For coronavirus-related issues, the following attorneys are available. If you are a member of the media, to arrange an interview, please contact our Marketing Director, Debra Scala Giokas at dscala@certilmanbalin.com

Banking and Commercial Lending

David E. Herold (516) 296-7098 dherold@certilmanbalin.com 
David E. Herold, a Partner in Commercial Lending Group, concentrates his practice representing institutional lenders in financing multi-family and commercial properties and documenting credit facilities for Middle Market and Small Business Borrowers as well as Condominium Associations and Home Owners Associations. He has experience in a variety of lending transactions including fee and leasehold financing, mezzanine financing, and asset based and receivable financing. 

Brendan DeRiggi (516) 296-7080 bderiggi@certilmanbalin.com
mobile: (516) 220-5045
Partner Brendan DeRiggi practices in our Real Estate, Commercial Lending and Litigation Groups.  He represents buyers, sellers, lenders and borrowers in an array of commercial
transactions. In commercial lending his specific emphasis is upon small business and middle-market loans, construction loans, leasehold financing and asset-based credit facilities.  

Michael F. O’Shea (516) 296-7128
moshea@certilmanbalin.com 
Michael F. O’Shea, a partner in the Commercial Lending Department, concentrates on the documentation of credit facilities on behalf of institutional lenders. Among the types of transactions documented by this department are: revolving credit facilities, government sponsored or guaranteed facilities, asset based facilities, aircraft financings, ship mortgages, highly leveraged transactions, real estate mortgages and private bank facilities. Mr. O’Shea concentrates on the documentation of government guaranteed and government sponsored facilities, including U.S. Small Business Administration 7A and 504 loan programs. 

Kenneth Hoffmann
(516) 296-7154
khoffmann@certilmanbalin.com
Mr. Hoffmann is a Partner in our Banking and Commercial Lending Practice Groups. He represents financial institutions and businesses in the areas of commercial lending, complex real estate transactions and asset-based financings.

Bankruptcy Issues

Jaspreet S. Mayall (516) 296-7061 jmayall@certilmanbalin.com
mobile: (917) 497-5879

Partner Jaspreet S. Mayall focuses his practice as a litigator in bankruptcy proceedings and as counsel to trustees, debtors, secured and unsecured creditors. He is also involved in non-judicial workouts, construction litigation, and handles other commercial litigation matters. Mr. Mayall has had significant experience in trials and Appeals before New York’s State and Federal Courts. Mr. Mayall has had eight significant decisions in matters in which he was involved, published in the Bankruptcy Reporter and New York Supplemental Reporter. 

Richard J. McCord (516) 296-7801 jmccord@certilmanbalin.com 
Partner Richard J. McCord has an in-depth understanding of bankruptcy law, gained from 19 years of experience in many different roles. Since 1987, he has served as a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York. He also served as a Chapter 13 Trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York from 1981 until 1992. He also has the unique perspective of the law from the Bench, as the judge in charge of administrative duties for the City of Glen Cove, presiding over all phases of civil and criminal proceedings. 

Coop/Condo Law

Richard Herzbach

(516) 296-7006
rherzbach@certilmanbalin.com
Richard Herzbach is a Partner in our Condominium and Cooperative Law Practice Group. He prepared the first condominium offering plan in the State of New York to be accepted by the Attorney General under that office’s certification procedures. Since then, he has represented numerous developers throughout the State of New York in all types of Condominium, Cooperative and Homeowner Association Law. 

Donna-Marie Korth
(516) 296-7095
dkorth@certilmanbalin.com

Donna-Marie Korth is a Partner in our Litigation and Coop/Condo Practice Groups. She litigates all aspects of commercial and real estate law, including banking and commercial foreclosure, and handles lending workouts. She also handles the regulatory work for residential and commercial developments.

Corporate/Securities

Brian K. Ziegler (516) 296-7046 bziegler@certilmanbalin.com 
Partner Brian Ziegler concentrates his practice on corporate and securities law. Mr. Ziegler provides counsel to family businesses and to corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies in all areas of finance and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Ziegler writes and lectures for professional associations on issues related to business organization. An active member of the Long Island community, Mr. Ziegler is the Village Justice of the Village of Woodsburgh. 

Fred Skolnik (516) 296-7048 fskolnik@certilmanbalin.com
mobile: (516) 476-7486

Partner Fred Skolnik focuses his practice on corporate and securities law and is a frequent lecturer on the topics. Mr. Skolnik serves the Nassau County Bar Association as Chair of the Corporation Law Committee and is a member of the Securities Law Committee. Mr. Skolnik’s practice relates primarily to the representation of publicly held corporations in connection with public and private financings, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate representation. 

Environmental

Barry S. Cohen (516) 296-7044
bcohen@certilmanbalin.com
mobile: (516) 745-2611

With eighteen years of experience in the environmental law field, Partner Barry Cohen’s environmental law practice is multi-faceted. A significant portion of his practice is devoted to assisting clients in achieving compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and in representing members of the regulated community in matters commenced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and local environmental and health agencies. Mr. Cohen has handled matters involving leaking underground storage tanks, air emissions, industrial discharges, community right-to-know reporting, the management and abatement of asbestos-containing materials and lead paint’s compliance-related practice, petroleum spills and the handling, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous chemicals, hazardous waste and pesticides. Mr. Cohen also spends a substantial amount of time representing clients in connection with the investigation and remediation of contaminated properties, the redevelopment of those properties, and litigation commenced under the federal Superfund Law, the New York State Navigation Law, and other federal and state environmental statutes and theories. Mr. Cohen has also presented defendants in toxic tort litigation, including cases involving alleged exposure to solvents, asbestos, pesticides and mold. Another area of Mr. Cohen’s practice involves providing advice and litigating issues that arise under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. 

Estate Planning and Litigation

Gregory J. Pond (516) 296-7808 
gpond@certilmanbalin.com

mobile:
(516) 480-5454
Gregory J. Pond is Partner in the Trusts and Estates Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP. His unique litigation practice with a focus on estate litigation is a culmination of years of advising clients in matters related to the probate and administration of estates, small business transactions and real estate matters. Mr. Pond understands the complex legal, business and personal issues that arise in estate planning, especially those involving closely-held businesses and families concerned for the future of relatives with special needs. He knows the problems that may occur in estate administration and planning matters, having litigated on behalf of clients in the areas of contested wills, accountings and guardianship matters.

Elder Law and Probate Issues 

Donna Turetsky (516) 296-7150
dturetsky@certilmanbalin.com
mobile: 516-521-1568

Donna Turetsky is a Partner in our Trusts and Estates and Elder Law Practice Groups She concentrates her practice on trust and estate administration, elder law, estate planning, special needs planning and guardianships. In the area of estate administration, she assists clients in all aspects of Surrogate Court practice which includes probate and administration proceedings, construction and reformation proceedings, discovery proceedings and accounting proceedings. Ms. Turetsky has been appointed numerous times to serve as Guardian Ad Litem through the Surrogate’s Court.

Litigation, Enforcement of Contracts and Landlord Issues

Thomas J. McNamara (516) 296-7057 tmcnamara@certilmanbalin.com mobile: (516) 574-9941
Partner Thomas McNamara’s practice encompasses a broad range of commercial litigation, including issues related to banking, creditors’ rights, contracts, real estate, employment, trade secrets, estates, and insurance, as well as corporate, shareholder, partnership, and antitrust matters. Mr. McNamara is recognized for his exceptional experience in banking and creditors’ rights litigation, and he is equally at home in state and federal court. 

Litigation, Landord-Tenant Issues

Anthony Cummings (516) 296-7062 acummings@certilmanbalin.com mobile: (516) 547-0459
Anthony W. Cummings is a Partner in our Litigation Practice Group where he represents clients in an array of commercial litigation matters. He represents clients in business related or commercial matters including breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of franchise, exclusive distributorship, shareholder and stock purchase agreements, corporate dissolution, landlord-tenant, product and premise liability matters. He also participates in litigation arising from real estate development projects and investments in various forms and structures. 

Nonprofit/Tax Exempt/Religious Organizations

David A. Goldstein dgoldstein@certilmanbalin.com
(516) 296-7811 

David Goldstein is a member of the Nonprofit/Tax Exempt/Religious Organizations Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, where he concentrates his practice in the area of not-for-profit law. Mr. Goldstein represents a range of national, regional and local not-for-profit and religious entities across a wide variety of nonprofit sectors. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Not-for-Profit Corporations Law Committee. He counsels and advocates for not-for-profits and religious organizations in a wide variety of areas, including governance, regulatory matters, ethics and conflicts of interest, risk assessment, risk management, operations, disputes and litigation, as well as commercial matters. 

Real Estate Transactions

Howard M. Stein (516) 296-7093 hstein@certilmanbalin.com
mobile (516) 279-9335

Partner Howard M. Stein concentrates on matters related to real property acquisitions, real estate finance, loan workouts, real estate transfer and mortgage tax issues and leasing. An adjunct professor of real estate law at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center where he sits on the school’s board of visitors, Mr. Stein lectures extensively on issues relating to real estate law and is frequently quoted in the media. 

Jodi Hoffman (516) 296-7058 jhoffman@certilmanbalin.com
mobile (516) 330-0771

Jodi S. Hoffman is a Partner in our Real Estate Practice Group. She represents clients locally, in the New York metropolitan area and across the country in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate law with a concentration in commercial leasing.  One of her most noteworthy transactions involved the representation of landlord in the lease of a 230,000 square-foot-facility for the corporate headquarters of an automotive retail software company.  

Real Property Tax & Condemnation Law

Allan Hyman (516) 296-7075 ahyman@certilmanbalin.com 
Senior Partner M. Allan Hyman concentrates his practice on real estate tax certiorari and condemnation law. He has successfully obtained significant tax refunds and savings for clients during his 32-year professional career. Additionally, he has handled condemnation proceedings in New York and other jurisdictions that resulted in awards greatly in excess of initial offers to purchase made by condemning authorities. Mr. Hyman has lectured extensively in his field at Hofstra University School of Law, the Nassau County Bar Association Academy of Law, the Institute of Property Taxation, and the Columbia Society of Real Estate Appraisers. 

Bernard Hyman (516) 296-7073 bhyman@certilmanbalin.com
mobile: (516) 297-1759

Senior and managing partner Bernard Hyman concentrates his practice in the area of real estate tax certiorari law and condemnation litigation. An authority on real estate valuation, Mr. Hyman lectures frequently on the subject of real estate tax relief. Recently, Newsday referred to him as one of the most influential figures in Long Island real estate. 

Dale Allinson (516) 296-7153 dallinson@certilmanbalin.com
mobile: (516) 532-7610

Partner Dale Allinson concentrates her practice in the area of real estate tax certiorari law and condemnation litigation. This concentration has, as its focus, issues of real property valuation; particularly the review of assessed valuation-seeking opportunities where taxes may be reduced. Ms. Allinson was the successful lead attorney on the Greentree at Lynbrook Condominium I and II vs. Board of Assessors, Village of Lynbrook Case. She has written on property valuation for a number of professional journals and she is a frequent lecturer on the topic before professional and civic associations. 

Eileen O’Boyle Bitetto (516) 296-7151 ebitetto@certilmanbalin.com 
Partner Eileen O’Boyle Bitetto concentrates her practice in the area of real estate tax certiorari law and condemnation litigation. This concentration has, as its focus, issues of real property valuation; particularly the review of assessed valuation-seeking opportunities where taxes may be reduced. Ms. O’Boyle Bitetto also represents clients whose property has been acquired, or is about to be acquired, in Eminent Domain proceedings.

Erin O’Brien (516) 296-7138 eobrien@certilmanbalin.com
mobile: (516) 987-3297

Erin A. O’Brien is a Partner in our Tax Certiorari and Condemnation Practice Group. Prior to joining Certilman Balin, she was a Partner at the law firm of Cronin, Cronin, Harris & O’Brien, P.C. She has successfully litigated before the Supreme and Appellate Courts throughout the State of New York, creating legal precedent with the arena of tax certiorari law. Admitted to practice in the Eastern District, as well as the States of New York and Connecticut, Ms. O’Brien is a member of the New York State Assessors’ Association, the New York State Bar Association, and both the Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations. In addition, she serves on their Tax Certiorari and Real Property Committees. She also serves on the Condemnation and Tax Certiorari Committee of the New York City Bar Association.

Richard P. Cronin (516) 296-7192 rcohen@certilmanbalin.com
mobile (631) 806-5062

Richard P. Cronin is a Partner in our Tax Certiorari and Condemnation Law Practice Group.Prior to joining Certilman Balin, he was a Partner at Cronin, Cronin, Harris & O’Brien, P.C. He represents owners of various types of commercial property in real estate tax review proceedings throughout the State of New York.  His thorough knowledge of Nassau County’s tax lien laws has helped property owners in Nassau to obtain further reductions in real estate taxes. Mr. Cronin also represents claimants in Eminent Domain proceedings throughout the State of New York. A member of the New York State Bar Association and both the Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations, he currently serves as Co-Chair of the Nassau County Tax Certiorari Committee.

Zoning and Land Use

J. Timothy Shea (631) 979-3000 tshea@certilmanbalin.com
mobile: (516) 297-1759

Timothy Shea, Jr., a Partner in our Real Estate Group, is based in our Hauppauge office. In his real estate law practice, Mr. Shea concentrates on land use and zoning matters and real property litigation.  He represents clients in various jurisdictions who are seeking a variety of land use approvals, including Change of Zone, Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board. These clients range from local development companies to Fortune 500 companies and include solar array development, big box stores, multi-family developments, medical offices, commercial centers and industrial projects.

Daniel Baker (516) 296-7158 dbaker@certilmanbalin.com 
Daniel J. Baker is a Partner in our Real Estate and Land Use and Zoning Practice Groups. He  represents clients on real estate transaction matters, land use and zoning issues, and industrial development agency (IDA) benefits.  His roster of clients runs the gamut from “mom and pop” operations and local developers to national and international shopping center owners and retailers. He also advises clients on local laws and customs, which help facilitate the navigation through the real estate and municipal processes.  

John Wagner (631) 979-3000 jwagner@certilmanbalin.com
John M. Wagner is a Partner in our Land Use and Zoning, Real Estate, Environmental Law, and Litigation Practice Groups. Mr. Wagner counsels private clients, ranging from individual landowners to multi-state development companies, as well as municipalities, in real property, zoning, land use, title, landlord/tenant, and environmental law matters.  His practice has a particular emphasis on environmental review of zoning and land use actions pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) and real property-related constitutional issues.

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Tax Certiorari in the Age of COVID-19

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