Opinion
11541 Index 603732/07
05-21-2020
D & R GLOBAL SELECTIONS, S.L., Plaintiff–Respondent, v. BODEGA OLEGARIO FALCON PINEIRO, Defendant–Appellant.
Gleason & Koatz, LLP, New York (Byron A. Quintanilla of counsel), for appellant. Zara Law Offices, New York (Robert M. Zara of counsel), for respondent.
Gleason & Koatz, LLP, New York (Byron A. Quintanilla of counsel), for appellant.
Zara Law Offices, New York (Robert M. Zara of counsel), for respondent.
Acosta, P.J., Renwick, Webber, Gesmer, JJ.
Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Manuel J. Mendez, J.), entered on or about April 17, 2018, which, to the extent appealed from as limited by the briefs, denied defendant's motion to dismiss the action on the ground of forum non conveniens, unanimously affirmed, with costs.
The movant seeking dismissal on the grounds of forum non conveniens has a "heavy burden" of establishing that New York is an inconvenient forum, and that a substantial nexus between New York and the action is lacking ( Kuwaiti Eng'g Group v. Consortium of Intl. Consultants, LLC, 50 A.D.3d 599, 600, 856 N.Y.S.2d 101 [1st Dept. 2008] ). Here, the record demonstrates that defendant failed to establish that the balance of the forum non conveniens factors point strongly in its favor (see Swaney v. Academy Bus Tours of N.Y., Inc., 158 A.D.3d 437, 438, 72 N.Y.S.3d 27 [1st Dept. 2018] ; see generally Islamic Republic of Iran v. Pahlavi, 62 N.Y.2d 474, 478–479, 478 N.Y.S.2d 597, 467 N.E.2d 245 [1984], cert denied 469 U.S. 1108, 105 S.Ct. 783, 83 L.Ed.2d 778 [1985] ).