Statement of Practice

General Trial and Appellate Practice before all State and Federal Courts. Administrative, Legislative and Regulatory Law, Antitrust, Communication, Construction, Corporate, Creditors' Rights, Workouts and Bankruptcy, Education, Employment Law Litigation, Environmental, Estate and Financial Planning, Health Care, Insurance Defense, Intellectual Property, Immigration Law, Labor and Employment, Municipal, Negligence and Product Liability, OSHA, Pension and Employee Benefits, Personal Injury, Probate, Public Finance, Real Property, Securities, Taxation and Zoning Law.

Representative Clients:

Albany Medical Center
Town of Bethlehem
Eden Park Nursing Homes
General Electric Co.
Lehigh Northeast Cement Company
IBM Corp. McDonald's Corp.
Nathan Littauer Hospital
New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
New York Power Authority
NYS Thruway Authority
National Grid
Quad Graphics, Inc.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Sysco Corp.
Telescope Casual Furniture, Inc.
The Sage Colleges
Times Union
City of Troy
United Parcel Service
Insurance: Chubb Group of Insurance Cos.
Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
UNUM Provident
Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America.

Clients

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL FOR: Bally Total Fitness Corporation
Besicorp-Empire Newsprint, LLC
Dairylea Cooperative, Inc.
Financial Service Centers of NY, Inc.
First Cardinal Corp.
H&R Block, Inc.
NYS Automobile Dealers Association
NYS Collectors Association
Ski Areas of New York Inc.
Statewide Corporate Strategies, Inc.
triVin, Inc.
Utica National Insurance Company.

Address

111 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12210, (Albany Co.)

Phone

Phone: 518-533-3000
Fax: 518-533-3299

Website

http://www.bsk.com

Firm/Affiliate Offices

(For complete biographical data on all personnel, see Professional Biographies at Syracuse, New York)

MEMBERS

John R. Aldrich (Member) born Canandaigua, New York; admitted to bar, 1977, New York; 1981, U.S. Tax Court; U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York. Education: University of Notre Dame (B.B.A., 1973); Albany Law School of Union College (J.D., 1976).Email: John R. Aldrich

John M. Bagyi (Member) admitted to bar, 1997, New York, Massachusetts and U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York; 2001, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of Albany (B.A., 1993); Albany Law School of Union University (J.D., magna cum laude, 1996). Named Best Lawyers in America 2007, 2008. Practice Areas: Labor and Employment.Email: John M. Bagyi

Gregory J. Champion (Member) born Glens Falls, New York, October 7, 1954; admitted to bar, 1992, New York and U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York. Education: St. Lawrence University (B.A., 1976); Syracuse University (J.D., summa cum laude, 1991). Order of the Coif. Justinian Honorary Society, 1990-1991. Syracuse University Graduate Fellow. Executive Editor, Syracuse Law Review, 1990-1991. Member: New York State Bar Association (Member, Business Law Section). Practice Areas: Higher Education Law; Corporate Law; Business Law; Administrative Law; Alcoholic Beverage Control Law.Email: Gregory J. Champion

Nicholas J. D'Ambrosio, Jr. (Member) admitted to bar, 1981, New York and U.S. District Court, Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York; 1988, U.S. District Court, Western District of New York; 1988, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; 1997, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Cornell University (B.S., 1977); Syracuse University (J.D., summa cum laude, 1980). Order of the Coif. Editor-in-Chief, Syracuse Law Review, 1979-1980. Justinian Honor Society, 1979-1980. Named Best Lawyers in America 2008 (Labor and Employment Law). Member: New York State (Member, Labor Law Section) and American (Member, Labor and Employment Section) Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Labor and Employment.Email: Nicholas J. D'Ambrosio, Jr.

Hermes Fernandez (Member) born Queens, New York, August 22, 1955; admitted to bar, 1982, New York; U.S. Court of Appeals, Second and Fifth Circuits; U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York. Education: Le Moyne College (B.A., with honors, 1977); Syracuse University (J.D., magna cum laude, 1981). Pi Gamma Mu. Order of the Coif. Justinian Honorary Law Society. Editor, Syracuse University Law Review, 1980-1981. Author: "Clinical Practice Guidelines," Capital District Business Review, Vol. 20, No. 1L, July 5, 1993 at 19; "Is AIDS Different?," Vol. 61, No. 3, Albany Law Review, 1998 P. 1053; "Gubernatorial Oversight of Executive Agencies," Vol. 7, No. 2, Government, Law and Policy Journal, Winter 2005, P. 42; "A Defense Perspective on Administrative Proceedings," Vol. 7, No. 1, Health Law Journal, Winter 2002, P. 42. Assistant Counsel, Governor Mario Cuomo, 1986-1990. Trial Attorney, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Division, 1982-1986. Judicial Clerk to Hon. John Mackenzie, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, 1981-1982. Past Board President, Homeless and Travelers Aid Society. Member: New York State (Member, House of Delegates, Member, Health Law Section, Chair, Subcommittee on Mental Retardation Services Providers; Past Co-Chair, Subcommittee on Professional Discipline, Member, Legislative Policy Committee; Member, Subcommittee on State Constitution) and American (Member, Health Law Section) Bar Associations; American Health Lawyers Association. Reported Cases: Cushing v. Moore, 970 F.2d 1103 (2d Cir. 1992); Ross v. Albany Medical Center, 916 F. Supp. 196 (N.D.N.Y. 1996); American Ins. Assoc. v. Clarke, 656 F. Supp. 404 (D.D.C. 1987); Transactive Corp. v. New York State Dept. of Social Services, 92 N.Y.2d 579 (1998); R.W. Granger & Sons v. State Facilities Dev. Corp., 207 A.D.2d 596 (3d Dept. 1994). Practice Areas: Administrative Law; Government; Health Care; Litigation; Medicare/Medicaid; Constitutional Law.Email: Hermes Fernandez

John M. Freyer (Retired Partner) born Syracuse, New York, October 20, 1935; admitted to bar, 1961, New York; 1981, Florida. Education: Hamilton College (B.A., 1957); Harvard University (LL.B., 1960). Member: New York State Bar Association (Chairman, Trial Lawyers Section, 1977-1978). (Retired). Practice Areas: ADR; Antitrust; Products Liability; Professional Liability; Medical Malpractice.Email: John M. Freyer

Amelia M. Klein (Member) admitted to bar, 1991, New York. Education: State University of New York at Albany (B.S., cum laude, 1979); Fordham University (J.D., 1989). Adjunct Professor, Albany Law School of Union University. Senior Editor, Journal of Pension Benefits, Aspen Publishers. Practice Areas: Employee Benefits.Email: Amelia M. Klein

Stuart F. Klein (Member) born Manhasset, New York, December 18, 1974; admitted to bar, 2000, New York. Education: State University of New York College at Geneseo (B.A., 1996); Syracuse University College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1999). Justinian Honor Society; Order of the Coif. Associate Notes and Comments Editor, Syracuse Law Review, 1998-1999. Member: Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Practice Areas: Appellate Practice; Property Law; Eminent Domain; Trial Practice.Email: Stuart F. Klein

Frank C. Mayer (Member) born Albany, New York, January 15, 1959; admitted to bar, 1997, New York; 1999, Pennsylvania. Education: Siena College (B.B.A., cum laude, 1981); State University of New York at Albany (M.B.A., 1983); Syracuse University (J.D., magna cum laude, 1996). Member, Justinian Honorary Law Society. Certified Public Accountant, New York, 1985. Practice Areas: Business Law; Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures; Taxation; Trusts and Estates Administration.Email: Frank C. Mayer

Kimberlee S. Parker (Member) admitted to bar, 1994, New York; 1996, District of Columbia; 1999, U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York; 2005, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Education: Siena College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1990); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1993). Delta Epsilon Sigma; Alpha Kappa Alpha. Member: New York State Bar Association (Member, Executive Committee and Co-Chair, CLE Committee, Environmental Law Section). Practice Areas: Environmental; Litigation.Email: Kimberlee S. Parker

Carl Rosenbloom (Retired Partner) born Binghamton, New York, December 25, 1938; admitted to bar, 1964, New York. Education: University of Buffalo (B.A., 1960); Albany Law School of Union University (LL.B., 1963). (Retired). Practice Areas: Contract Law; Environmental Law; Personal Injury; Real Property Law.Email: Carl Rosenbloom

Arthur J. Siegel (Member) born Champaign, Illinois, June 19, 1955; admitted to bar, 1985, New York and U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York; 1990, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit; 1992, U.S. Supreme Court; 1993, U.S. Court of Federal Claims; U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit. Education: Hampshire College; Metropolitan State University (B.A., 1980); Albany Law School of Union University (J.D., 1984).Email: Arthur J. Siegel

Richard L. Smith (Member) born Canastota, New York, July 11, 1946; admitted to bar, 1972, New York and U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York. Education: Colgate University (B.A., 1968); Cornell University (J.D., 1971). Order of the Coif. Instructor, Practice Training Program, Cornell Law School, 1974-1977. Member, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants' Legal Liability Analysis Working Group, 1993-1994. Member, New York Secretary of State's Corporations's Advisory Task Force and Chairman of It's Interagency Subcommittee (1997-2006). Member: Board of Trustees, Cazenovia College, Chair, Executive Committee, 2003-2008; Chair, Board of Trustees, 2008—; LeMoyne College Board of Regents, 2000-2006; American Arbitration Association Board of Commercial Arbitrators. Member: New York State Bar Association (Member, Business Law Section; Chair, Legislative Policy Committee, 1985-1995 and 1999-2002; Special Committee on Legislative Advocacy, 2001-2003; Lawyers and the Community Committee 1977-1983; Committee on Long Range Planning, Advisory Committee on Relationships with the Executive and Legislative Branches, 1993); New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants' Legal Liability Analysis Working Group. Fellow: New York Bar Foundation. Practice Areas: Administrative Law; Communications; Corporate Law; Legislative Law; Real Property Law; Tax Law.Email: Richard L. Smith

SENIOR COUNSEL

Robert H. Feller (Senior Counsel) admitted to bar, 1977, New York. Education: Union College (B.S., 1974); Albany Law School of Union University (J.D., 1977); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (M.B.A., 1995). Named Best Lawyers in America 2007, 2008 (Environmental Law). Former Assistant Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Member: New York State Bar Association (Member, Executive Committee and Co-Chair, Committee on Continuing Legal Education, Environmental Law Section, 1995—).Email: Robert H. Feller

Sarah Lewis Belcher (Senior Counsel) born Schenectady, New York; admitted to bar, 1990, New York. Education: Middlebury College (B.A., summa cum laude, 1986); Syracuse University College of Law (J.D., Valedictorian, summa cum laude, 1989); State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (M.A., 1989). Phi Beta Kappa. Order of the Coif. Member, Justinian Honorary Law Society. Associate Editor, Syracuse Law Review, 1988-1989. Practice Areas: Commercial Real Estate(20%); Environmental Real Estate(3%); Commercial Finance(60%); Bond Finance(14%); Real Estate Title Examination(3%).Email: Sarah Lewis Belcher

John A. Miller (Senior Counsel) admitted to bar, 1996, New York; 2001, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: State University of New York at Oswego (B.A., with honors, 1984); Western New England College School of Law (J.D., 1995). Named Best Lawyers in America, 2008 (Education Law). Practice Areas: Labor and Employment; School Law.Email: John A. Miller

William E. Reynolds (Senior Counsel) admitted to bar, 1996, Massachusetts; 2003, New York and U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York; 2001, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts and U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit; 2006, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Education: Harvard University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1991); Cornell University Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1995). Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Complex Litigation; Federal Civil Litigation; Trial Practice.Email: William E. Reynolds

Carolyn Shearer (Senior Counsel) born Niagara Falls, New York, June 29, 1954; admitted to bar, 1980, New York and U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York. Education: State University of New York at Albany (B.A., cum laude, 1975); Albany Law School of Union College (J.D., 1979). Adjunct Faculty, Albany Medical College, 2004—. Adjunct Professor of Law, Albany Law School, 1998—. Member: New York State Bar Association (Member: Health Law Section; Co-Chair, Professional Discipline Committeee, Health Law Section); American Health Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Health Law(100).Email: Carolyn Shearer

OF COUNSEL

Franklin K. Breselor (Of Counsel) born New York, N.Y.; admitted to bar, 1975, New York and U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York; 1979, U.S. Supreme Court; 1981, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Education: Dartmouth College (A.B., 1967); Albany Law School of Union University (J.D., 1974). Assistant Attorney General, Bureau Chief, New York, 1975-1981. Counsel/Director, New York Senate Committees on Energy, Codes, 1981-1988. Legislative and Regulatory Counsel, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Director, Clean Air Act Compliance, 1988-1991. Assistant General Counsel, Assistant Secretary, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., Chair, Regulatory Oversight Committee, 1991-1997. General Counsel, Construction Fund, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Capital Facilities, State University of New York, 1997-2003. Town Attorney, Planning, Zoning, Sewer District Counsel, 1984-1989. Elected Town Justice, Town of Sand Lake, 1990-1998. Practice Areas: Energy(20%); Utility Law(30%); Administrative Law(20%); Government Contracts(10%); Appellate Practice(10%); Municipal Law(10%).Email: Franklin K. Breselor

Raymond A. Meier (Of Counsel) born Rome, New York, October 23, 1952; admitted to bar, 1977, New York. Education: Syracuse University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1974; J.D., cum laude, 1976). Member, Justinian Society. Corporation Counsel, City of Rome, New York, 1980-1982. Oneida County Legislator, 1986-1991. Oneida County Executive, 1991-1996. New York State Senator, 1997-2006. (Also at Syracuse and Utica, New York Offices). Practice Areas: Administrative Law; Business Law; Litigation; Municipal Law.Email: Raymond A. Meier

ASSOCIATES

Sanjeeve K. DeSoyza (Associate) admitted to bar, 2003, New York. Education: State University of New York at Buffalo (B.A., magna cum laude, 1997); Cornell University (J.D., cum laude, 2002). Practice Areas: Labor and Employment.Email: Sanjeeve K. DeSoyza

Joanmarie M. Dowling (Associate) admitted to bar, 2003, New York. Education: University of Alabama (B.S.W., magna cum laude, 1997); Albany Law School of Union University (J.D., summa cum laude, 2002). Member: New York State Bar Association (Member, Labor and Employment Section). Practice Areas: Management Employment Law; Management Labor Law; Employment Discrimination; Wage and Hour Law; Noncompetition and Non-Solicitation Agreements.Email: Joanmarie M. Dowling

Margo G. Ferrandino (Associate) admitted to bar, 2003, New York, 3rd Department. Education: Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (B.S., 1999); New York University School of Law (J.D., 2002). Ms. Ferrandino concentrates her practice in labor and employment law matters. In addition to handling all aspects of federal and state court litigation and practicing before administrative agencies, Ms. Ferrandino counsels employers in various industries, including financial, technology, pharmaceutical, education, medical, and radio and television broadcasting. She also provides employment-related training to executives, managers, supervisors, and employees. In conjunction with advising on labor and employment matters, Ms. Ferrandino also assists clients with complex issues involving E-Discovery and E-Verify. Member: The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Secretary, Committee on Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers, 2004-2007). Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Labor and Employment(100%).Email: Margo G. Ferrandino

Ryan M. Finn (Associate) born 1980; admitted to bar, 2006, New York; U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York; U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 2008. Education: Siena College (B.A., 2002); Albany Law School of Union University (J.D., summa cum laude, 2005). Member: Justinian Honorary Law Society; Albany Law Review. Member: New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers. Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association. Practice Areas: Contract Litigation; Negligence; Employment Discrimination; Construction Law; Libel, Slander and Defamation.Email: Ryan M. Finn

Colm P. Ryan (Associate) admitted to bar, 2009, New York. Education: Boston College (B.A., 2005); Boston College Law School (J.D., 2008).Email: Colm P. Ryan

Jennifer L. Tsyn (Associate) born New Jersey, May 25, 1978; admitted to bar, 2003, New York. Education: State University of New York at Albany (B.A., summa cum laude, 2000); Albany Law School of Union University (J.D., summa cum laude, 2003). Note and Comment Editor, Albany Law Review.Email: Jennifer L. Tsyn

Sarah D. Vero (Associate) admitted to bar, 2005, New York; U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York. Education: Union College (B.A., magna cum laude, 2002); Albany Law School of Union University (B.A./J.D., magna cum laude, 2004). Practice Areas: Labor and Employment; Public School Law; Special Education.Email: Sarah D. Vero

Matthew A. Young (Associate) admitted to bar, 2006, New York and U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York. Education: Siena College (B.S., 1994); Albany Law School of Union University (J.D., magna cum laude, 2005).