A New York City real estate attorney has filed a lawsuit against broker Ryan Serhant, claiming she was not paid her full referral commission in the sale of a Fisher Island home involving Stoli Vodka billionaire Yuri Shefler.
Natalia Sishodia, who leads her own law firm in New York, is seeking $455,000 and a jury trial. According to court documents, Sishodia signed a referral agreement with Serhant’s firm in April 2024 for the Fisher Island transaction. She alleges that she was owed 25 percent of an $840,000 gross commission—amounting to $210,000—but received only $105,000. The complaint states that Serhant cited an amended agreement as justification for the reduced payment. Sishodia’s suit, filed in July in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in New York County, names Serhant and seven affiliated companies as defendants.
The total amount sought includes an additional $105,000 Sishodia claims is still owed to her and $350,000 in damages.
Attorneys representing Sishodia declined to comment on the case. Andrew Lieb, counsel for Serhant, stated by email that his client is moving to dismiss the case and “will let the papers speak for themselves.”
The dispute centers on Shefler’s December sale of his property at 6915 Valencia Drive on Fisher Island in Miami Beach for $21 million. The buyer was Guilherme Federico. Mariana Niro from Serhant’s team represented both parties in this deal involving one of the few single-family homes on Fisher Island.
Legal filings identified Shefler as the seller—a detail not previously reported. Forbes estimates Shefler’s net worth at $1.1 billion; he leads SPI Group and its Luxembourg-based subsidiary Stoli Group.
Shefler has been involved in other high-profile transactions: In 2015 he sold his superyacht “Serene” to Prince Mohammed bin Salman for $550 million according to The New York Times; and in 2022 he purchased Angelina Jolie’s share of Château Miraval vineyard for $28.4 million amid ongoing litigation with Brad Pitt over that deal.
For Serhant, who expanded into South Florida only last year, this sale marks another milestone despite recent legal challenges—including a now-dismissed lawsuit from Palm Beach Gardens-based Sutter & Nugent alleging misappropriation of trade secrets by Serhant Florida.
Since entering the market there, Serhant has recruited top Palm Beach agent Gary Pohrer and opened an office on Fisher Island. He is also involved with a major oceanfront assemblage purchase linked to Microsoft billionaire Charles Simonyi valued at more than $350 million.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the buyer of the home.
