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March 7, 2023 | 5:43 p.m
A Big Apple attorney banned from sporting events at Madison Square Garden over a case against the stadium told an appeals court Tuesday that he had to go all the way to Miami to see his beloved New York Knicks.
Larry Hutcher – partner at taboo law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron – complained at hearings before the five judges: “I’ve had season tickets for the New York Knicks for 47 years and I sued once and I had to go to Miami to see them.” at.”
In September, MSG — led by CEO James Dolan — told Hutcher’s firm that all of its nearly 60 lawyers were unable to attend the famous sports venue while their attorneys were representing a client in a case against the garden.
Hutcher and the company sued a month later, with the partner claiming he had already paid $18,000 for his season tickets for the Knicks’ 2022-2023 season.
His firm won a partial victory when a Manhattan Superior Court judge ruled that their attorneys could visit all MSG venues for non-sports related events. But that didn’t help Hutcher when it came to his Knicks.
Larry Hutcher – who is banned from MSG – was forced to catch his beloved Knicks in Miami. Courtesy of Larry Hutcher
Hutcher appealed the portion of the ruling that restricted the company to non-sports-related events, while MSG appealed the injunction that allowed the company to enter its venues for non-sports occasions.
Meanwhile, Hutcher took his love for his basketball team to the streets.
The die-hard fan watched his home team play in Miami on Friday as they defeated the Heat.
A smiling Hutcher can be seen in a photo obtained by The Post at the Florida game, holding a sign that reads “HEY DOLAN A BAN CAN’T STOP THIS KNICK FAN.”
Hutcher and the nearly 60 attorneys at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron are all barred from sporting events at MSG over litigation against the venue.Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP
Hutcher presented himself to the First Division’s Appeals Division on Tuesday and said, “I’m Larry Hutcher and I’m banned from Madison Square Garden and I’m very concerned about this.”
He argued before the jury that he believes MSG’s blanket ban would have a “deterrent effect” on other attorneys who might refrain from taking on clients litigating the arena in the future for fear of being held there to be held.
“This injunction applies to 60 attorneys in my firm,” Hutcher said. “There are no violent criminals. … We do not disturb the peace. This is all an attempt to continue to reassure lawyers.
“This is an act of revenge against lawyers.”
MSG CEO James Dolan allegedly used facial recognition technology to keep certain lawyers out. Ethan Miller
But MSG attorney Randy Mastro fired back: “To me that’s an insult to attorneys who do what we do. Mr. Hutcher was not cold in his intercession.”
Mastro said it was MSG’s prerogative to let in or keep out those contestants it saw fit.
“For over 100 years, it has been common law that the entertainment venue operator has absolute authority to decide who may and may not use their property,” Mastro argued.
MSG has banned at least two other companies involved in litigation against arena.Getty Images
“A private owner has the right to say, ‘I don’t want to do business with people who are suing me,'” Mastro said.
MSG has banned at least two other firms involved in merger disputes over the past year, and the arena has controversially used facial recognition to block at least three lawyers from entering the venue.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has warned Dolan that the “dystopian” use of technology to keep people out could violate state and federal laws.
The Court of Appeals will rule at a later date.
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