Sotheby’s sues over Hamptons sale

One of last year’s priciest deals in the Hamptons has become the centerpiece of ongoing litigation.

The lawsuit, filed by Sotheby’s International against the seller Nancy Silverman and her LLC, surrounds the $56 million sale of 1010 Meadow Lane in Southampton to previously unreported buyer Roger Barnett, CEO of the natural nutrition company Shaklee.

Sotheby’s claims that Silverman — who was married to private equity executive and founder of 54 Madison Partners, Henry Silverman until their divorce in 2012 — stiffed them of $840,000 in commission fees, refusing to pay for the services of Sotheby’s broker Harald Grant.

Grant began working on the listing in May 2025, the complaint states. Sotheby’s and Silverman signed a listing agreement in July, establishing a 1.5% commission. Sotheby’s had an exclusive right to sell the property until January 2026.

Bespoke Real Estate president and co-founder Cody Vichinsky notified Grant of Barnett as a prospective buyer in July, according to the agent’s affidavit. Barnett then contacted Silverman directly, but Grant continued to manage the transaction, at one point preventing the deal from falling through, legal filings state.

Silverman complained to Grant that Barnett was “not moving fast enough” in closing the deal and directed the agent to put the property back on the market to seek other buyers.

“I counseled Ms. Silverman that Mr. Barnett was likely a good prospective purchaser for the Property who she should not lose in haste,” Grant wrote in affirmation. “…I advised Mr. Barnett that the property would be back on the market if he did not agree to Ms. Silverman’s demands. As a result of my conversation with him, Mr. Barnett agreed to all of Ms. Silverman’s demands, and the transaction was able to move forward again.”

Grant says his management not only “salvaged the deal,” but also secured Silverman an additional $1,000,000 for furniture and fixtures. The sale was closed in August with ownership transferred to corporate entities associated with Barnett. Silverman refused to compensate Sotheby’s for any of its services.

The sale at 1010 Meadow Lane was sixth on The Real Deal’s list of the priciest Hamptons deals of 2025.

Barnett and his wife, lawyer and journalist Sloan Barnett, acquired a waterfront mansion in Miami in 2021 for $38 million. In January, the couple sold another waterfront mansion they bought in 2021, in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood for $71.9 million — over 60 percent more than their purchase price.

Sotheby’s filed the suit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. The defendants have since retained counsel and filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.

Harald Grant and Joshua Schiller, defense counsel representing Silverman and 1010 Meadow LLC, did not immediately return a request for comment.