Peter J. Larkin

Peter J. Larkin is a Partner in the New York and the White Plains offices. His legal practice focuses on commercial disputes and professional liability defense, with a concentration on the legal needs of accountants and accounting firms.

Peter handles a wide variety of commercial, professional liability, banking and securities matters. He is involved in such diverse areas as the securities laws, tax laws, banking laws, RICO, ERISA, professional licensing, professional ethics, accounting standards, fraud investigations, employment disputes, post-employment restrictive covenants, the purchase or sale of a professional practice, partnership disputes and separations, and risk management and best practices for accounting and financial professionals.

Peter is a co-chair of the firm’s Accountants Practice Team. He has represented accounting firms of all sizes in hundreds of lawsuits. These cases have involved the full range of professional services that accountants provide to their clients. Allegations have ranged from the failure to detect a fraud or embezzlement to faulty tax structuring in a major transaction, and from negligence associated with the implementation of a billing system to negligence in tax preparation, estate planning or business valuation. Peter has taken several accounting malpractice cases to trial.

Peter's representation of accountants is not limited to litigation. He also has assisted clients with the purchase or sale of a practice, partnership disputes and separations, regulatory, licensing and ethics proceedings, drafting manuals and policies, providing continuing education and risk management presentations, and general commercial matters such as real estate and financing transactions, leases and licensing. As respects professional licensing and ethics proceedings, Peter has handled matters in New York and many other states before the AICPA, IRS, and various state licensing boards and societies, from initial inquiry through evidentiary hearings.

Peter has represented numerous businesses and banking institutions in a wide array of disputes. General commercial disputes have included matters involving breach of contract and fraud, regulatory review, tax disputes, workers compensation issues, and post-employment disputes. Banking matters have included investigation and removal of officers, bad check cases, customer complaints and TILA matters. Peter also has assisted the victims of embezzlement recover their losses through direct action against the embezzler and insurance claims.