis refused to pay for the jewelry for years.

The court found that no rational jury would find that Davis had timely objected to the quality of the jewelry and that, in fact, Davis’ belated complaints were contradicted by his repeated assurances of payment to the firm’s client. The court granted Rivkin Radler’s client summary judgment on an account-stated theory for the full invoice amount, plus pre-judgment interest going back to the date of the invoice.