This case involved a commercial sublease dispute over unpaid rent, property taxes, and whether the tenant still owed money after giving up the space. The First Department sent the case back to the arbitration panel because the award did not clearly resolve key questions or state the exact amount due. The decision matters because courts can do simple math on a clear arbitration award, but they cannot fill in missing factual or legal issues that arbitrators still need to decide.

The First Department held that a construction worker injured by a heavy stack of unsecured windows was entitled to judgment under New York’s Scaffold Law, even though the windows were only a few inches off the ground. The court also revived some claims against a window installer and cut back several indemnity claims, underscoring that even low-height falling-object hazards can trigger liability and that indemnity rights depend on the exact contract language and unresolved fault issues.

The First Department largely left in place a preliminary injunction in a dispute between former law partners over contingency fees from personal injury cases that began at their old firm. It ruled that defendants still had to escrow money while the case proceeds, but reduced their obligation from $1.8 million to $1.05 million to account for $750,000 already escrowed by plaintiffs. This matters because it shows courts may keep protections in place during a business breakup while adjusting them to be fair to both sides.