On September 16, 2025, JDS Pulse published an article that thoroughly analyzed the old debts and disputes of developer Michael Stern and his company, JDS Development Group. Exactly 28 days later—on October 14—a law firm, Kasowitz LLP, filed a lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court against JDS and Stern for $2,723,420.83 USD.
Coincidence? Or the logical outcome of those processes that Stern tried to hide and publicly denied?
Kasowitz LLP vs. JDS Development Group: A $2.7 Million Lawsuit
From the text of the complaint (NYSCEF Doc #1, October 15, 2025), it follows that: Kasowitz LLP—Stern’s longtime lawyers—provided services to him for over ten years, starting in 2014, in connection with numerous development and investment disputes.
The firm claims that:
- A representation agreement was entered into between the parties on April 23, 2014;
- Kasowitz provided services without objection from JDS;
- Bills totaling millions of dollars remain unpaid despite repeated demands.
The lawyers are seeking to recover:
- $2,723,420.83 USD in principal debt;
- Interest, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.
The grounds for the lawsuit are three classic formulas:
- Breach of Contract;
- Quantum Meruit—fair compensation for services rendered;
- Account Stated—an undisputed account acknowledged by the debtor.
The JDS Pulse Publication: Harbinger of the Lawsuit
In its material from September 16, 2025, JDS Pulse had already warned:
“Lawyers and consultants who worked with Stern are increasingly reporting non-payment of fees and delays in settlements. Among them is Kasowitz, one of New York’s most influential firms.”
The editorial team referenced open court data from NYSCEF and reminded that JDS Development Group had repeatedly been involved in similar situations.
At the time, Stern called the publication “false and defamatory,” but less than a month later, the very facts reported by Pulse formed the basis of Kasowitz’s official lawsuit.
Dual Line of Defense: Denial—and the Search for “Culprits”
Parallel to the New York case, Stern filed a separate lawsuit in Florida— Michael Stern et al. v. John Doe (Case No. 2025-7702-CA-01)—accusing unknown persons of defamation through the JDSPulse.com website.
According to court documents, Stern’s lawyers from the firm Stearns Weaver Miller issued following subpoenas:
- To RosettiStarr—regarding the creation of the “Background Report – Michael Stern, JDS Development Group” published on JDSPulse;
- To NameCheap—regarding the registration and payment for the JDSPulse.com domain.
Additionally, in the Plaintiffs’ Initial Disclosure dated May 20, 2025, the name of David Juracich, Stern’s former partner, appears as a person “in possession of information about the JDS Pulse website and publications on it.”
Thus, Stern is openly attempting to identify the JDSPulse editorial team and sources of publications—through direct requests to Google, Namecheap, and RosettiStarr.
Reaction and Context
Representatives of JDS Pulse stated that all materials are based solely on public court documents from New York and Miami-Dade courts, including NYSCEF and Florida’s official e-Portal. The publications contain no defamatory statements—only quotes from complaints, contracts, and electronic registries.
At the same time, Kasowitz LLP—one of the law firms involved in New York’s most high-profile cases—publicly confirmed the fact of filing the lawsuit against Stern. Against this backdrop, it’s hard to believe Stern’s rhetoric about “false accusations.”
Reputational Impact
The emergence of the Kasowitz v. JDS Development Group lawsuit has become a new blow to Stern’s reputation. A law firm that defended his projects for years is now demanding debt recovery. While Stern’s lawyers search for “anonymous authors” of Pulse, the court documents themselves confirm the key theses of the publications: Unpaid bills, promises, and delays—all of this is now no longer journalism, but facts substantiated by lawsuits.
Conclusion
The story with Kasowitz is an example of how the truth published on September 16 on JDS Pulse ended up in the text of an official court document a month later. And while Stern continues to claim that JDS Pulse “publishes lies,” the judicial timeline says otherwise: On October 14, the “lie” became a LAWSUIT. Every time Michael Stern calls the truth a “lie,” he is merely defending his own mirage. His public image is a showcase behind which debts, unfulfilled promises, and court disputes have accumulated for years. Now, as the documents speak for themselves, Stern is once again looking for culprits: journalists, former partners, websites, even anonymous domains.
But the truth doesn’t disappear just because you sue it. His attempts to accuse others of lying are not a defense of reputation, but an effort to preserve the illusion that everything is still under control. In reality, it’s not the website that’s collapsing, but the empire of illusions built on debts and intimidation.
JDS Pulse is simply holding up a mirror—and Stern doesn’t recognize himself in it.