Paul B. Sweeney is a partner in our Litigation, Nonprofit Law and Environmental Practice Groups. He represents clients in a broad range of business and commercial litigation matters before state, federal and appellate courts.
Mr. Sweeney has a wide range of experience that includes bench and jury trials, as well as appellate practice in connection with business contract disputes, real estate disputes, corporate governance, business torts and antitrust, securities fraud, intellectual property, internet law disputes, Civil RICO, class actions, shareholder derivative suits, and Section 1983 and constitutional torts.
Mr. Sweeney was appointed to the Commercial Division Mediation Panel in Nassau County Supreme Court and certified to mediate a wide variety of commercial civil disputes.
Business Divorce & Commercial Litigation:
Mr. Sweeney concentrates his litigation practice on complex business divorce cases, focusing on disputes among limited liability companies (LLCs), partnerships, family-owned businesses, and other closely held corporations. His experience extends to representing both both controlling and minority owners in contentious disputes among owners, disagreements over the conduct of management of closely held entities. He has successfully represented clients in both judicial and alternative dispute resolution forums, leveraging his deep understanding of business structures and his strategic approach to problem-solving. Mr. Sweeney’s expertise also includes representing clients in dissolution proceedings, with a focus on protecting client interests during periods of transition and conflict.
Non-Profit & Corporate Governance Litigation:
In addition to his commercial litigation work, Mr. Sweeney has extensive experience representing not-for-profit organizations in a wide range of legal matters. His practice includes handling internal governance disputes, including issues relating to board composition, director and officer fiduciary duties, and conflicts between stakeholders within the organization. Mr. Sweeney is adept at navigating the unique challenges faced by not-for-profit entities, from disputes over organizational control to defending against claims of mismanagement or breach of fiduciary duty.
Environmental Litigation:
Mr. Sweeney also has represented clients in numerous high-stakes cases involving environmental law. His experience includes defending businesses and other entities against claims related to contamination and cleanup efforts under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as well as various state environmental laws.
Prior to joining Certilman Balin, Mr. Sweeney was a Partner in the Litigation Practice Group at a New York City law firm. He began his career as a law clerk to The Honorable Thomas C. Platt of the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York.
He has served as a member of the Board of Managers of the YMCA at Glen Cove since 2015, and as the Chairperson of the Board since 2019.
Mr. Sweeney earned a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Vermont.
A member of the Nassau County Bar Association, he is admitted to practice in the state of New York, as well as in the New York Court of Appeals; the United States Court of Appeals, Second, Seventh and Ninth Circuits; and the United States District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and the District of Arizona.
Mr. Sweeney was named consecutively to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list from 2013 until 2026. He has also achieved the highest rating by Martindale Hubbell.
Education
Fordham University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1992
University of Vermont, B.A., 1987
Bar Admission
New York
Court Admission
New York Court of Appeals
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second, Seventh and Ninth Circuits
U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
District of Arizona
Bar Associations
New York State Bar Association
Nassau County Bar Association
American Bar Association
Recognitions
New York Metro Super Lawyers List, 2013-2026
Highest Rating by Martindale Hubbell
Community Involvement
Member, Board of Managers of the YMCA at Glen Cove since 2015
Chairperson, Board of Managers of the YMCA at Glen Cove since 2019
City of Glen Cove Planning Board, 2020-2021
Publications
Co-author of “Alternatives to Impeachment: What May Congress Do?” 45 The Record 13 (1999).