If you just received a summons and complaint naming Mizrahi Kroub LLP, or attorneys Joseph Mizrahi, Edward Kroub, William Downes, or Jarrett Charo, you are not alone. This firm is the highest volume filer of website accessibility lawsuits in the country. National reporting has described Mizrahi Kroub as responsible for roughly a quarter of all digital ADA cases in the United States, and court records show more than 190 new cases filed by the firm in New York courts since early July of this year alone.
My name is Michael Samuel. I am an ADA defense attorney in New York, admitted in 1993, and I have defended more than 100 businesses in ADA accessibility lawsuits. I see new Mizrahi Kroub complaints on the court dockets nearly every day. This article explains who filed your lawsuit, what it claims, what your deadline is, and what resolving it realistically looks like.
The most important fact first. Mizrahi Kroub files most of its cases in federal court, in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. In federal court you generally have 21 days to respond after being served. The exact deadline is printed on your summons. The clock started when you were served, so do not wait to get counsel involved.
Who Is Mizrahi Kroub LLP?
Mizrahi Kroub LLP is a plaintiff side law firm based in Manhattan, founded by attorneys Joseph H. Mizrahi and Edward Y. Kroub. The firm files lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the New York State and New York City Human Rights Laws, most often alleging that a business website is not accessible to blind and visually impaired users who rely on screen reader software.
The firm files at very high volume. It has been publicly reported as the largest filer of website accessibility cases in the country. Filing a large number of similar lawsuits is lawful, and courts treat each case on its own merits. What it means for you, practically, is that your lawsuit is almost certainly not personal and not unusual. It follows a well established template, and so does the path to resolving it.
What the Lawsuit Actually Claims
Mizrahi Kroub complaints typically allege that a blind or visually impaired plaintiff visited your website using a screen reader and could not fully use it. Common allegations include missing text descriptions on images, menus and forms that cannot be operated with a keyboard alone, and checkout or booking flows that assistive software cannot complete.
The complaint will usually assert claims under Title III of the ADA together with the New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law, which allow limited damages on top of the federal claims. Many of these complaints are styled as class actions, filed on behalf of the plaintiff and others similarly situated. Do not let that language alarm you. Your defense lawyer will explain what it means for your specific case, and it does not change the basic reality that these cases are routinely resolved.
The complaint will demand that your website be made accessible and will seek damages, costs, and attorneys’ fees. In practice, the attorneys’ fees are the economic engine of these cases, which is also why resolving them early usually costs far less than resolving them late.
Is This a Real Compliance Problem, or a Volume Lawsuit?
Both things can be true at once. Your website may genuinely have accessibility gaps, because most websites do. At the same time, the litigation pattern matters to your defense strategy. When a firm files at this volume, its cases follow a template, its settlement expectations are well established, and a defense lawyer who handles these cases regularly knows what they typically resolve for. An experienced ADA defense attorney will evaluate the complaint against your actual website, consider defenses such as standing and mootness, and respond from knowledge rather than fear.
What to Do in the First 48 Hours After Being Served
- Do not ignore it. Federal courts enter default judgments against businesses that miss their deadline, and a default is far more expensive than a defended case.
- Preserve the complaint and any demand letters. Forward everything to counsel. Do not respond directly to plaintiff counsel yourself.
- Start a genuine accessibility audit of your website. An audit does not resolve the lawsuit, but it starts building a good faith remediation record. Be careful with quick fix “accessibility overlay” widgets. Complaints in these cases have specifically named websites running such tools, so an overlay alone is not a fix and not a defense. Real remediation means changes to your site code and content, tested with actual assistive technology.
- Call a defense attorney who has specifically handled Mizrahi Kroub cases. The right strategy differs by plaintiff firm, and this firm’s cases follow patterns an experienced defense lawyer will recognize immediately.
- Tender the claim to your insurance carrier. Some general liability and cyber policies respond to these claims or contribute to defense costs. It costs nothing to ask.
What Defending the Case Looks Like
Most of these cases in New York follow a predictable arc. The defense files an answer, the parties exchange information, and the case resolves through a negotiated settlement that includes a payment and a commitment to remediate the website within an agreed period. Defenses exist and matter. Depending on the facts, there can be real questions about the plaintiff standing to sue, whether the claimed barriers actually exist on your site, and whether remediation is already underway. An experienced defense lawyer evaluates all of this before any money is discussed.
A Flat Fee, So You Know the Cost Upfront
We handle ADA website accessibility defense on a flat fee basis, so you know your legal cost from the outset instead of facing an open ended hourly bill. Many of these cases resolve well before trial, often within several months, through a combination of remediation and negotiated resolution. The most expensive decision in these cases is almost always delay.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I have to respond to a Mizrahi Kroub complaint?
Most Mizrahi Kroub cases are filed in federal court, where you generally have 21 days to respond after personal service. Confirm your exact deadline with counsel immediately, because missing it can result in a default judgment.
Is Mizrahi Kroub a legitimate law firm?
Yes. Mizrahi Kroub LLP is a real, active litigation firm in Manhattan, and its cases are filed in real courts with real judges. The volume of filings is a pattern worth understanding, not a reason to assume your case lacks merit or will go away on its own.
My complaint says class action. Does that make it worse?
Many of these complaints are styled as class actions, and that language sounds more alarming than it usually is in practice. Your defense lawyer will explain what it means for your specific case. It does not change the fact that these cases are routinely resolved through negotiated settlements.
Can I just fix my website and make the lawsuit go away?
Remediation is an important part of a defense strategy, but voluntary fixes alone do not automatically end a filed lawsuit. Courts in New York have allowed cases to continue past early motions even where the business claimed its website had been fixed, because the plaintiff is entitled to test that claim. How and when you remediate, and how it is documented, should be coordinated with your defense lawyer.
What does it cost to defend a Mizrahi Kroub lawsuit?
We offer flat fee pricing for ADA website accessibility defense, so you know your cost upfront rather than facing an open ended hourly bill. A case that is answered on time and negotiated early is usually resolved for a fraction of what the same case costs after a default or months of unfocused litigation.
If You Have Been Served, Do This Today
Bring your summons and complaint to a defense lawyer who handles these specific cases, before your response deadline, not after. I review new ADA filings in the New York courts every day, I know the firms that file them, and I will tell you plainly what your case is and what it should take to end it.
Call me directly at 212-563-9884, learn more about our ADA defense practice in New York, or read my Step by Step Guide for Website Owners Targeted with ADA Accessibility Lawsuits. If you were sued by a different firm, see my article on Shaked Law Group lawsuits.
Michael Samuel has practiced law in New York for more than 30 years and has defended more than 100 businesses in ADA accessibility lawsuits. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1993 (Registration No. 2563005) and is admitted before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Attorney Advertising. This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney client relationship. Every case is different. Consult a lawyer about your specific situation. Factual statements about filing volume are based on public court records and published reporting.
