Benham v. eCommission Solutions, LLC, 118 A.D.3d 605 (N.Y. App. Div. 2014). · Go Syfert
Benham v. eCommission Solutions, LLC, 118 A.D.3d 605 (N.Y. App. Div. 2014). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
29 citation events (29 in the last 25 years) across 7 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Athayde v. Dogpound Fitness, Inc. (nysd, 2024-08-20)
Treatment trajectory · 2015 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
2015 2020 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 15 distinct citers. How cited ↗
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Athayde v. Dogpound Fitness, Inc. (2×)
S.D.N.Y. · 2024 · signal: see, e.g. · quote attribution · 2 verbatim quotes · confidence high
the failure of the parties to agree on the precise form of the equity stake causes plaintiff's contract claim to fail for lack of definiteness in the material terms of her equity compensation.
discussed Cited as authority (quoted) Kalaj v. Kay
E.D.N.Y · 2023 · signal: see · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
the failure of the parties to agree on the precise form of the equity stake causes plaintiff's contract claim to fail for lack of definiteness in the material terms of her equity compensation.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Jarusauskaite v. Almod Diamonds, Ltd.
N.Y. App. Div. · 2021 · confidence medium
Defendants' alleged conduct occurred while plaintiff was "physically situated outside of New York" ( Benham v eCommission Solutions, LLC , 118 AD3d 605, 606 [1st Dept 2014]), and did not have "any impact on the terms, conditions or extent of her employment . . . within the boundaries of New York" ( Hardwick v Auriemma , 116 AD3d 465 , 467 [1st Dept 2014], lv denied 23 NY3d 908 [2014]; see Wolf v Imus , 170 AD3d 563 , 564 [1st Dept 2019], lv denied 34 NY3d 907 [2019]; Shah v Wilco Sys., Inc. , 27 AD3d 169, 176 [1st Dept 2005], lv dismissed in part, denied in part 7 NY3d 859 [2006]; see also Van…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Jarusauskaite v. Almod Diamonds, Ltd.
N.Y. App. Div. · 2021 · confidence medium
Defendants' alleged conduct occurred while plaintiff was "physically situated outside of New York" ( Benham v eCommission Solutions, LLC , 118 AD3d 605, 606 [1st Dept 2014]), and did not have "any impact on the terms, conditions or extent of her employment . . . within the boundaries of New York" ( Hardwick v Auriemma , 116 AD3d 465 , 467 [1st Dept 2014], lv denied 23 NY3d 908 [2014]; see Wolf v Imus , 170 AD3d 563 , 564 [1st Dept 2019], lv denied 34 NY3d 907 [2019]; Shah v Wilco Sys., Inc. , 27 AD3d 169, 176 [1st Dept 2005], lv dismissed in part, denied in part 7 NY3d 859 [2006]; see also Van…
cited Cited as authority (rule) McGowan v. Clarion Partners, LLC
N.Y. App. Div. · 2020 · confidence medium
Benham, 118 AD3d at 607; Chatterjee Fund Mgt. v Dimensional Media Assoc., 260 AD2d 159, 159-160 [1st Dept 1999]).
cited Cited as authority (rule) McGowan v. Clarion Partners, LLC
N.Y. App. Div. · 2020 · confidence medium
Benham, 118 AD3d at 607; Chatterjee Fund Mgt. v Dimensional Media Assoc., 260 AD2d 159, 159-160 [1st Dept 1999]).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) JONES v. FOX ROTHSCHILD LLP
D.N.J. · 2020 · confidence medium
Sept. 30, 1999) (dismissing NYCHRL claims where “remarks and conduct may have originated within the boundaries of New York City” but where plaintiffs “failed to allege that the whole or substantial part of the discrimination occurred in” the City and “the impact of the conduct . . was felt on their employment” outside of the City); Benham v. eCommission Solutions, LLC, 118 A.D.3d 605, 606 (N.Y.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Weisenfeld v. Iskander
N.Y. App. Div. · 2020 · confidence medium
Plaintiff's promissory estoppel claim is duplicative and flawed since there was no clear and unambiguous statement, nor any detrimental reliance by Mr. Stark or plaintiff ( see Benham v eCommission Solutions LLC , 118 AD3d 605, 607 [1st Dept 2014]), and the unjust enrichment claim fails for lack of credible evidence.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Doller v. Prescott
N.Y. App. Div. · 2018 · confidence medium
In effect, the MOU was an unenforceable agreement to agree in the future on terms of a "definitive agreement" regarding the offer of equity, and Supreme Court therefore properly granted defendant's motion to dismiss the first (breach of contract) and sixth (declaratory judgment) causes of action ( Benham v eCommission Solutions, LLC , 118 AD3d 605, 606-607 [2014]).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Eagle v. Emigrant Savings Bank
N.Y. App. Div. · 2017 · confidence medium
Corp., 78 NY2d 88, 91-92 [1991]; Benham v eCommission Solutions, LLC, 118 AD3d 605, 606-607 [1st Dept 2014]; Magnum Real Estate Servs., Inc. v 133-134-135 Assoc., LLC, 103 AD3d 453 [1st Dept 2013]; compare Tonkery v Martina, 78 NY2d 893 [1991]).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Jeffers v. American University of Antigua
N.Y. App. Div. · 2015 · confidence medium
Plaintiffs’ unjust enrichment claims are “indistinguishable from [their] . . . claim [s] for breach of contract, and must be dismissed as duplicative of the contract claim[s]” (Benham v eCommission Solutions, LLC, 118 AD3d 605, 607 [1st Dept 2014] [internal quotation marks and citations omitted]).
cited Cited "see" Shiber v. Centerview Partners LLC
S.D.N.Y. · 2022 · signal: see · confidence high
See Benham v. eCommission Solutions, LLC, 989 N.Y.S.2d 20 (N.Y.
discussed Cited "see" Rosen v. Chowaiki & Co. Fine Art Ltd. (In re Chowaiki & Co. Fine Art Ltd.) (2×)
Bankr. S.D.N.Y. · 2018 · signal: see · confidence high
See Benham v. eCommission Sols., LLC , 118 A.D.3d 605 , 607, 989 N.Y.S.2d 20 (N.Y. 2014) ; Corsello v. Verizon New York, Inc., 18 N.Y.3d 777 , 791, 944 N.Y.S.2d 732 , 967 N.E.2d 1177 (2012) ("An unjust enrichment claim is not available where it simply duplicates, or replaces, a conventional contract or tort claim.").
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Yodice v. Touro College and University System
S.D.N.Y. · 2021 · signal: see also · confidence low
“An unjust enrichment claim is not available where it simply duplicates, or replaces, a conventional contract or tort claim.” Id.; see also Benham v. eCommission Sols., LLC, 989 N.Y.S.2d 20 , 21-22 (1st Dep't 2014) (dismissing unjust enrichment claim “as duplicative”).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Capstone Asset Management Co., Ltd v. Dearborn Capital Group LLC
S.D.N.Y. · 2021 · signal: see also · confidence low
“An unjust enrichment claim is not available where it simply duplicates, or replaces, a conventional contract or tort claim.” Id.; see also Benham v. eCommission Sols., LLC, 989 N.Y.S.2d 20 , 21-22 (1st Dep’t 2014) (dismissing unjust enrichment claim “as duplicative”).
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Maria Webster Benham
v.
eCommission Solutions, LLC
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Jun 24, 2014.
118 A.D.3d 605
Andrias, Kapnick, Renwick, Saxe, Sweeny.
Cited by 10 opinions  |  Published
1 passage pin-cited by 1 case
Pinpoint authority: bottom 78%
Citer courts: E.D. New York (1)

[*606] Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Joan M. Kenney, J.), entered January 9, 2014, which, insofar as appealed from as limited by the briefs, denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint’s first through seventh and tenth causes of action, sounding in disability- and gender-based discrimination in violation of the New York State and City Human Rights Laws (HRL), breach of contract, promissory estoppel, unjust enrichment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, unanimously reversed, on the law, without costs, the motion granted, and the complaint dismissed. The Clerk is directed to enter judgment accordingly.

Because the alleged conduct occurred while plaintiff was physically situated outside of New York, none of her concrete allegations of harassing behavior or other discriminatory conduct had the “impact” on plaintiff in New York required to support claims under the State and City HRL (Hoffman v Parade Publs., 15 NY3d 285, 289-291 [2010]; Shah v Wilco Sys., Inc., 27 AD3d 169, 175-176 [1st Dept 2005], lv dismissed 7 NY3d 859 [2006]). Plaintiffs HRL claims must thus be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, since the statutes do not apply to the conduct at issue (see CPLR 3211 [a] [2]; Hoffman, 15 NY3d at 289).

Plaintiffs argument that, because she filed New York State nonresident income tax returns and paid income taxes here, she is entitled to the “protections, benefits and values” of New York government, including the State and City HRL (Matter of Zelinsky v Tax Appeals Trib. of State of N.Y., 1 NY3d 85, 95 [2003], cert denied 541 US 1009 [2004]; see Matter of Huckaby v New York State Div. of Tax Appeals, Tax Appeals Trib., 4 NY3d 427, 438 [2005], cert denied 546 US 976 [2005]), is unavailing. Whether New York courts have subject matter jurisdiction over a nonresident plaintiffs claims under the HRLs turns primarily on her physical location at the time of the alleged discriminatory acts, and not on her taxpayer status (see Hardwick v Auriemma, 116 AD3d 465 [1st Dept 2014]; Sorrentino v Citicorp, 302 AD2d 240 [1st Dept 2003]; see also Executive Law § 298-a [distinguishing among claims by residents and nonresidents]).

Viewed in the light most favorable to plaintiff as nonmovant, the record indicates that, at most, the parties had a mere “agreement to agree” that plaintiff should receive some sort of equity stake in defendant eCommission Solutions, LLC (ECS), with the terms of that stake subject to future negotiations and[*607] approval. The failure of the parties to agree on the precise form of the equity stake causes plaintiffs contract claim to fail for lack of definiteness in the material terms of her equity compensation (see Joseph Martin, Jr., Delicatessen v Schumacher, 52 NY2d 105, 109 [1981]; Mark Bruce Intl., Inc. v Blank Rome, LLP, 60 AD3d 550, 551 [1st Dept 2009]). Defendants are entitled to summary judgment dismissing plaintiffs claim for breach of contract. The lack of definiteness in the promise of equity compensation is similarly fatal to plaintiffs promissory estoppel claim (New York City Health & Hosps. Corp. v St. Barnabas Hosp., 10 AD3d 489, 491 [1st Dept 2004]; see Glanzer v Keilin & Bloom, 281 AD2d 371, 372 [1st Dept 2001]).

Plaintiffs unjust enrichment claim, which seeks precisely the same damages as her claim for breach of contract, is “indistinguishable from [her] . . . claim for breach of contract” (Martin H. Bauman Assoc. v H & M Intl. Transp., 171 AD2d 479, 484 [1st Dept 1991]), and must be dismissed as duplicative of the contract claim (see Corsello v Verizon N.Y., Inc., 18 NY3d 777, 790-791 [2012]; Walter H. Poppe Gen. Contr. v Town of Ramapo, 280 AD2d 667, 668 [2d Dept 2001]).

Plaintiff s allegations fall well short of the level of outrageousness necessary to establish a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress (see Murphy v American Home Prods. Corp., 58 NY2d 293, 303 [1983]; Zephir v Inemer, 305 AD2d 170, 170 [1st Dept 2003]).

Concur — Sweeny, J.P, Renwick, Andrias, Saxe and Kapnick, JJ.