September 30, East Meadow, NY – Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP is pleased to announce that Lisa S. Hunter, M. Allan Hyman, Donna-Marie Korth, Paul Linzer, Jaspreet S. Mayall, Thomas J. McNamara, Douglas E. Rowe, Howard M. Stein and Paul B. Sweeney have been named to the 2021 New York Metro Super Lawyers list, and Carrie Adduci, Kimberly A. Barresi, Richard Cronin, Kathleen Farrell, Heather L. Gauweiler, Brian Sinsabaugh, Rebecca Sklar, Darren Stakey, and Nicholas Venditto were named to the 2021 New York Metro Super Lawyers Rising Stars list.
The honor recognizes top lawyers in their respective areas of practice. The review and selection process includes a statewide nomination process, peer review by practice area and independent candidate research. Due to the highly rigorous nature of the nomination and review process, only five percent of lawyers in the New York metro area are named to the list. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a research-driven peer influenced rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made based upon peer nominations, independent research by Super Lawyers, and evaluations from a highly credentialed panel of attorneys.
Named to 2021 NY Metro Super Lawyers List
Lisa S. Hunter (Plainview), a Partner in and Co-Chair of the Trusts and Estates and Elder Law Practice Groups, concentrates in all aspects of trusts, estates, tax, and succession planning, primarily for high net worth individuals. A member of the Estate Planning Council of Nassau County and the New York State and Nassau County Bar Associations, Ms. Hunter serves on the Tax Law and Surrogate’s Court, Estates and Trusts Committees of the Nassau County Bar Association. Ms. Hunter received her Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College and her Juris Doctor from Villanova University, where she served as an editor of the Law Review. She also holds the degree of Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University. She is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association.
Allan Hyman (Sands Point) is a senior partner and practices in the firm’s litigation, real estate tax certiorari, and condemnation law departments. He has successfully obtained millions of dollars of tax refunds and savings for clients during his 50 year professional career. Additionally, his practice focuses on representing both claimants and condemnors in eminent domain proceedings throughout the State of New York and other jurisdictions. A graduate of Syracuse University, B.A., Mr. Hyman also holds a Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University Law School. He is admitted to practice in New York State and before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, the Circuit Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the Nassau County Bar Association, and serves on the Tax Certiorari and Condemnation law, Supreme Court, and Commercial Litigation committees of the Nassau County Bar Association.
Donna-Marie Korth (Rockville Centre) is a Partner in our Coop/Condo and Litigation Practice Groups. She handles the regulatory and compliance work for residential and commercial developments, and also litigates all aspects of commercial and real estate law, including banking and commercial foreclosure, and handles lending workouts. Certified to mediate a wide variety of civil disputes pre or post-litigation, she was appointed to serve on the Commercial Mediation Panel in Nassau County Supreme Court, Superstorm Sandy/Natural Disaster Mediation Panel in Eastern District of the United States District Court, Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel of the Nassau County Bar Association, and is a member of the ADR Advisory Council of the Nassau County Bar Association. She served as Dean of the Nassau Academy of Law, and continues to moderate and lecture Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars. She is also a former appointee to the Nassau County Bar Association Judiciary Committee, former Co-Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, and former Chair/Vice-Chair of the Appellate Practice Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association. Ms. Korth graduated, magna cum laude, from St. John’s University with an undergraduate degree in accounting and graduated, with honors, from that University’s School of Law. She is admitted to practice in New York State and before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and Nassau County Bar Association.
Paul Linzer (Brooklyn) is a Partner in the Labor Relations and Criminal Law Practice Groups. He concentrates his practice on all aspects of public sector labor law litigation, as well as criminal defense litigation. Mr. Linzer serves as labor counsel and/or general counsel to a variety of public sector labor unions and their membership. These include the New York City firefighters’ union, many County, Town, and Village-level Police unions, and the supervisors’ union from the New York City Department of Correction. He represents these unions in all labor and civil litigation matters including their grievance arbitrations, improper labor practice proceedings, policy negotiations, collective bargaining of contracts, interest arbitrations, drafting of potential legislation, and any matters in State and/or Federal Courts. He also represents union members in Internal Affairs, disciplinary proceedings, or other internal or external administrative or criminal investigations.
Jaspreet S. Mayall (Dix Hills) is a Partner in the Telecommunications Group and Debtor/Creditor Rights and Bankruptcy Group. He provides daily counsel to master wholesalers and retailers of wireless products and services, handling their agreements and negotiations with their wireless providers. He also counsels these clients on mergers, acquisitions, joint venture agreements, OEM agreements, retails leases, daily transactions and issues, as well as matters requiring litigation. He is known nationally as the go-to person in the telecommunications industry, and wholesalers and retailers of the master carriers have come to count on Mr. Mayall’s expertise in helping them in their business transactions. Mr. Mayall earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1988 and his Juris Doctorate from the Hofstra University School of Law in 1991.
Thomas McNamara’s (Port Washington) practice encompasses a broad range of commercial litigation and arbitration, including issues related to banking, creditors’ rights, contracts, business divorce, real estate, employment, trade secrets, trust and estates, and insurance, as well as corporate, securities, shareholder, partnership, and antitrust matters. He graduated with honors from the University of Chicago, where he majored in economics, and earned his law degree from New York University School of Law in 1980.
Douglas E. Rowe (Atlantic Beach) is a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group. He brings to the firm a broad range of expertise in labor and employment law, including claims alleging discrimination based upon race, sex, religion, national origin, age and disability, as well as sexual harassment, wage and hour issues, labor arbitrations, and defense of employment-related claims under federal and state statutes. In 1981, he earned his Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Maryland. Mr. Rowe is a member of the New York and Nassau County Bar Associations.
Howard M. Stein (Commack) is Managing Partner of the Real Estate Practice Group where he concentrates on matters related to real property acquisitions, development, sales, leasing, real estate finance and loan workouts. He represents a wide range of clients from closely held businesses to public companies in structuring complicated transactions for retail, industrial, office, hotel and residential developments. Mr. Stein is a 1975 graduate of the University of Rochester where he now serves as a member of their George Eastman Circle and earned his law degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1978. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York and the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York and has achieved the highest rating by Martindale Hubbell. He is also a member of the Nassau County Bar Association.
Paul B. Sweeney (Glen Cove) is a Partner in the Litigation Practice Group and represents clients in a broad range of commercial litigation matters before state, federal and appellate courts. He is well-versed in the following areas of law: contracts, securities, accountant’s liability, legal malpractice, trade secrets, intellectual property, antitrust and class actions. Mr. Sweeney has handled numerous cases involving issues of corporate governance in which he represented corporate officers and directors, as well as members of limited liability companies. He has also represented clients in employment matters concerning the enforcement of restrictive covenants and discrimination claims. He earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law in 1992 and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Vermont in 1987. In addition, Mr. Sweeney achieved the highest rating by Martindale Hubbell. From 2013 through 2019, Mr. Sweeney was named consecutively to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list.
Named to 2021 NY Metro Rising Stars List
The selection process for the Rising Stars list is the same as the Super Lawyers selection process, with one exception: to be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. All attorneys first go through the Super Lawyers selection process. Those who are not selected to the Super Lawyers list, but who meet either one of the Rising Stars eligibility requirements, go through the Rising Stars selection process. While up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.
Carrie Adduci (New Hyde Park) is an Associate in our Real Estate Practice Group and concentrates on acquisitions, sales and refinances of commercial and residential properties. She also represents developers with regard to the sale of their newly constructed residential homes. An Adjunct Professor, Ms. Adduci co-teaches a course in Applied Legal Analysis at her alma mater, St. John’s University School of Law. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude in 2012 and her Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, with a major in Legal Studies and a minor in Theology.
Kimberly A. Barresi (Huntington) is an associate in the Banking/Commercial Lending Practice Group. Her practice concentrates on the representation of lenders in financing commercial real estate properties, varying from middle market to small business loans, including government guaranteed loans offered through the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 and 7(a) loan programs. Ms. Barresi earned her Juris Doctor and a Certificate in Environmental Law, cum laude, from Pace University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Richard P. Cronin (Brooklyn) is a Partner in our Tax Certiorari and Condemnation Law Practice Group.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. He earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Hofstra University.
Kathleen Farrell (New York City) is an Associate in the Real Estate Practice Group and concentrates in the areas of commercial leasing, asset purchase and sales, and real estate development. She represents clients at the local, regional and national level, including commercial property owners and tenants from independent retail stores to major institutions and businesses. She and her team recently closed a substantial transaction involving the sale of 61 acres in Farmingville, New York. Ms. Farrell earned her Juris Doctor from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and was on the Dean’s List. She earned her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Literature and Rhetoric with a minor in History from Binghamton University.
Heather L. Gauweiler (Seaford) is a Partner in the Banking and Commercial Lending Department and concentrates on the representation of institutional and private lenders in all aspects of complex commercial real estate transactions and asset-based lending. She has extensive experience in structuring, negotiating and documenting a wide variety of financing arrangements to middle market and small business borrowers, including mortgage loans (both permanent and construction financings), revolving credit and term loan facilities, interest rate swap transactions, letter of credit transactions, government guaranteed loans offered through the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 and 7(a) loan programs and governmentally assisted financing arrangements commonly utilized in project development financings. Mrs. Gauweiler earned her Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, in sociology from SUNY Cortland in 2005. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Hofstra University School of Law in 2008.
Brian T. Sinsabaugh (Mineola) is an associate in the Land Use and Zoning Practice Groups and is based in the Hauppauge office. He handles an array of matters including land use and zoning and contracts and lease agreements. Mr. Sinsabaugh earned his Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law. From Clarkson University’s School of Business, he earned his Master of Business Administration and his Bachelor of Science with a major in International Business Management.
Rebecca R. Sklar (Manhattan) is an Associate in the Tax Certiorari and Condemnation Practice Group. Rebecca’s practice primarily focuses on real estate valuation. She represents property owners in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties, as well as in upstate New York, who are seeking reductions in their properties’ assessed valuations. Rebecca also represents both condemnees and condemnors in Eminent Domain proceedings. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Hofstra University School of Law in 2013. A 2009 graduate of Binghamton University, Ms. Sklar earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Spanish.
Darren Stakey (Riverhead) is an Associate in the Litigation, Real Estate, and Condominium Practice Groups. Mr. Stakey is admitted to practice law in New York, California, and the District of Columbia. He is also admitted to practice in United States District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and the United States Supreme Court. He was the 2015 Salutatorian at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, a published member of the Touro Law Review, and a National Quarterfinalist with Touro’s Moot Court Honors Board. He was recently honored by Touro as the Public Interest Attorney of the Year. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa at Hofstra University and worked in education and the private aviation industry before becoming an attorney.
Nicholas Venditto (Massapequa) is a Partner in the Corporate/Securities Practice Group. Prior to joining Certilman Balin, Mr. Venditto spent six years as an associate in the Corporate Group of an international law firm on Wall Street. Mr. Venditto’s practice focuses primarily on mergers and acquisitions involving privately held companies, complex joint ventures, corporate governance matters and other general corporate matters. He earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2008, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, summa cum laude, from Hofstra University in 2005.
For further information, please visit SuperLawyers.com and the attorneys’ biographies on certilmanbalin.com or contact Debra Scala Giokas. Director of Marketing, at 516.296.7087.
About Certilman Balin
Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP has grown into Long Island’s second largest full-service law firm with offices in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Its 15 practice areas include: real estate, real property tax certiorari and condemnation, cooperative and condominium, land use, environmental law, corporate/securities, litigation, commercial lending, labor relations/employment law, bankruptcy and debtor/creditor rights, nonprofit/tax exempt and religious organizations, trusts and estates, elder law, telecommunications law, and criminal law. For further information, visit www.certilmanbalin.com.
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