Ken Africano is a passionate litigator who specializes in handling complex commercial litigation. He has won numerous jury and judge trials in state and federal courts and has extensive experience in arbitration. In addition to representing companies in a wide range of industries, Ken’s experience includes representing law firms.
Commercial Litigation
Ken has handled a wide variety of commercial litigation cases including general breach of contract claims, violation of non-solicitation clauses, raiding cases, shareholder disputes and corporate dissolutions, antitrust suits, securities fraud claims, and a wide variety of unfair competition matters. He also has substantial experience in obtaining or defending restraining orders and injunctions in federal and state courts on a variety of commercial matters.
Workouts and Bankruptcy
Ken started his practice primarily representing Goldome Bank. Since then, he has represented many creditors and banks in matters related to collections, workouts and bankruptcies. His experience includes forcing a major Buffalo company into involuntary bankruptcy, having a receiver appointed to take control of assets of a significant Buffalo retail chain, and collecting a $10 million debt with interest and attorneys’ fees.
Public Policy Litigation
Over his more than thirty years of practice, Ken has handled many prominent cases affecting matters of public policy. In 2017, he brought constitutional claims to force action at one of the nation’s most contaminated nuclear waste sites. In 2016, he represented the Buffalo Urban League in a case challenging the Erie County Comptroller’s auditing authority. He also obtained summary judgment declaring unconstitutional a New York State policy that would have required private landlords that lease to state agencies to pay prevailing wages. In 2005, Ken led a team of litigators defending the Erie County Executive and the Erie County Legislature in a dozen suits that arose from the infamous “red budget/green budget crisis.”
Intellectual Property Litigation
In the area of intellectual property, Ken served as lead litigation counsel for Universal Studios and Imagine Films in the defense of a copyright infringement action regarding Ron Howard’s film “Backdraft.” He also represented three major motion picture studios on a copyright infringement action venued in the Central District of California involving the film “Shakespeare In Love.” Ken represented O’Shea Jackson aka Ice Cube and Priority Records in a copyright infringement action involving the song, “Gansta’s Make the World Go ‘Round.” He won a jury trial on a copyright infringement action in US Federal Court in Manhattan. He also teaches a course in intellectual property litigation at the University at Buffalo Law School.
Ken has spoken at dozens of seminars in the areas of intellectual property, trial technique and e-discovery, including presentations for the Niagara Frontier Corporate Counsel Association, Erie County Bar Association, Health Care Industries Association, the Business Owners and Managers Association, the Greater Buffalo Niagara Partnership and the Buffalo Claims Association. Adjunct Lecturer, State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law (bridge course on Intellectual Property Litigation), 2005-2014
Ken Africano is a passionate litigator who specializes in handling complex commercial litigation. He has won numerous jury and judge trials in state and federal courts and has extensive experience in arbitration. In addition to representing companies in a wide range of industries, Ken’s experience includes representing law firms.
Commercial Litigation
Ken has handled a wide variety of commercial litigation cases including general breach of contract claims, violation of non-solicitation clauses, raiding cases, shareholder disputes and corporate dissolutions, antitrust suits, securities fraud claims, and a wide variety of unfair competition matters. He also has substantial experience in obtaining or defending restraining orders and injunctions in federal and state courts on a variety of commercial matters.
Workouts and Bankruptcy
Ken started his practice primarily representing Goldome Bank. Since then, he has represented many creditors and banks in matters related to collections, workouts and bankruptcies. His experience includes forcing a major Buffalo company into involuntary bankruptcy, having a receiver appointed to take control of assets of a significant Buffalo retail chain, and collecting a $10 million debt with interest and attorneys’ fees.
Public Policy Litigation
Over his more than thirty years of practice, Ken has handled many prominent cases affecting matters of public policy. In 2017, he brought constitutional claims to force action at one of the nation’s most contaminated nuclear waste sites. In 2016, he represented the Buffalo Urban League in a case challenging the Erie County Comptroller’s auditing authority. He also obtained summary judgment declaring unconstitutional a New York State policy that would have required private landlords that lease to state agencies to pay prevailing wages. In 2005, Ken led a team of litigators defending the Erie County Executive and the Erie County Legislature in a dozen suits that arose from the infamous “red budget/green budget crisis.”
Intellectual Property Litigation
In the area of intellectual property, Ken served as lead litigation counsel for Universal Studios and Imagine Films in the defense of a copyright infringement action regarding Ron Howard’s film “Backdraft.” He also represented three major motion picture studios on a copyright infringement action venued in the Central District of California involving the film “Shakespeare In Love.” Ken represented O’Shea Jackson aka Ice Cube and Priority Records in a copyright infringement action involving the song, “Gansta’s Make the World Go ‘Round.” He won a jury trial on a copyright infringement action in US Federal Court in Manhattan. He also teaches a course in intellectual property litigation at the University at Buffalo Law School.
Ken has spoken at dozens of seminars in the areas of intellectual property, trial technique and e-discovery, including presentations for the Niagara Frontier Corporate Counsel Association, Erie County Bar Association, Health Care Industries Association, the Business Owners and Managers Association, the Greater Buffalo Niagara Partnership and the Buffalo Claims Association. Adjunct Lecturer, State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law (bridge course on Intellectual Property Litigation), 2005-2014
