THIS OPINION DEMONSTRATES HOW COURTS DEAL WITH INTERPRETING THE LANGUAGE OF A CONTRACT WHERE DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS OF A KEY WORD, HERE THE WORD “COMMIT,” SUPPORT THE OPPOSING POSITIONS OF THE PARTIES (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Renwick, over a detailed dissent, affirmed the lower court’s interpretation of the contract language and the related denial of plaintiff’s demand for prevailing-party attorney’s fees. The opinion turned on the definition of “commit” and is too detailed to fairly summarize here. The opinion should be consulted for insight into the interpretation of contract language where dictionary definitions support the opposing positions of the parties. Aurelius Capital Master Ltd. v Hertz Intl. Ltd., 2026 NY Slip Op 05369, First Dept 9-22-26