Prasad v. Spodek
This case involves an appeal by Todd Spodek, Esq. from a Civil Court judgment affirming an arbitration award in favor of Sunita Prasad. Spodek sought to vacate the award, arguing it was untimely and that the arbitrator improperly excluded his paralegal's hearsay testimony. The Appellate Term found Spodek's application was not untimely but denied it on the merits. The Court held that the arbitrator's refusal to consider the paralegal's hearsay testimony, which was based on conversations with Spodek and lacked competence to prove fee reasonableness, did not constitute misconduct. Spodek had alternative means to present evidence, such as testifying himself or submitting written declarations.