Yonah Jaffe is a partner in Reid Collins & Tsai’s New York office.
He primarily represents plaintiffs in complex financial litigation, with substantial experience litigating in the context of bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. Jaffe has represented plaintiffs, defendants, bankruptcy trustees, liquidators, and creditors in a variety of matters in state and federal courts, including professional malpractice actions, claims against fiduciaries, business tort matters, shareholder derivative litigation, judgment enforcement, fraudulent transfer litigation, contractual disputes, and other bankruptcy litigation matters.
Jaffe began his career in bankruptcy court, clerking for Chief Judge Carla E. Craig of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York. In his career in private practice, Jaffe has built on his bankruptcy foundation and evolved into a seasoned commercial litigator, recognized by his colleagues for his ability to tackle tough litigation issues with innovative solutions.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2026 | Commercial Litigation, esp. Financial |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2026 | Financial Litigation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2025 | Commercial Litigation, esp. Financial |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation | 2024 | Plaintiff Financial Litigation, inc. Bankruptcy |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2024 | Commercial Litigation, esp. Financial |
| Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation | 2023 | Plaintiff Financial Litigation, inc. Bankruptcy |
| The 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2023 | Commercial Litigation, esp. Financial |
In addition to bankruptcy matters, he has litigated extensively in New York state court and is often consulted to provide procedural insight and strategy on matters pending in New York courts. Yonah has also been involved in state and federal litigation matters across the country. A significant part of Yonah’s practice involves investigating and assessing litigation claims pre-suit.
For his professional achievements, Jaffe has been recognized as one of the nation’s top emerging litigators, having been selected by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America and one of its 500 X – The Next Generation of Leading Lawyers in America. Jaffe received his J.D., cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School, where he served as a Notes and Comments Editor for the Brooklyn Journal of International Law. Yonah earned his B.S. in Marketing, magna cum laude, from Touro College.
Notable Representations:
- Representing plaintiff in shareholder derivative claims on behalf of Fang Holdings Ltd. in New York state court, alleging breaches of fiduciary duties and other misconduct by foreign insiders to loot company through New York’s capital markets.
- Represented Apollo real estate affiliate in proceedings to invalidate eminent domain taking of its real estate by Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
- Representing behavioral health company in New York state court action against venture debt fund for destroying business by breaching forbearance agreement and violating Uniform Commercial Code’s foreclosure rules.
- Represented the chapter 7 trustee of Dura Automotive Systems, LLC, a bankruptcy portfolio company of Lynn Tilton’s Zohar Funds in claims against Tilton and another Dura executive in Delaware Court of Chancery.
- Represented derivative shareholder plaintiffs in breach of fiduciary duty and related claims under Cayman Islands law against insiders of Renren, Inc. Precedents established in the case – holding foreign entities and actors accountable in U.S. courts – strengthen investor protections, with $300 million settlement approved in New York state court.