Laura Taylor Swain
Encyclopedia
Laura Taylor Swain is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
.
, Swain earned a bachelor's degree in 1979 from Harvard University
/Radcliffe College
. She earned a law degree from Harvard Law School
in 1982.
From 1982 until 1983, Swain worked as a law clerk for Judge Constance Baker Motley
on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
.
.
. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
on June 16, 2000.
On November 1, 1996, Swain became a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of New York. She served in that role until becoming a United States District Judge in 2000.
against comedian Jerry Seinfeld
and his wife, Jessica Seinfeld
, asserting that the couple used ideas for Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food from Lapine's book The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals.
The Seinfelds have denied Lapine's claim. Lapine claims she has experiences substantial harm.
As a result of comments made by Mr. Seinfeld about the authorship dispute on The Late Show with David Letterman, Lapine included a cause of action for defamation to her suit.
The court granted an emergency temporary restraining order preventing the older sister from further distribution of the prepublication manuscript.
The case reached closure in early 2009 when Judge Swain entered a consent order stating "The Defendant has announced to the Court that she is not a co-author of ‘Hedge Fund Wives’ and has no authorship or co-authorship rights to the work. The Defendant agrees to release any registered or pending copyrights that she has relating to ‘Hedge Fund Wives,’ and any domain names or other property relating to ‘Hedge Fund Wives’ or the Plaintiff’s first novel, ‘Gilding Lily.’"
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
.
Early life and education
Born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Swain earned a bachelor's degree in 1979 from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
/Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
. She earned a law degree from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1982.
From 1982 until 1983, Swain worked as a law clerk for Judge Constance Baker Motley
Constance Baker Motley
Constance Baker Motley was an African American civil rights activist, lawyer, judge, state senator, and President of Manhattan, New York City.-Early Life and Academics:...
on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
.
Professional career
From 1983 until 1996, Swain worked in private legal practice in New York City, practicing in the areas of ERISA, employee benefits, executive compensation and employee law for the firm Debevoise & PlimptonDebevoise & Plimpton
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a prominent international law firm based in New York City. Founded in 1931 by Eli Whitney Debevoise and William Stevenson, Debevoise has been a long established leader in corporate litigation and large financial transactions. In recent years, its practice has taken on an...
.
Federal judicial service
On April 25, 2000, President Clinton nominated Swain to be a District Court Judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on June 16, 2000.
On November 1, 1996, Swain became a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of New York. She served in that role until becoming a United States District Judge in 2000.
Copyright and authorship cases
Judge Swain's tenure on the District Court bench has included some of the Southern District of New York's most recent high profile book authorship disputes. In particular, Judge Swain has presided over Lapine v. Seinfeld (case number 08-cv-00128) and Hoover v. Boncompangi. Both cases have been widely covered by the press, and been rich fodder for many of the New York's tabloid newspapers.Lapine v. Seinfeld
This action was filed by author Missy Chase LapineMissy Chase Lapine
Missy Chase Lapine is an American author. She is best known for her cookbook The Sneaky Chef, published in 2007.Before the release of The Sneaky Chef, Lapine was publisher of Eating Well magazine -Controversy:...
against comedian Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
and his wife, Jessica Seinfeld
Jessica Seinfeld
Jessica Seinfeld is the wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, author of two cookbooks about preparing food for children and the whole family, and founder of Baby Buggy, a New York City Charitable organization that provides essential gear, clothing and products for families in need throughout the five...
, asserting that the couple used ideas for Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food from Lapine's book The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals.
The Seinfelds have denied Lapine's claim. Lapine claims she has experiences substantial harm.
As a result of comments made by Mr. Seinfeld about the authorship dispute on The Late Show with David Letterman, Lapine included a cause of action for defamation to her suit.
Hoover v. Boncompagni
This action was filed by Tatiana Boncompagni Hoover against her older sister Natasha Boncompagni. Hoover, a New York socialite, professional author, and wife of an heir to the Hoover cleaning founder, accused her sister of making unauthorized electronic copies of her book Hedge Fund Wives.The court granted an emergency temporary restraining order preventing the older sister from further distribution of the prepublication manuscript.
The case reached closure in early 2009 when Judge Swain entered a consent order stating "The Defendant has announced to the Court that she is not a co-author of ‘Hedge Fund Wives’ and has no authorship or co-authorship rights to the work. The Defendant agrees to release any registered or pending copyrights that she has relating to ‘Hedge Fund Wives,’ and any domain names or other property relating to ‘Hedge Fund Wives’ or the Plaintiff’s first novel, ‘Gilding Lily.’"