New York State Bar Association Announces New Section Chairs

ALBANY, NY (06/10/2014)(readMedia)-- Fifteen new section chairs of the New York State Bar Association took office on June 1.

The 25 sections of the State Bar publish material dealing with their fields of expertise, much of which is not available through commercial publishers. Sections also sponsor conferences, seminars and institutes, monitor legislation and conduct studies. Each section contributes to policy-making, both in subject areas and Association-wide.

The new section chairs are:

James W. Everett, Jr. of Albany, chair of the 4,146-member Business Law Section. A graduate of the College of Wooster and University at Buffalo Law School, Everett is the capital markets counsel to the New York State Insurance Department.

Paul D. Sarkozi of Manhattan, chair of the 2,146-member Commercial and Federal Litigation Section. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, Sarkozi is a partner at Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt. He concentrates his practice in business litigation and dispute resolution.

Sherman W. Kahn of Manhattan, chair of the 1,340-member Dispute Resolution Section. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and its School of Law, Kahn is an arbitrator and mediator with Mauriel Kapouytian Woods. He represents clients in international arbitration proceedings with complex technical and commercial issues.

Richard A. Weinblatt of Islandia, chair of the 2,676-member Elder Law and Special Needs Section. A graduate of New York Institute of Technology and St. John's University School of Law, Weinblatt is a partner of Haley Weinblatt & Calcagni. He practices elder law and trusts and estates.

Terresa M. Bakner of Albany, chair of the 1,004-member Environmental Law Section. A graduate of Penn State University and Albany Law School, Bakner is a partner of Whiteman Osterman & Hanna. She is chair of the firm's CleanTech Practice, which supports the business sector and is focused on cleaner energy technologies.

Alton L. Abramowitz of Manhattan, chair of the 2,457-member Family Law Section. A graduate of American University and Rutgers University School of Law, Abramowitz is a partner of Mayerson Abramowitz & Kahn. He concentrates his practice in family law.

Brian J. Malkin of Washington, D.C., chair of the 242-member Food, Drug and Cosmetic Law Section. A graduate of George Washington University and George Washington University School of Law, Malkin is senior counsel to McGuireWoods. He leads the firm's FDA regulatory teams principally in the life sciences and health care industry teams. His regulatory experience includes all types of FDA-regulated products: drugs, biologics, medical devices, foods and dietary supplements, tobacco products and cosmetics.

Richard A. Klass of Brooklyn, chair of the 1,930-member General Practice Section. A graduate of Hofstra University and New York Law School, Klass is the principal of the Law Office of Richard Klass. His areas of practice include bankruptcy law, family law, real estate, and trusts and estates.

Margaret J. Davino of Manhattan, chair of the 1,226-member Health Law Section. A graduate of the University of Michigan and Vanderbilt University School of Law, Davino is a partner at Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan. She concentrates her practice in health care law, including transactional, compliance, contractual, corporate, regulatory and risk management legal issues.

Charles T.J. Weigell of Manhattan, chair of the 1,772-member Intellectual Property Law Section. A graduate of the University of Southern California and George Washington University School of Law, Weigell is a partner of Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu. He concentrates his practice in intellectual property law, specifically the clearance, prosecution and protection of trademark registrations and design patents.

Thomas N. Pieper of Manhattan, chair of the 1,693-member International Section. A graduate of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Pieper is counsel at Hogan Lovells US. He concentrates his practice on complex international dispute resolution, with a particular emphasis on European and Latin American parties.

Ellen M. Spodek of Brooklyn, chair of the 334-member Judicial Section. A graduate of the State University of New York at Albany and Fordham University School of Law, Spodek was elected as a justice of the Supreme Court in 2008. She sits in a guardianship part and a general trial part. She was named coordinator for guardianship matters in Kings County in January 2013.

Ronald G. Dunn of Albany, chair of the 2,213-member Labor and Employment Law Section. A graduate of the State University of New York at Albany and Albany Law School, Dunn is a founding partner of Gleason, Dunn Walsh & O'Shea. He concentrates his practice on representing unions and their members in public and private sector labor matters, as well as counseling individuals in all matters relating to labor and employment disputes.

David L. Berkey of Manhattan, chair of the 4,126-member Real Property Law Section. A graduate of New York University and Cornell Law School, Berkey is the managing partner of Gallet Dreyer & Berkey. He supervises the cooperative and condominium law practice and the litigation practice.

Sarah E. Gold of Albany, chair of the 3,317-member Young Lawyers Section. A graduate of the State University of New York at Albany and Albany Law School, Gold is the principal of the Gold Law Firm. She concentrates her practice in business and consumer law.

The 75,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in 1876.

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