Antwerpse Diamantbank N.V. v. Nissel

*208Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Charles E. Ramos, J.), entered February 16, 2005, which granted defendants’ motion to amend their answer to change an admission of an allegation to a denial and to interpose a statute of limitations defense, unanimously affirmed, with costs.

It is well settled that leave to amend a pleading shall be freely granted absent prejudice or surprise resulting from the delay (CPLR 3025 [b]). Despite the passage of a year since the filing of the original answer, there was no prejudice to plaintiff because of the lack of significant discovery or other progress in…