In re Polo Grounds Area Project I: Lessons from a Forgotten Lawsuit

In 1961, the City of New York, using its eminent domain power, took title to the famed Polo Grounds. In 1967, in the Polo Grounds Area Project II case, the New York Court of Appeals ordered the City to pay millions of dollars in compensation to the site’s owners. This Article recalls the much more obscure Polo Grounds Area Project I case. Decided in 1964, it represents the opening act in the legal drama set off by the New York Giants’ move to San Francisco.

It also provides guidance on three subjects important for practicing lawyers: 1) the correct method of forming a multi-client relationship; 2) the propriety of using market rates to set their fees; and 3) the importance of keeping time sheets.