Morrison Cohen LLP | Hallie McDonald

Hallie McDonald

Hallie McDonald represents clients in a wide range of complex commercial litigation in state and federal court in matters such as breach of contract, securities fraud, First Amendment torts, real estate and products liability.

Hallie has substantial experience at all stages of litigation, including appellate experience and successful briefing to the Supreme Court of the United States. She also has experience in alternative dispute resolution, handling arbitration proceedings before the American Arbitration Association, International Centre for Dispute Resolution and the International Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to joining Morrison Cohen, Hallie was an associate at Cozen O’Connor. While in law school, she served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Arthur D. Spatt in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Experience

Prior to joining Morrison Cohen

Represented Nevada-based cannabis company Planet 13 Holdings Inc. (OTC: PLNHF) in its $91 million (CAD) acquisition of Next Green Wave Holdings Inc.
Secured a complete victory for five individual investors on counts of securities fraud under Section 10(b) of the Securities and Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, the New Jersey Uniform Securities Act (N.J.S.A. 49:3-52) and common law fraud following a four-day bench trial in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The court found that the defendant fraudulently induced them to invest in what he claimed was a revolutionary pharmaceutical packaging company and then misappropriated their funds to support his lavish lifestyle and pay back earlier undisclosed investors in classic Ponzi scheme style. The court awarded the investors the entirety of their investment losses, prejudgment interest and punitive damages. This result was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Part of a team that successfully opposed a petition for certiorari at the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of an insurance company client on a novel issue in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Assisted in obtaining a major First Amendment victory before the Supreme Court of the United States in Manhattan Community Access Corporation v. Halleck. The Supreme Court reversed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and held that a private company that, among other things, operates the public access channels in Manhattan, was not a "state actor" and therefore not subject to liability under the First Amendment. The Court clarified its tests for when private parties can be found to be "state actors" and thus subject to constitutional liability.

Recognition

Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University

• Associate Editor, Hofstra Law Review, Volume 46

• Student Clinician, Law Reform Advocacy Clinic

• Recipient, Hofstra Law Review Alumni Writing Award

• Associate Editor, Moot Court Board,

• Recipient, Full Merit Scholarship

Practices

Sectors

Education

Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, J.D., magna cum laude
Mercyhurst University, B.A., summa cum laude

Bar Admissions

New York
U.S. District Court – Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court – Eastern District of New York