Kramer Levin, Lambda Legal Sue Landlord For Discrimination Against Same-Sex Married Couple

Kramer Levin and Lambda Legal are representing married same-sex couple Dava Weinstein and Dorothy Calvani in a discrimination suit against Ms. Weinstein's landlord, who has refused to recognize the couple’s valid marriage. The complaint -- filed in New York Supreme Court against management company Weinreb Management LLC, its managing partner and the owner of the apartment – alleges that the defendants improperly refused to add Ms. Weinstein's spouse, Ms. Calvani, to the lease for a rent-stabilized apartment that the couple has shared since 1977 in violation of the New York Rent Stabilization code and provisions of the New York State and City human rights laws. New York state and city rent-stabilization laws guarantee the right of housing security by requiring landlords to allow the addition of a spouse to the lease of a rent-stabilized or rent-controlled apartment. Ms. Weinstein and Ms. Calvani, who were legally wed in Iowa in 2011, had submitted a copy of their marriage license, only to be incorrectly told by the management company that their marriage was not recognized by New York State. Even after Lambda Legal wrote to the management company to explain that the Marriage Equality Act expressly requires equal treatment for all same-sex and different-sex married couples, Ms. Weinstein was still denied a lease renewal that included Ms. Calvani as her spouse.

The Kramer Levin team representing Ms. Weinstein and Ms. Calvani includes Litigation partners Jeffrey S. Trachtman and Norman C. Simon, and associates Jason M. Moff, Anastasia Kaup and Anna K. Ostrom. Former associate Joshua Glick also participated in the matter.