April - Westchester County Bar Association
Transcription
April - Westchester County Bar Association
TY 2016 O BA AS S O C IAT I David P. Miranda P. Daniel Hollis III Outgoing President P. Daniel Hollis, III Incoming President Kelly M. Welch Newly-elected Officers & Directors Newly-elected & Retiring Judges 50 Year Award Recipients ST WE N O I WCBA n discounted CLEs and other events n email updates n the Westchester Lawyer magazine n and much more. Kelly M. Welch Honoring S O C I AT As of April 1st, members who have NOT renewed for 2016 will no longer be eligible to receive exclusive WCBA member benefits including: N 1896 R STER C O UN WEST C HE Y 120th Anniversary Thursday, May 5, 2016 AS Renew your WCBA membership for 2016 today! The Westchester County Bar Association’s Cocktail Reception: 6:00 pm | Dinner & Program: 7:30 pm R 2016 APRIL 2016 | VOL. 3 | NO. 4 You are cordially invited to attend Banquet NT THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION’S MONTHLY MAGAZINE 1896 BA LAW YER ESTER CO U westchester CH If you have not yet renewed ... contact us today to keep your member benefits! n Our Featured Speaker David P. Miranda President, New York State Bar Association Send in the Express Renewal Form on the back cover. n Log in to your member profile on our website at www.wcbany.org. Hilton Westchester n Call Membership Services at: 914-761-3707 ext. 50. 699 Westchester Ave, Rye Brook, NY 10573 Please see p. 1 for details. Also in this issue... House of Delegates Report ... p. 5 | Quality Control: Best Practices for Physician Compensation Agreement ... p. 8 Become a Sy Syms “Educated Consumer” Instead of Just a Patient ... p. 12 Centennial Historic Journal excerpt from 1916-1926 ... p. 14 | Brown Bag Lunch Series: April 13, 2016 .. p. 21 CLE Center ... p. 22 ... and much more Sponsorship & Ad Opportunities For the 120th Anniversary Banquet HE UN Souvenir JOURNAL TY WEST C Keynote Speaker STER C O 2016 AS O BA N 1896 R 120 th A nniversary B anquet S O C IAT I Banquet 120th Anniversary Souvenir Dinner Journal Ad Prices & Sizes David P. Miranda President New York State Bar Association WESTCHESTER COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION Thursday, May 5, 2016 David P. Miranda is a partner at Heslin Rothenberg Farley and Mesiti in Albany. He is a trial attorney whose intellectual property law practice includes trademark, copyright, trade secret, false advertising, patent Inside Front Cover (color) $700 (4½” w x 7” h) infringement and Internet issues. Inside Back Cover (color) $700 (4½” w x 7” h) A 26-year member of the State Bar Association, Miranda has served as president-elect and secretary Gold Border Page $400 (4½” w x 7” h) of the Association and as a member of its Executive Full Page $350 (4½” w x 7” h) Committee and House of Delegates. Half Page $200 (4½” w x 3½” h) He is a member of NYSBA’s Intellectual Property Law Section, Commercial and Federal Litigation Section, Committee on Annual Award, Committee Sponsorships: include mention in all pre- and poston Continuing Legal Education and Membership event publicity in the Magazine, in e-news and on the Committee. website. Miranda is an arbitrator of intellectual property disputes for the National Arbitration Forum and Platinum Sponsor: $5,000 American Arbitration Association. He is a past 10 tickets Seating on the Dais president of the Albany County Bar Association. In Outside Back Cover ad in the Banquet Journal 2009, he served on the Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission for the Third Judicial District Diamond Sponsor: $4,000 10 tickets of the State of New York. In 2002, then-Chief Judge Preferred seating Judith S. Kaye appointed him to the New York State Full page diamond border display ad in the Commission on Public Access to Court Records. Banquet Journal In 2001, he received the Capital District Business Gold Sponsor: $2,500 Review’s 40 Under Forty Award for community 5 tickets involvement and professional achievement. Full page gold border display ad in the He was editor-in chief and contributing author Banquet Journal of The Internet Guide for New York Lawyers in 1999 Silver Sponsor: $1,500 and 2005, published by the NYSBA, is the author of 2 tickets “Defamation in Cyberspace: Stratton Oakmont, Inc. Half page display ad in the Banquet Journal v. Prodigy Services Co.” published in the Albany Law Bronze Sponsor: $750 Journal of Science & Technology, and the author of 1 ticket “New York Intellectual Property Law Review” published Quarter page display ad in the in the New York Appeals issue of the Albany Law Review Banquet Journal in 2012. A resident of Voorheesville, Miranda graduated For registration information please see opposite page. from the State University of New York at Buffalo and We look forward to seeing you there! earned his juris doctor from Albany Law School. HILTON WESTCHESTER 699 Westchester Ave, Rye Brook, NY 2 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER You are cordially invited to attend the Westchester County Bar Association’s Banquet 120th Anniversary Thursday, May 5, 2016 Cocktail Reception: 6:00 p.m. Dinner and Program: 7:30 p.m. Celebrating 120 Years of Service to the Westchester Legal Community Honoring Outgoing President P. Daniel Hollis III Incoming Presdent Kelly M. Welch Newly-elected WCBA Officers and Directors Newly-elected and retiring Judges 50 Years of Service Award Recipients Hilton Westchester 699 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY Sponsorships Available For more information please see opposite page or contact Luis Rivera at 914-761-3707 ext. 50 or ExecutiveDirector@wcbany.org Platuinum: Diamond: Gold: Silver: Bronze: Souvenir Dinner Journal Ads $5,000 $4,000 $2,500 $1,500 $ 750 Ad submission deadline: Friday April 20, 2016 Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be seen in the WCBA’s 120th Anniversary Souvenir Dinner Journal! Ads are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve your space for this special occasion, please contact 914-761-3707 ext. 40 | editor@wcbany.org. Please see opposite page for ad rates. P. DANIEL HOLLIS III KELLY M. WELCH Ticket Pricing: Includes cocktail reception, hors d’oeuvres & dinner Member Member Table of 10 Table of 10 NLS Member NLS Member Non-Member Non-Member $ 160 $ 190 $1,500 $1,800 $ 100 $ 135 $ 210 $ 245 (by April 28) (after April 28) (by April 28) (after April 28) (by April 28) (after April 28) (by April 28) (after April 28) THANK YOU TO OUR DIAMOND SPONSORS Bertine, Hufnagel, Headley, Zeltner, Drummond & Dohn LLP Shamberg, Marwel, Hollis, Andreycak & Laidlaw, P.C. RESERVATION AND PAYMENT INFORMATION: *If purchasing a table or multiple tickets, please provide a list of attendees by April 30. Name(s):*___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Email: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Firm:______________________________________________________Business Telephone:________________________________ # TICKETS ______ @ ________ eachSubtotal____________ # TABLES ______ @ ________ each (*Please attach a list of attendees.) Subtotal____________ Sponsorships: o Platinum: $5,000 o Diamond: $4,000 o Gold: $2,500 o Silver: $1,500 o Bronze: $750 Subtotal____________ TOTAL _____________ Method of payment: check/money order enclosed $ ________ or charge to: o Mastercard o Visa o AMEX o Discover Card Card number:_____________________________________________________ Expiration Date: __________ Sec. Code _______ Credit card billing address:_____________________________________________________________________________________ Name on the card:____________________________________________________________________________________________ ONLINE: go to the calendar on our website: www.wcbany.org, or fill out this form and MAIL: form and check made out to “WCBA” TO: WCBA, One N. Broadway, Suite 512, White Plains, NY 10601 WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 1 SCAN/EMAIL: return this scanned form via email to: cle@wcbany.org or FAX form to: 914-761-9402 In this issue… AS I O BA R N Y WE NT ST ESTE R CO U CH S O C I AT WESTCHESTER LAWYER p. 5 p. 8 p. 16 p. 26 p. 12 THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION’S MONTHLY MAGAZINE Published by the Westchester County Bar Association One North Broadway, Suite 512 White Plains, NY 10601 Tel.: 914.761.3707 | Fax: 914.761.9402 Email: info@wcbany.org | www.wcbany.org OFFICERS AND STAFF P. Daniel Hollis III, Esq. PRESIDENT Kelly M. Welch, Esq. PRESIDENT-ELECT Stephanie L. Burns, Esq. VICE PRESIDENT Richard Vecchio, Esq. VICE PRESIDENT Diana Bunin Kolev, Esq. SECRETARY Hon. Linda S. Jamieson ASSISTANT SECRETARY John R. McCarron Jr., Esq. TREASURER Wendy M. Weathers, Esq. ASSISTANT TREASURER Richard M. Gardella, Esq. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Luis A. Rivera, Esq. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Althema Goodson CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR Diana E. Lemon LAWYER REFERAL SERVICE COORDINATOR Mary Ellen McCourt DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER BOARD OF DIRECTORS David B. Bruckman, Esq., MS Tax James L. Hyer, Esq. Hon. Michael J. McDermott Stephanie M. Melowsky, Esq. Tejash V. Sanchala, Esq. Andrew P. Schreiver, Esq. Hon. Robert A. Spolzino, Esq. Chauncey L. Walker, Esq. Sherry Levin Wallach, Esq. Submission of material to the WCBA for inclusion in the Westchester LAWYER, Westchester Bar Journal, website or other WCBA publication grants the WCBA limited copyright and full permission to reprint the material in any WCBA publication, on the WCBA website, or with LexisNexis or Westlaw at any time without additional consent. Please note that any opinions expressed in the articles contained herein are solely those of the author(s) and do not constitute positions taken by the WCBA. 2 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER Features 5 Nontraditional Legal Services Debate at ABA House of Delegates Meeting in San Diego By Hon. Adam Seiden 8 Quality Control: Best Practices for Physician Compensation Agreement By Marta Alfonso, Esq. 12 Become a Sy Syms “Educated Consumer” Instead of Just a Patient By Charles J. (Chuck) Newman, CLU 14 Celebrating 120 years of Service to the Westchester Community, Part II: 1916–1926 By Hon. Charles L. Brieant Call to Action 7 Above the Bar Awards ... Call for Nominations Save the Dates 1 120th Anniversary Banquet Registration & Sponsorship Form 21 Brown Bag Lunch Series: Hosted by Hon. Linda S. Jamieson Photos 16 Annual Meeting and Past Presidents Dinner Departments 3 From the President By P. Daniel Hollis III, Esq. 18 Member Spotlight: An Interview with Carol L. Van Scoyoc, Esq. By Tejash V. Sanchala, Esq. 20 What’s Going On 22 CLE Center 26 From the Back Bench By Richard M. Gardella, Esq. 28 Classifieds 28 Advertising Rates FROM THE PRESIDENT BY P. DANIEL HOL L I S I I I , ESQ. 364 and a Wake Up Nearly as soon as you arrived for duty in Vietnam, you knew you needed to procure a “short timers” calendar. The calendar was a drawing of one form or another divided into 365 squares or other less formal shapes. The purpose of the “short timers” calendar was to keep track of your time remaining by coloring each square/shape at the end of every day beginning at 365 descending to 1 … number 1 being the day of the “wake up” … the Freedom Bird … home. My calendar seemed to fill in very slowly. I had no such calendar while serving as your president and believe me, this past year has rocketed by. This is my last article for the Westchester Lawyer and I want to devote it to briefly setting forth some of the things that I am happy to have been part of ac- complishing, but most of all, to extend thanks to the many of you who helped make this year the absolute pleasure it has been. First of all I need to thank my two predecessors in this office, Jody Fay and Dawn Kirby. They both provided me with a sturdy platform from which to launch my year as president. More importantly, they did it with friendship and fun! Next I would like to thank my successor Incoming President Kelly Welch, whose total recall of the organization’s finances (which she nearly single handedly put back on the right track) was beyond helpful to me in keeping the budgetary process in “Kelly Line.” I am certain Kelly’s year as president will show her driving up our membership and ensuring our financial stability for the foreseeable future. Special thanks go to Executive Director Luis Rivera who took over the controls of the Association in a period of transition as I began my presidentelect year, and has demonstrated total commitment to our Association, an extraordinary work ethic along with the ability to do his job and to do it well, all the while continuing to grow in the position. An additional shout out to Mary Ellen McCourt and Diana Lemon for their assistance in bringing the Daily Docket to life every day. I thank my partners and staff at Shamberg Marwell Hollis Andreycak & Laidlaw for allowing me the freedom to devote the time that was necessary to try to do the right job for the Association. (continued on page 4) SAVE THE DATE: WESTCHESTER COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL GOLF OUTING & DINNER Monday, July 18, 2016 The Whippoorwilll Club 150 Whippoorwill Rd, Armonk, NY Enjoy a glorious day of golf on the beautiful course at the Whippoorwilll Club. Begin your day with a luncheon buffet, play 18 holes with your friends and colleages and end the day with an elegant sunset dinner and awards presentation. SPONSORSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE For more information contact: Luis Rivera: 914-761-3707, ext. 50, or ExecutiveDirector@wcbany.org WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (continued from page 3) Most of all among the staff I thank my assistant of many years, Kathy Canero, whose day to day assistance in processing and responding to scores of emails, other correspondence, the Daily Dockets, the Westchester Lawyer articles and whatever the job took while still managing my law practice was something I could not have done without her. The year started in May with my representing the Association at Law Day and at the Gagliardi Awards and sped through the summer, fall, winter and now to the spring again. We have a Strategic Plan in place and I turn its implementation over to incoming President Kelly Welch and to incoming President Elect Stephanie Burns. We have been able to establish and enhance a strong relationship with Administrative Judge Alan D. Scheinkman, J.S.C., whose willingness to listen to the bar leadership and implement necessary changes when appropriate has been of extraordinary assistance to our practitioners and I thank him for creating and enhancing that process. Under Judge Scheinkman’s leadership, we were able to assist in implementing changes in the Surrogate’s Court which have made the practice in that court easier, friendlier and more efficient for those who regularly practice there. We assisted in putting together a CLE conceived by Judge Scheinkman entitled “Appointments Forum,” which was a great success as it presented to attorneys who have not historically been appointed by judges to various positions such as guardians ad litem, referees, receivers, the opportunity to both learn how to become so appointed and to meet the judges who would be making the actual appointments. Most of the judges in the Ninth Judicial District 4 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER who sit in Westchester County attended that forum. With the help of Vice President Richard Vecchio and his Co-chair Paul Millman of the Grievance Committee, we streamlined that committee’s practices so as to enable complaints to be processed more quickly and efficiently. I was able to have the presidents of the Rockland, Orange, Dutchess and Putnam County Bar Associations join with me in forming the 9th Judicial District President’s Council which will be a most powerful force in assisting with Chief Justice DiFiore’s Excellence Initiative. The Daily Docket has been a lot of fun to create and share with all the readers. Every workday during my year as president (except for a few legal holidays and the days I spent with my family celebrating my 70th birthday in St. Louis) we were able to use the Daily Docket to attract visits to our Facebook page, which began slowly and rose, at times, to nearly 500 visits a day. We worked with our Lawyer Assistance Committee, which is guided by the totally devoted Dan Seymour, along with Patricia Spataro and Judge Sallie Krauss of the New York State Bar Association to raise the awareness of our members to the availability of help should they so need it. The most moving moment of my presidency is one that I celebrated privately when Dan Seymour called and told me that one of our members who had read either the Daily Docket or the article in the Westchester Lawyer about the Lawyer Assistance Program, reached out to Dan as the article advised people to do if in trouble and sought Dan’s and the Program’s help. If the only accomplishment of my presidency was to put that single person on the path to sobriety and a better life, I will count it as a success. We have strengthened our relationships with a number of the local bar associations, attending their meetings on a regular basis and participating and aiding the initiatives of those particular local bar associations. I hope to be able to continue in that effort as a past president. Perhaps the most long lasting initiative came into being after a wonderful day when Past President Anthony Enea and I rode together to Albany as guests at the investiture of Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, a friend to us personally and to our Bar Association. As I mentioned above, Chief Judge DiFiore’s goal for her tenure is an “Excellence Initiative.” To that end, one of my last acts as President was, at the recommendation and with the usual unflagging support of Anthony, to create an ad hoc committee, called Chief Judge DiFiore Excellence Initiative Committee with Anthony as chair, and myself as Co-chair, that will hopefully provide assistance to Chief Judge DiFiore in constructively identifying strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement within our court system. We are hopeful that this prototype and the activities of our committee will be followed by County Bar associations throughout our state. Chief Judge DiFiore was thrilled when she learned of Anthony’s idea and has encouraged Anthony and I to follow through as it has been described to her. With all of that being said, it has been a wonderful year. A year filled with old friends, new friends, and new relationships. I have enjoyed and treasured every moment of it. I thank you all for the privilege of serving. It is a year I will never forget. May the road rise up to meet you all! Report from the ABA House of Delegates 2016 Nontraditional Legal Services Debate at ABA House of Delegates Meeting in San Diego, CA By Hon. Adam Seiden There is a phrase that should catch the attention of every practicing lawyer. The phrase is “nontraditional legal services.” These words are being used to describe legal services provided to the public by either non-lawyers or, most often, through innovative technical platforms. These are the words being used when legal services are provided to the consumer without lawyer involvement or attorney supervision of those rendering the services. Examples of the providers of such services abound. Legal Zoom provides after the consumer answers a few questions, completed legal documents online. AVVO answers millions of legal inquiries online. The state of Washington has created a career path for “legal technicians,” non-lawyers who train for a period of time with a lawyer and are thereafter certified by the state to perform specified legal services to the public without attorney involvement or supervision. The growth of companies providing “nontraditional legal services” has been nothing short of astronomical. Billions (with a “B”) of dollars are being invested in companies that provide these services. It is driven by the fact that allegedly only fifteen percent of the needs of the public are being met by lawyers. The failure of the organized bar to recognize and respond to the needs of the public is clear. The investment bankers have discovered an opportunity and are taking full advantage of it. One would think that when so many people need legal services and so many attorneys need and want to work, we could put the two groups together. For some reason, the normal laws of supply and demand seem not to apply to this situation. There is a phrase that should catch the attention of every practicing lawyer. The phrase is “nontraditional legal services.” I was once again honored to represent our Association at the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates Midyear Meeting. It was held in San Diego, CA, on February 8, 2016. The issue of “nontraditional legal services” came before the house. It sparked much debate and division in the house. I believe that this issue is of such importance to us as practicing attorneys that it requires a separate report to our membership. The resolution was presented to the house by the Commission on the Future of Legal Services and other entities within the ABA calling for the ABA to adopt Model Regulatory Objectives for the provision of legal services. Ten objectives were listed: 1Protection of the public. 2Advancement of the administration of justice and the rule of law. 3Meaningful access to justice and information about the law, legal issues, and the civil and criminal justice systems. 4Transparency regarding the nature and scope of legal services to be provided, the credentials of those who provide them, and the availability of regulatory protections. 5Delivery of affordable and accessible legal services. 6Efficient, competent, and ethical delivery of legal services. 7Protection of privileged and confidential information. 8Independence of professional judgment. 9Accessible civil remedies for negligence and breach of other duties owed, and disciplinary sanctions for misconduct. 10 Diversity and inclusion among legal services providers and freedom from discrimination for those receiving legal services and in the justice system. (continued on page 6) WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 5 ABA HOUSE OF DELEGATES (continued from page 5) All of the above goals are laudable and appropriate when regulating the practice of law. The problem is that the resolution goes further and states that the ABA urges the highest Court in each State, etc. to be guided by the above objectives when they “assess the Court’s existing regulatory framework and any other regulations they may choose to develop concerning nontraditional legal service providers.” A floor fight and debate ensued in the House of Delegates. A motion to delay deliberations of the resolution lost by a vote of 271-197. Two amendments were proposed with regard to the resolution, one passed and the other failed. The amendment that passed added to the resolution the fact that nothing within the resolution in any way abrogates the existing American Bar Association policy prohibiting non-lawyer ownership of law firms or the core values adopted by the House of Delegates. The amendment was, in my opinion, important, but did not go far enough. I was proud to say that the New York delegation led the fight against the resolution and helped push through the amendment. In the end, the Resolution as amended passed by voice vote. I think it is the beginning of what will be at the least a major modification of how legal services are provided to the public in the future. At worst, this could be a travesty for our profession. First, it should be noted that now the American Bar Association, the leading national voice of the legal profession, recognizes and tacitly approves and encourages the existence of theses “non-traditional legal services.” They are no longer to be considered as possibly the unlawful practice of law under state statutes. The American Bar Association suggests that they be 6 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER regulated, not eliminated or managed by attorneys. For my entire career (forty years) and for some time prior thereto, in order to provide legal services to the public, you needed to study law, either in a law office under a lawyer’s guidance or at a law school; you needed to pass a bar examination testing your knowledge; you needed to be approved by a character committee which judged your ethical background; and you were bound by a strict code of ethical conduct. Providing legal services to the public was so important and critical that almost every state passed statutes making it criminal behavior to practice law without meeting specific licensing requirements. Now, by this resolution, the American Bar Association House of Delegates has wiped away all those years of development which helped our profession ensure the best possible result when someone provides legal services to the public. We might as well strike from the books any statute which designates an act as the unlawful practice of law as a crime. As the various states comply with the new proposed regulatory scheme, there is no such thing as the unlawful practice of law. Whatever happened to a bar association being an organization of lawyers for the benefit of lawyers? I understand we must always pay careful attention to the impact of our actions upon the public. In this case, there was a way to help both attorneys and the public. The American Bar Association has selected a process which may injure both. Lawyers that need and seek business will be competing not only with other attorneys, but with these different methods of providing legal service to the public. The public will have less protection because services will be provided by less qualified, less trained and less educated providers. In the drive to produce affordable legal services, has the bar association ignored the issue of quality of service? We have so many attorneys out of work and seeking law related employment. When so many lawyers are taking jobs in other fields because they cannot get a position practicing law should not the American Bar Association try to figure out why there is a disconnect between those who need lawyers and lawyers themselves? Should we not work to put these groups together rather than recognize and indeed provide encouragement for the provision of legal services by non-lawyers? I feel that not enough emphasis was put into trying to identify and remedy the disconnect between the public and our profession. And what of the future? Now that the ABA has recognized that legal services—even under regulation —can be provided by non-lawyers not supervised by attorneys how far away is non-lawyer ownership of law firms? How far away is the publicly traded law firm? Even though this resolution reiterates the American Bar Association’s position that law firms should be owned by lawyers, there is no guarantee that the next resolution will do so. This resolution does more than put the camel’s nose in the tent. Look around. The whole damn camel is in the tent. Hon. Adam Seiden is the WCBA delegate to the American Bar Association. He is a past president of the Westchester County Bar Association, is currently and has been since 1995 Associate Judge of the Mount Vernon City Court and is in private practice in Mt. Vernon, NY. 2016 ABOVE THE BAR AWARDS TENTH ANNUAL COUNTYWIDE AWARDS PROGRAM RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING WESTCHESTER ATTORNEYS SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 9 THE WAINWRIGHT HOUSE 260 STUYVESANT AVE, RYE PRESENTED BY: • CITRIN COOPERMAN • WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • PACE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW • WESTCHESTER COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION • WESTCHESTER WOMEN’S BAR ASSOCIATION Visit westfaironline.com/events for the nominating process. Each nomination should consist of a minimum of 200 words based on the criteria provided. Please submit your nomination and a copy of the nominee’s CV no later than April 27. For more information or questions, call Danielle Brody at 914-358-0757 or email dbrody@ westfairinc.com. Nominations close April 27 A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Members of the Westchester business and legal communities are encouraged to nominate, pursuant to the criteria, one or more candidates for the following prestigious award categories: PACE SETTER AWARD: Candidate exemplifies overall excellence in professional and community work, prominence in the Westchester legal profession and fierce determination to being as good an attorney as possible. The highest award, the candidate must be well respected by peers and community. MOST SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS AWARD: Candidate is dedicated to one or more causes in the community as an active member or leader and has a significant history of pro bono legal or government service, which warrant praise and recognition by peers and community. LEADING ATTORNEY UNDER 40: Candidate under the age of 40 must be a prominent and respected attorney in his/her field, active in his/her community offering pro bono work, published in legal journals/newspaper and promises to be a leading legal player in the years to come. LEADING TRUSTS & ESTATES ATTORNEY: Candidate should have a strong record of legal accomplishments in the field of Trusts & Estates including estate planning and estate administration. The nominee should also be well-respected amongst his/ her peers for his/her expertise in Trusts & Estates here in Westchester County. MOST PROMISING PACE LAW SCHOOL STUDENT: Candidate, in his/her third year, who through passion and enthusiasm for the law, high scholastic achievement and initiative and involvement in school and community activities will be a promising member of the legal profession. “WITHOUT QUESTION WINNING THE ABOVE THE BAR AWARD IS ONE OF THE MANY HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LEGAL CAREER, BUT ITS MEANING IS FAR GREATER. IT CELEBRATES THE RULE OF LAW IN OUR PROFESSION AND IT RECOGNIZES ALL LAWYERS WHO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS.” Tejash V. Sanchala 2012 Above The Bar Award Recipient Leading Labor & Employment Attorney SPONSORS WESTCHESTER COUNTY WCBJ BUSINESS JOURNAL WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 7 QUALITY CONTROL Best Practices for Physician Compensation Agreement BY MARTA ALFONSO, ESQ. P h y s i c i a n c o m pe n s at i o n remains a complex and fertile minefield of federal and state health care regulatory compliance challenges, administrative sanctions, and civil and criminal litigation. Unreasonable Physician Compensation Arrangements (“PCAs”) are a primary driver in costly federal and state health care compliance1 investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, and multi-million dollar assessments and penalties for physicians and health care organizations (“HCOs”) as industry, technology, and the regulator y landscape continues to evolve. Independent third party valuations can be meaningful alternatives2 used by an HCO to corroborate its conclusions that a given PCA reflects fair market value (“FMV”). 3 HCOs should adopt effective quality controls that provide proper oversight of a qualified independent valuation expert and have reasonable expectations about what an independent valuation expert report can provide. Included below are important best practices that an HCO 8 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER should consider adopting in its quality control program for supervising third party experts valuing its PCAs: Provide complete information regarding the PCA under review. An HCO should provide the independent valuation expert with a current, written PCA for the valuation assignment. An HCO’s written documentation should entail defined physician performance metrics, physician performance monitoring reports, if applicable, and the HCO’s evidence that compiles a physician’s total compensation package, including related benefits, perquisites and specialty compensation programs.4 Validate that the valuation expert understands the PCA under review In today’s environment, PCA terms can be complex formulas that drive experienced independent valuators to confirm their understanding of a PCA’s key terms prior to beginning detailed valuation procedures. Failing to confirm the valuator’s understanding of the PCA’s terms may result in a valuator’s opinion being based on an inaccurate interpretation of a physician’s compensation package. A valuation expert’s report cannot be used to interpret an ambiguous PCA or validate its compliance with health care laws and regulations. To gain the understanding of a PCA, a valuation expert may require the HCO’s legal interpretations of a PCA’s key terms and assessment of compliance with health care laws and regulations. This vital step of validating PCA terms by the independent expert can identify unintended PCA deficiencies requiring HCO remediation, including the failure to recognize a physician’s total compensation package for the physician’s productivity. Such identified deficiencies should drive an HCO’s assessment of its legal obligations to self-report and remediate its PCA prior to any valuation report being issued. Understand the valua- tion expert’s methods in selecting or excluding benchmarks for a FMV determination, including the relevant geographic scope, specialty comparisons, or compensation surveys An HCO should develop an understanding of the valuation expert’s basis for selecting and excluding certain compensation benchmarks and measures, including geography, specialty definitions, and benchmark c o m p e n s a t i o n m e a s u re s , s u c h as surveys or rules of thumb to be considered. In addition, the HCO should be alert to the use of rejected and unsubstantiated offers by other health care organizations as evidence of FMV. An HCO’s ignorance or mere reliance on a valuation expert’s approach without ascertaining the basis for the expert’s methodology can render invalid analysis, unsupported and erroneous conclusions, and may result in expenditures of HCO resources that could produce unreliable opinions. Perform a rigorous review of the independent valuation expert’s assumptions, methods of selecting and excluding benchmarks, and the basis for conclusions Third party valuations should be subjected to validation by an HCO that documents its understanding of the valuator’s experience and competency, the key PCA terms considered, the expert’s methodology, the selection and use of survey benchmarks, the reasonableness of total compensation calculations, and the formulation of the expert’s conclusions based upon the evidence acquired. This rigorous review can serve to identify and resolve any factual inaccuracies or ambiguities with respect to the expert’s methodologies and findings. Blind acceptance of an independent valuator’s conclusions is inadequate supervision of a valuation expert and the related work product provided to the HCO. Adopting sound quality control procedures serve as preventive and detective controls in maintaining compliance with health care laws and regulations for physician compensation agreements. In the current regulatory and litigation environment related to physician compensation, an HCO cannot afford to ignore the adoption of necessary quality controls over third party valuations of their PCAs. Endnotes 1 Including the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Stark Law, and Internal Revenue Service requirements. Physician compensation arrangements are increasingly unique agreements reflecting particular circumstances of an HCO, and thus require specific legal and technical review with experts, including legal counsel. This article is not intended to serve as legal or financial advice for any individual situation. 2 An HCO should consider whether independent compensation surveys and benchmarks as tailored to a particular location, specialty and compensation package would be sufficient documentation to demonstrate FMV and reasonable compensation practices. 3 Federal health care laws do not provide a safe harbor for physician compensation arrangements that: (1) pay for the volume or value of referrals for designated health care services; (2) do not identify services for which a physician is being paid for; (3) fail to compensate a physician consistent with fair market value; and (4) are not commercially reasonable unless a physician makes referrals to the respective HCO. 4 Including, among others, such compensation items as relocation payments, excess health and life insurance benefits, productivity and quality bonuses, and physician call pay programs. Marta Alfonso, CPA/CFF, CIRA, JD, is a principal in the Litigation and Valuation Division at MBAF CPAs, LLC. Marta offers extensive financial experience and understanding of critical financial litigation issues. Trained as both an accountant and an attorney, she has worked in a range of consulting and in-house corporate roles since 1983. LAW FIRMS FOR SALE OR PURCHASE Assessments | Due Diligence | Client Transitions Nat Wasserstein, JD, MBA 845.398.9825 nat@lindenwoodassociates.com LINDENWOOD ASSOCIATES, LLC® Experienced & Trusted by Attorneys® WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 9 TO US, SMALL BUSINESS IS A BIG DEAL. For over a century, our local bankers have been financing businessmen and women who make things work. Let our local bankers help your small business grow big. BUSINESS BANKING • BANKING FOR ATTORNEYS • LOANS • LINES OF CREDIT Orange County Trust Company A DIVISION OF ORANGE COUNTY TRUST COMPANY 845.341.5000 orangebanktrust.com OBTC-Print_Ads_WESTLAWYER.indd 1 Thank you to WCBA Annual Meeting Silver Sponsor Jackson Lewis P.C. Proudly Supports the Westchester County Bar Association With 800 attorneys practicing in major locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Jackson Lewis provides creative and strategic solutions to employers in every aspect of workplace law. To learn more about our services, please visit us online at www.jacksonlewis.com. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING © 2016 Jackson Lewis P.C. Joseph A. Saccomano, Jr. 44 South Broadway • 14th Floor White Plains, NY 10601 (914) 872-8060 10 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER ORANGE • DUTCHESS • WESTCHESTER • ROCKLAND 1/14/16 11:01 AM Enjoy Taking Photos? Want to get published? We welcome photo submissions from our members. Send your high resolution photos to the Westchester Lawyer magazine and we will review for possible inclusion. You might even see your photo on the cover! For more information contact editor@wcbany.org. WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 11 Health Insurance Landscape 2016 Become a Sy Syms “Educated Consumer” Instead of Just a Patient BY CHARLES J. (CHUCK) NEWMAN, CLU T he Landscape for health insurance in 2016 looks a bit different than it did in 2015. For starters, in New York State, the definition of a “Large” employer group for insurance rating purposes is now over 100 “Full Time Equivalent” (FTE) employees. (FTE calculations include part time staff hours, so even if a group has fewer than 100 full time employees, they may have more than 100 FTE employees). New York groups with fewer than 100 FTE employees are now considered a “Small” group. As such, they are community rated (with community rated groups, the group’s demographics and claim experience will not impact rates, only the geographic locale in which the plan is based will impact rates). In other states however, the definition of small group is 50 and fewer FTE, so outside of New York, a group with 51 employees is rated as a “Large” group (with rates based on demographics and claims). To further complicate matters, New York groups with 51 – 100 employees while community rated as Small Groups, still must adhere to the Federal “Pay or Play” rule. These groups must ensure that the insurance they offer is 12 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER considered to be “affordable” per the Affordable Care Act. Here are some other tidbits to be aware of in 2016: Employer Payment of Individual Health Plans is Prohibited a. An employer cannot reimburse an employee for the premium expenses incurred for an individual health insurance policy, or use its funds to directly pay the premium for an individual policy. b. Employers can generally increase an employee’s compensation, so long as the payment of additional compensation is not conditioned on the purchase of health coverage and the employer does not otherwise endorse a particular policy, form, or issuer. c. Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) that are used to reimburse employees’ individual policy premiums may be subject to a $100/day excise tax per applicable employee (which is $36,500 per year, per employee). d. 1099’s are now eligible for cover- age under an employer group plan. However, to qualify for the group plan, they must meet certain criteria (which under review makes them appear to be in all respects an employee… possibly inviting IRS scrutiny of their 1099 status). e. A plan’s premiums are generally linked to physician and facility access; network size and geographical reach have a big impact on cost f. For instance: new in 2016 is Oxford’s (lower premium cost) Metro Network which has around 65% of Freedom Network doctors and about 75% of the Liberty Network’s doctors. g. A new (and small but competitive) network is being implemented by many groups to replace the defunct Health Republic: CareConnect, (which in Westchester, has only Northern Westchester, Phelps, and White Plains hospitals). Unreliable Network Directories The Wall Street Journal reported in late December 2015 that in November 2015, the state of California fined Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of California, after a survey found that more than 25% of doctors listed in their 2014 state directories were not at the given location or denied accepting those plans. A spokesman for Blue Shield said it had paid more than $38 million in claims adjustments during the past two years, in part to cover surprise out-ofnetwork bills. In our own office, a client received correspondence from Oxford listing dates of service from 2009-2012 and asking for receipts, cancelled checks and credit card statements to verify payments made to out of network physicians who had been listed on their website as participating providers. New Medicare & Medicaid rules had originally called for insurers to contact all network providers every month to verify listings. The agency revised that to quarterly, after opposition from insurers and doctors. My own experience has shown two new Urgent Care facilities not listed with either MVP or Oxford, but when contacted, both facilities said they participate with both carriers. I also no- ticed a current listing with Oxford for a Paul Edelman, a physician who passed away but is still listed as a participating provider. In no particular order, here are some tidbits (a short Health Insurance survival guide) for 2016: Three (and Four Tier) Prescription Plans 1. Ask your doctor if a generic is available and if it would be OK for you to take. 2. If there is no generic (or if it’s not OK), ask your doctor to not check the “Dispense As Written” (DAW) box on the prescription pad (perhaps you can get a lower cost brand name under Tier 1 or Tier 2). How to Handle Higher In Network Deductibles 1. Maximize benefits and lower your plan utilization by checking on the cost of In-Patient and OutPatient procedures and Advanced Radiology before making an appointment. 2. Call around (Hospital Based Care and Testing vs. Free Standing Facility alternatives) & check www. HealthCareBluebook.com. 3. Make sure that your doctor’s office has obtained pre-authorizations for any procedure requiring them (and don’t forget to ask about the anesthesiologist!). 4. Use Urgent Care versus Emergency Room whenever possible. 5. Use “Teledoc” services when available from your carrier (or consider a supplemental plan which offers Teledoc). Charles J. (Chuck) Newman CLU, is a licensed insurance agent and WCBA preferred provider agent. He provides group and individual insurance programs including Medical, Dental, Long and Short Term Disability, Life Insurance Long Term Care Insurance. He can be reached at: 914-345-1000; chuck@charlesnewman.com. THE LAW OFFICES OF Sher, Herman, Bellone and Tipograph, PC ESTABLISHED IN 1970 is pleased to announce the relocation of their Westchester offices to 5 Waller Ave., Suite 303, White Plains, NY 10601 our firm will continue to concentrate in the areas of Worker’s Compensation & Social Security Disability referral fees paid as allowed by the ethics rules. www.newyorkworkerscompensationlawattorney.com 914.358.9932 WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 13 Westchester County Bar Association CH ESTE R CO 1916–1926 U Y WE NT ST Celebrating 120 years of Service to the Westchester Legal Community AS I O BA R 2016 N 1896 S O C I AT WCBA BY HON. CHARLES L. BRIEANT United States District Judge, Southern District of New York from 1986 to 1993 Reprinted from the Centennial Historic Journal This is the third chapter from the Centennial Historic Journal, published in 1996, that presented the history of the Association in 10 year increments. We hope you are enjoying the look back to see how far we have come! For earlier chapters in the series please see the February and March 2016 issues of this Magazine. Westchester was transforming quickly from small villages, characterized by farms and large estates to bustling suburbs whose residents commuted daily into New York City, mostly by train. Completion of the Bronx River Parkway, the world’s first, enabled us to drive to the city with relative ease. From 1914 to 1924, Westchester suburban traffic increased 138 percent. Notwithstanding the War to End All Wars, the County’s growth was such that in 1926 the Westchester County Transit Commission recommended that an additional rail line~ to Manhattan be constructed. The proposed railroad would run under Madison Avenue directly to the financial district. Helping fuel this rapid suburbanization of the County was the introduction of guaranteed and certificated mortgages issued by title and trust companies. This made financing home ownership affordable, attracted more families to to the county, and brought prosperity to our members. Lawyers referred to the “Real Estate Record of Westchester County,” published at ten cents every Wednesday, as a single source for all real estate information and judgments, as well as the Calendar and listed orders of the Bankruptcy 14 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER Attorneys gathering in Port Chester circa 1916 and Surrogate’s Courts. By 1925, some 600 attorneys practiced in Westchester (approximately one percent of whom were women), and belonged to our Association. Association Presidents of the day were Michael J. Tierney of New Rochelle, Odell D. Tompkins of Mt. Vernon, John M. Digney of White Plains, George H. Taylor Jr. (later J.S.C.) of Mt. Vernon, Frederick P. Close of White Plains (later J .S.C .) and I. J. Beaudrias of Yonkers. National Prohibition, referred to by President Herbert Hoover as the “Noble Experiment,” hit largely wet Westchester in 1920 and endured until 1932. There was much litigation but little left of record. Speak-easy premises raided by the federal prohibition agents were padlocked, and vehicles seized while transporting liquor were forfeited. Lawyers, doctors and other professionals caught violating the Volstead Act (which prohibited manufacture, sale or transportation of liquor but not mere possession or use), lost their licenses upon conviction. Most freedom loving families made home brew in the basement and gin in the bathtub, where Arthur “Dutch Shultz” Flegenheimer operated the Yonkers Brewery. The most visible change in the practice of law, having the most practical effect on lawyers, was the erection of the fourth County Courthouse in White Plains. Work began in 1916 and was completed in 1918; the total cost (1916 dollars) was $600,000. Erected on the site of the third courthouse, now the Galleria, it was a great source of local pride, described as being a “spacious Temple of Justice.” Above the columns were inscribed the words of the Magna Carta “To None Will We Sell; To None Will We Delay; To None Will We Deny Right and Justice.” The cornerstone was laid by Hon. Charles D. Millard, then chairman of the Board of Supervisors, later as President of the Westchester County Courthouse, June 6, 1917 Westchester County Bar Association, Association, a partner in the Yonkers to the press was the “high station” of as a member of Congress and then as firm of Brennan, Curran & Bleakley the defendant. Ward asserted that Surrogate. and later in what is now Bleakley, Platt he had been the victim of blackmailWestchester Magazine observed that and Schmidt of White Plains; George ers, and that on May 16, 1922, he while White Plains had developed as A. Slater of Port Chester served as had been ambushed and attacked by Clarence M. Peters, who was hiding in the center of the legal community in Surrogate from 1919 to 1937. Westchester “White Plains has less On May 6, 1924, at a luncheon Ward’s car. Ward claimed that Peters native lawyers than any other county held at the Gedney Farms Hotel, our shot at him first, and missed. Ward seat in the Empire State. A majority Association presented Judge Slater with returned fire, hitting his mark. The were either born in other villages of an oil portrait of himself in recognition original indictment was dismissed for the county or came from ‘rock-bound of his service to the County. In 1917, failure to prosecute. At the urging of counties up the state’ but to their cred- our association lost one of the county’s Mr. Peters’ mother, Governor Alfred it be it said they are making good and brightest legal minds and a past presi- E. Smith ordered the Attorney General fattening from some of the most succu- dent when Frank B. Millard was killed to reopen the case. This was done. lent crumbs that fall from the political on the railroad in Tarrytown by the At trial in September, 1923, State Attorney-General Carl Sherman and table. The up-state chap always has his “Wolverine Express.” Deputy Attorney-General Wilbur W. nerve with him.” The most popular reasons for jury Notable members of the Association duty exemptions in this period were for Chambers prosecuted, while John F. during this period included: Frank L. members of volunteer fire companies, Brennan of Yonkers and Rabenold & Young of Ossining, County Judge individuals who did not own proper- Scribner, of New York defended with from 1916 until 1921 when he became ty worth more than $250, government former Supreme Court Justice Isaac N. Justice of the Supreme Court; William employees, engineers, railroad employ- Mills, of Mount Vernon, of counsel. F. Bleakley who hailed from Verplanck ees, machinists, cotton goods manufac- Ward was acquitted. by way of Yonkers, County Judge from tures, teachers, dentists and lawyers. EDITOR’S NOTE: The Federal court 1922 to 1927, in 1928 a Justice of the A notable trial during this period Supreme Court of New York, and in was that of Walter S. Ward, son of the building in White Plains is named for 1939, the first Westchester County owner of the Ward Baking Company, the late Judge Brieant, the author of Executive. Judge Bleakley was a for- tried for murder before Justice (later this article. mer Vice President of the County Bar Senator) Robert F. Wagner. Significant WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 15 ANNUAL MEETING AND PAST PRESIDENTS DINNER WCBA Past Presidents in attendance: Jack Geoghegan, Peter Zeltner, Richard Gardella, Hon. Adam Seiden, Mary Ellen Manley, John Marwell, Dawn Kirby, Jerold Ruderman, Anthony Enea, Henry Miller, Carol L. Van Scoyoc, Ralph Nobile, Donald Sandford and Jody Fay 2016-2017 Slate of Officers Elected The Westchester County Bar Association’s Annual Meeting and Past Presidents Dinner was held on March 2nd at the Elmwood Country Club, where we elected the 2016-2017 slate of officers and directors. Congratulations to all! Please join us at the 120th Anniversary Banquet on May 5, 2016, for the induction ceremony and a celebration of the WCBA’s 120th year of service to the Westchester legal community. (See the February 2016 issue of this Magazine for the complete slate of officers.) THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! DIAMOND Bertine, Hufnagel, Headley, Zeltner, Drummond & Dohn, LLP 1 GOLD Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP Shamberg Marwell Hollis Andreycak & Laidlaw, P.C. SILVER Jackson Lewis, P.C. Keane & Beane, P.C. Sterling National Bank Worby, Groner & Edelman, LLP BRONZE Brown, Gruttadaro, Gaujean & Prato, LLC Cabanillas & Associates, P.C. DelBello, Donnellan, Weingarten, Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP Ellenoff Grossman & Schole, LLP Grassi & Company Kurzman Eisenberg Corbin & Lever, LLP LexisNexis- Dan Zilker O’Connor Davies, LLP Orange Bank & Trust Company 16 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER 2 1 Hon. William Giacomo, Hon. Linda Jamieson, Hon. Anthony Scarpino and Hon. John Colangelo 2 Kathy Rosenthal, Stuart Rosenthal and Gail Boggio with Kim Griffith of sponsor Orange County Bank & Trust Company 3 4 5 6 7 8 11 3 WCBA President-elect Stephanie Burns and Incoming President Kelly Welch with NYSBA Incoming President Claire Gutekunst 4 Larry McElroen of sponsor Sterling National Bank with WCBA Past Presidents Dawn Kirby, Ralph Nobile and Jody Fay 5 WCBA Past President Henry Miller with Joseph Ruhl of sponsor Orange County Bank & Trust Company 6 Past President Anthony Enea and Richard Scanlan of sponsor Enea, Scanlan and Sirignano 7 Hon. Thomas Dickerson with Past President John Marwell of sponsor Shamberg Marwell Hollis Andreycak & Laidlaw 9 10 12 8 Joel Lever of sponsor Kurzman Eisenberg Corbin & Lever with WCBA Vice President Richard Vecchio 9 Hon. Alan D. Scheinkman, Administrative Judge, 9th Judicial District with Jon Dorf 10 Lucille Fontana, Past Presidents Carol Van Scoyoc, Adam Seiden and Jerold Ruderman with Hon. Terry Jane Ruderman 11 President P. Daniel Hollis III (second from right) with outgoing chairs Joel Sachs, Lucille Fontana and Richard Vecchio 12 James Reduto, Margo Sterling with WCBA Past Presidents Jack Geoghegan and Richard Gardella (all of sponsor Bertine, Hufnagel, WESTCHESTER Headley, Zeltner, Drummond & Dohn) LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 17 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT In this column, Tejash V. Sanchala, Esq., WCBA board member and Labor & Employment Law Committee co-chair interviews members about their experiences and insights. Tejash welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns. He can be reached at tejash@vslawpartners.com. Carol L. Van Scoyoc, Esq. WCBA Past President Number of Years as a Member of the WCBA: 30 years. Past president; former vice president and secretary; former executive committee member; current editor-in-chief of the Westchester Bar Journal; current co-chair of the Bar Journal Committee; current editorial staff member of the Westchester Lawyer magazine; past editor-in-chief of the Newsletter and past chair of the Newsletter Committee; past chair of the Municipal Law Section. Awards and honors received: the 2014 Westchester County Bar Foundation Award; the 2012 New York State Bar Association’s Award for Excellence in Public Service; 2011 Above the Bar Award for Outstanding Public Service Attorney. I am currently serving as chair of the Local and State Government Law Section of the NYSBA. My current job and practice area are: as Chief Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of White Plains, I am involved in many aspects of municipal law, including litigation and the drafting of legislation and legal opinions, involving land use law, zoning, public safety, ethics, and environmental issues, to name a few. I am also an adjunct professor at Pace University’s Graduate School of Public Administration. How I decided to work in municipal law: as an intern at Pace Law School’s then Michaelian Municipal Law Research Center, I really enjoyed researching some cutting edge local 18 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER government issues for a number of municipalities and writing articles for the Municipal Lawyer and my involvement led me to pursue a career in local government, with the Westchester County Attorney’s Office for ten years and then for the City of White Plains. One of my favorite legal success stories: as a young lawyer and only three years out of law school, arguing and prevailing on behalf the County of Westchester in a controversial and landmark case before the NY Court of Appeals on the right-to-die issue, in Matter of Westchester County Medical Center (Mary O’Connor). If I were not practicing law I would be: a medical research doctor. People may be surprised to learn: as a teenager, I competed in and won the Miss Columbus title for the City of Yonkers Columbus Day celebration. WCBA Past President Ralph Nobile served as master of ceremonies for the pageant and festivities. The best thing I did to improve my skill set as an attorney: volunteering as a speaker at various CLEs for the WCBA, NYSBA, Pace Law School and teaching legal research and writing, local government law and administrative law. What I splurge on: clothes, jewelry, gifts for my nieces and nephews, attending baseball games, and musical performances. The best hour of my day is: sunset. Favorite movies: The Great Gatsby (with Robert Redford); any Harrison Ford movie, especially Presumed Innocent and The Fugitive; The Doctor; The Sixth Sense; Bang the Drum Slowly; The Way We Were; Body Heat; And Justice for All. Favorite television shows: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Downton Abbey, Mr. Selfridge, Longmire, Blue Bloods, E.R., and old Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, Ironside, L.A. Law and Owen Marshall reruns. Favorite songs: any album or song by Vince Gill; the Eagles’ Hotel California and Tequila Sunrise; Don Henley’s End of the Innocence and any song on his recent Cass County album; Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind and any song on The Stranger album; George Strait’s Amarillo by Morning; Garth Brooks’ The Dance; the Rolling Stones’ Miss You; Sade’s Smooth Operator; Trisha Yearwood’s The Song Remembers When; B.B. King’s The Thrill Is Gone. Favorite meal: lobster. Favorite websites or blogs: New York Law Journal, New York Post, New York Times, Washington Post, mlb.com and the New York Mets website and the Law of the Land blog. My favorite vacation spots: Miami and Captiva Island, Florida; the Hamptons; the Jersey Shore; Cooperstown. Three things I can’t live without: my family, the law, and the NY Mets. One of my favorite things to do in Westchester: attending musical performances and plays at the White Plains Performing Arts Theater. Best advice I ever got: always respect those who respect you and remain constant to your purpose. My advice to new lawyers: strive to practice the type of law you really have the passion for and enjoy and appreciate the good moments in life. Last time I was out of my comfort zone: being diagnosed with Stage IV, inflammatory breast cancer nearly eight years ago and trying to figure out how to cope with that reality. One of my future ambitions is to: write a book. My favorite part of being involved with the WCBA: acquiring and sharing legal knowledge and experience with true professionals, and the camaraderie and long-lasting friendships with some of the best attorneys and persons in Westchester County. Carol always roots for her beloved New York Mets AB & 70 ATTORNEYS NATIONWIDE INCLUDING: •Two former elected family court judges •Former federal and local prosecutors •Certifiedfederal“learnedcounsel” •Former Presidential Appointee •FiveofficesacrossupstateNewYork •OfficesinWashington,DCandSanDiego,CA Co-counsel, referrals and employment opportunities available Call today for more details: 1-888-529-4543 or email info@1888law4life.com Office Locations: •Albany •Syracuse •Binghamton •Rochester •Buffalo Services for attorneys only ALEGRIA & BAROVICK LLP Our experience sets us apart from other SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY ATTORNEYS. As longtime practitioners of medical malpractice and personal injury law, we know the medicine, and will cut through the clutter of medical records to help our clients in a time-efficient manner. You can feel confident referring your social security disability cases to us. MAIN OFFICE 235 Main Street, Suite 318 White Plains, New York 10601 (914) 761-1133 MANHATTAN OFFICE 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1638 New York, New York 10165 (212) 861-2800 www.AlegriaBarovickLaw.com We have our own Twitter feed now: @WestchesterCBar WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 19 WHAT’S GOING ON Membership News....Updates....Sections....Committees.... Bleakley Platt Welcomes New Partner Stephen J. Brown Bleakley Platt & Schmidt is pleased to announce that Stephen J. Brown has joined the firm as a Partner in the Litigation, Corporate and Estates and Trusts Practice Groups. Mr. Brown focuses his practice in the area of civil and commercial litigation, corporate law and trust and estate matters for clients before state and federal trial courts in New York and Connecticut. He has extensive experience with contract disputes and employment, education, and commercial litigation. Mr. Brown is a WCBA alternate delegate to the NYSBA HOuse of Delegates. He was named to the Super Lawyers 2014 and 2015 New York Metro Rising Star lists. He is a member of The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Westchester County and volunteers his time as a CYO basketball coach at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. 20 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER Thank you to WCBA Annual Meeting Bronze Sponsor www.kelaw.com 914.285.9800 One of the New York Area’s Top Ranked Law Firms® One North Broadway, White Plains, New York 10601 CLE AND EVENT SPONSORSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE. Contact: sponsor@wcbany.org Brown Bag LUNCH SERIES Wednesday, April 13, 2016 | 12:30 pm The WCBA New Lawyers Section and the Westchester Womens Bar Association presents ... Brown Bag Lunch Series featuring: Hon. Linda S. Jamieson and Judge Lewis J. Lubell Join fellow New Lawyers Section members for this unique opportunity to have lunch with Judges Jamieson and Lubell in a casual setting with no formal agenda! Price: FREE Westchester County Courthouse Attorney Lounge, 2nd Floor 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. White Plains, New York RSVP: ExecutiveDirector@wcbany.org Thank you for your continued support of the WCBA! CLARK, GAGLIARDI & MILLER, P.C. SERVING THE INJURED SINCE 1907 “It costs no more to go with the best. I refer my serious personal injury cases to Clark, Gagliardi & Miller.” Brad R. Sacks, Esq. Henry G. Miller Lucille A. Fontana Robert J. Frisenda Angela M. Giannini John S. Rand 99 Court St., White Plains, NY 10601 / (914) 946-8900 / www.cgmlaw.com WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 21 CLE CENTER Visit wcbany.org and click on CALENDAR for the most up to date REAL PROPERTY SECTION & THE NORTHERN WESTCHESTER BAR ASSOCIATION TRID: Six Months Later Moderator Jody Fay, Esq., The Kelsey Company, Chair, Real Property Section Speakers Paul Bugoni, Stewart Title Michael DeRosa, William Raveis Mortgage Trish LaPorta, First American Title Daniel Tota, Durante, Bock & Tota, PLLC Location Lexington Square Cafe 510 Lexington Avenue, Mt. Kisco, NY Date/Time Thursday, April 7, 2016 5:30 pm–6:00 pm Networking / Registration & Dinner 6:00 pm-8:00 pm CLE Presentation Price Early Bird discount through March 31 Members: $80/$120 after March 31 Non-members: $120/$160 after March 31 Pace Alum Non-members: $100/$140 after March 31 CLE 2 credits: Professional Practice CRIMINAL LAW SECTION SORA and SOMTA: How the Law Manages Convicted Sex Offenders in Our Community Speaker Hon. Susan Cacace Westchester County Court Judge Location Keane & Beane, P.C. 445 Hamilton Avenue, 15th Floor White Plains, NY Date/Time Thursday, April 14, 2016 5:30 pm–6:00 pm Networking / Registration & Light Supper 6:00 pm-8:00 pm CLE Presentation Price Early Bird discount through April 7 Members: $40/$60 after April 7 Non-members: $60/$80 after April 7 Pace Alum Non-members: $50/$70 after April 7 CLE 2 credits: Professional Practice To Register See “Registration Form” on page 24 To Register See “Registration Form” on page 24 BANKRUPTCY & CREDITORS RIGHTS COMMITTEE BUSINESS & COMMERCIAL LAW COMMITTEE Legal Considerations for New York Franchises Speakers Julie Lusthaus, Einbinder, Dunn & Goniea, LLP Thomas Gulick, Collen IP Stuart A. Rosenthal, Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association Location Sterling National Bank 21 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY Date/Time Tuesday, April 12, 2016 5:30 pm–6:00 pm Networking / Registration & Light Supper 6:00 pm-8:00 pm CLE Presentation Price FREE CLE 2 credits: Professional Practice To Register See “Registration Form” on page 24 Thanks to our host and sponsor Sterling National Bank New Bankruptcy Forms for Individual and Non-Individual Debtors Moderators Bankruptcy & Creditors Rights Committee Co-chairs: Hon. Arlene Gordon Oliver Greenburgh Town Court Justice Julie Cvek-Curley, DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP Jay Teitelbaum Teitelbaum & Baskin, LLC Location Westchester Hills Golf Club 401 Ridgeway, White Plains Date/Time Tuesday, April 19, 2016 11:30 am–12:00 pm Networking / Registration & Lunch 12:00 pm-2:00 pm CLE Presentation Price Early Bird discount through April 12 Members: $80/$120 after April 12 Non-members: $120/$180 after April 12 Pace Alum Non-members: $100/$140 after April 12 CLE 2 credits: 1 Professional Practice / 1 SKILLS To Register See “Registration Form” on page 24 22 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER information about CLEs and events CONSTRUCTION LAW COMMITTEE ETHICS COMMITTEE Documenting and Proving a Delay Claim Ethical Considerations for Virtual Law Practices Speakers Moderator Michael Greenblatt, Welby Brady & Greenblatt, LLP, Co-chair, WCBA Construction Law Committee Ira Schulman, Pepper Hamilton, LLP, Co-chair, WCBA Construction Law Committee Sean Donohue, Donohue Consulting Location The Brazen Fox Restaurant 175 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY Date/Time Wednesday, April 20, 2016 5:30 pm–6:00 pm Networking / Registration & Dinner 6:00 pm-8:00 pm CLE Presentation Price Early Bird discount through April 13 Members: $80/$120 after April 13 Non-members: $120/$180 after April 13 Pace Alum Non-members: $100/$140 after April 13 CLE 2 credits: Professional Practice To Register See “Registration Form” on page 24 LAW PRACTICE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Cyber Security: How Confidential is your Confidential Information; Threats, Exposures & Solutions Moderators Co-chairs of Law Practice Management Committee: John Stedman, McCarthy Fingar, LLP Andrea Prigot, Amicus Consulting Speakers Hon. David Menken, Smith Buss & Jacobs, LLP Kevin Harrington, Harrington Ocko & Monk, LLP Rebecca Sattin, CIO of Worldox John Ercolino, Jamison Insurance Brokers Location Sterling National Bank, 21 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY Date/Time Thursday, May 12, 2016 5:30 pm–6:00 pm Networking / Registration & Light Supper 6:00 pm-8:00 pm CLE Presentation Price FREE CLE 2 credits: Law Practice Management To Register See “Registration Form” on page 24 Thanks to our host and sponsor Sterling National Bank Hon. Edward R. Mevec, Chair, WCBA Ethics Committee Speaker Philip Touitou, Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP Location Sterling National Bank, 21 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY Date/Time Tuesday, May 17, 2016 5:30 pm–6:00 pm Networking / Registration & Light Supper 6:00 pm-8:00 pm CLE Presentation Price FREE CLE 2 credits: ETHICS To Register See “Registration Form” on page 24 Thanks to our host and sponsor Sterling National Bank WCBA COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN THE LAW, DOMESTIC RELATIONS & FAMILY LAW SECTION & CRIMINAL LAW SECTION Identifying and Handling Cases Involving Human Trafficking in the Criminal and Family Courts Program Chairs Hon. Arlene Gordon Oliver, Greenburgh Town Court Sherry Levin Wallach, Esq., Wallach & Rendo, LLP Speakers Hon. Kathie Davidson, Supervising Judge of the Family Courts for the 9th Judicial District Hon. Charles Apotheker, Supervising Judge of Town & Village Courts for the 9th Judicial District Carl Berry, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jamaica Constabulary Force, Kingston, Jamaica Leigh Latimer, The Legal Aid Society Detective Nick Perika, Greenburgh Police Dept. Joanne Macri, Office of Indigent Legal Services Location The Judicial Institute 78 North Broadway, White Plains, NY Date/Time Tuesday, May 24, 2016 5:30 pm–6:00 pm Networking / Registration & Light Supper 6:00 pm-8:00 pm CLE Presentation Price FREE CLE 2 credits: Professional Practice To Register See “Registration Form” on page 24 WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 23 CLE and EVENT REGISTRATION FORM Please register in advance whenever possible. Registration later than 12 pm 24 hours PRIOR to the CLE will incur a $10 late fee, and applicants will be seated and provided written materials ONLY if space permits. ONLINE: go to the Calendar on our website at http://www.wcbany.org/events/event_list.asp MAIL form and check made out to “WCBA” to: WCBA, One North Broadway, Suite 512, White Plains, NY 10601 EMAIL this scanned form to cle@wcbany.org. FAX form to 914-761-9402 CLE/EVENT TITLE Date Fee ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NAME(S) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EMAIL _________________________________________________________ BUS. 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HALF-DAY RATES: $ 75 / WCBA members $125 / Non-members For information: info@wcbany.org 914-761-3707 x 10 24 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER Greenfield Stein & Senior, LLP A LEGAL TEAM DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO TRUST AND ESTATE LITIGATION Charles T. Scott, Elana L. Danzer, Gary B. Freidman, Angelo M. Grasso One North Lexington Ave., White Plains, NY 10601 | 914.948.3070 600 Third Ave., New York, NY 10016 | 212.818.9600 | www.gss-law.com Do you have clients who want their charitable passions to live on? We can help you bring their philanthropic legacies to life. RON FRIEDMAN CPA HOW ATTORNEYS END IRS PROBLEMS Is the IRS everywhere you turn? Free report reveals how to deal with the IRS and save your law firm. Call 844-TAX-FIX0 (844-829-3490) ext. 103, 24hrs/day to receive your free copy of “How the IRS Audits Attorneys” WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION W CF a division of THE NEW YORK COMMUNITY TRUST For information, contact Laura Rossi, Esq at 914-948-5166, ext. 3 or Jennifer Hu Corriggio, Esq., at 914-948-5166, ext. 4 www.wcf-ny.org Register for CLEs online! Use your member log in to register for events and CLEs under the Calendar menu at www.wcbany.org! WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 25 Back Bench FROM THE BY RICHARD M. GARDELLA, ESQ. Editor-in-Chief WCBA Past President D uring a presidential campaign season punctuated by self-centered bombast, claimed omnipotence and arrogant promise of success, the honest way a past president faced dire national challenge serves to teach by contrast. He was a leader who was not afraid to surround himself with political opponents and men of different views as advisors, instead of toadies and yes men. Before coming to his own firm conclusions, he actually met with his cabinet, listened to its members and carefully weighed their differing views, losing sleep and weight in the process. Nor did he hesitate to take blame for error or assume responsibility for failure. His honest character and the resulting moral clarity it produced prevented the self delusion that often flows from egocentric focus. One hundred fifty-five years ago this month, in only the second month of his presidency, Abraham Lincoln met the nation’s ultimate challenge— dissolution. The crisis, which was escalating since his election with the secession of seven southern states, came to a head in the hours before Lincoln’s first State Dinner in the White House. As a result, the dinner was not a “very gay” affair1 with an agitated president later taking his cabinet members aside to ask them to meet the next day at noon to discuss the grim military assessment of the Union’s ability to defend Fort Sumter off Charleston, South Carolina, and Fort Pickens in the Florida gulf area. The government’s military commander, 26 I APRIL 2016 I WESTCHESTER LAWYER Lieutenant General Winfield Scott, who previously proposed abandoning the forts to placate the South and prevent not yet committed southern and border states from joining the secessionists, estimated it would take a force of 20,000 to successfully defend Sumter alone, four thousand more troops than the government’s present total army. Both forts would have to be abandoned, the general said. After a night of little or no sleep, the new president listened to his cabinet members at the March 29, 1861 meeting. Secretary of State Seward, who at this early stage saw himself as the real leader, instead of the new inexperienced and vacillating president, recommended abandonment of Sumter. However, Pickens should be supplied and defended, he said. Previously, Seward called for evacuation of both forts, relying, instead, on a hare-brained scheme to reunite the country by aggressively seeking foreign entanglement. The secretary of state was soon to learn and appreciate that Lincoln was the real leader, not him. The rest of the cabinet came around to a position favoring the nonmilitary provisioning of Fort Sumter as a way of asserting Federal authority without firing a shot, a position the president had apparently already reached. On April 6, 1861, Lincoln notified South Carolina officials that a relief mission carrying food and other nonmilitary supplies would be sent to the Federal fort manned by 60 soldiers under Major Robert Anderson. No reinforcement troops or ammunition would be included in the Richard M. Gardella, Esq., is counsel to Bertine, Hufnagel, Headley, Zeltner, Drummond & Dohn LLP. He is a past president of the Westchester County Bar Association and the Westchester County Bar Foundation, the editor-in-chief of this Magazine, and a former WCBA delegate to the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association. relief mission to Sumter. The burgeoning Confederacy did not await the relief ’s arrival. At 3:30 am, on April 12, 1861, under the command of General Pierre Beauregard, Southern forces began a bombardment starting the Civil War. While the Union troops returned fire, they were overwhelmed, surrendering 34 hours after the shelling’s start. The only Union fatality occurred as a result of an accidental powder explosion during a 50-gun salute to the flag before surrender. The Federal troops were allowed to leave the fort with their weapons aboard the relief ships which arrived after the bombardment. A Navy warship which could have provided greater defense to the Sumter garrison was misdirected to Fort Pickens under presidential order. Lincoln took the blame for the misdirection, pointing to carelessness on his part. Surprised, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles would later say that the new president “often declared that he, and not his cabinet, was at fault for errors imputed to them.”2 Just hours after the Sumter surrender, Lincoln, on April 15, 1861, exercised his war powers and issued a Presidential Proclamation calling up a 75,000 member militia from the northern states to “suppress” the seven state combination against the Federal government. He also called Congress into session on the Fourth of July to back his war actions. On April 19, 1861, the president issued another proclamation instituting a port blockade against the seceding states. In his July special message to Congress, the president said: “… It is thus seen that the assault upon, and reduction of, Fort Sumter, was, in no sense, a matter of self defense on the part of the assailants. They well knew the garrison in the Fort could, by no possibility, commit aggression upon them. They knew—they were expressly notified—that the giving of bread to a few brave and hungry men of the garrison, was all which would on that occasion be attempted…” The Federal Union merely wanted to maintain “visible possession” of the fort to give time for possible settlement through discussion and the ballot box, he wrote. Instead, the secessionists attacked “… for precisely the reverse object—to drive out the visible authority of the Federal Union, and thus force it to immediate dissolution.”3 Congress quickly gave the president what he wanted and more. They authorized more than 400,000 troops and more than the 400 million dollars he requested. Congress also ratified all of his executive war actions remaining silent only on the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. Some historians claim the president cleverly lured the South into firing the first shot and assuming the role of aggressor. However, Lincoln had made it clear in his inaugural address that the federal government would be maintained in the face of secession. For their part, the seceding states were determined to break away. In his inaugural address, Lincoln explained his view of our government with these words: “…Plainly, the central idea of secession, is the essence of anarchy. A majority, held in restraint by constitutional checks, and limitation, and always changing easily, with deliberate change of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only sovereign of a free people. Whoever rejects it, “... Some historians claim the president cleverly lured the South into firing the first shot and assuming the role of aggressor. However, Lincoln had made it clear in his inaugural address that the federal government would be maintained in the face of secession...” does, of necessity, fly to anarchy or to despotism. Unanimity is impossible, the rule of the minority, as a permanent arrangement is wholly inadmissible; so that rejecting the majority principle, anarchy, or despotism in some form, is all that is left…” Lincoln’s original militia call up provided for a three month tour. Somehow both sides believed the conflict would be short and decisive. The South relied on its “heroic spirit” while the North could point to a population more than twice the South’s. How wrong they were. Four brutal years followed the firing on Sumter with more recent estimates putting the death toll as high as 750,000. Just four years to the day from his militia proclamation and a few days after Northern victory, Lincoln became the war’s last major casualty—dying from an assassin’s bullet on April 15, 1865.4 Those final four years of his life contained periods of sustained torture for the backwoods jokester who grew into one of this nation’s greatest leaders and a heroic world figure. A glimpse of the pressured pain of his decision making followed the March 1861 cabinet meeting and his coming to a decision that meant civil war. According to his wife, Mary, he “keeled over” in the White House, and a short time later was temporarily immobilized by a migraine.5 Lincoln, in his July 1861 message to Congress revealed that a compelling sense of duty was at the core of his presidential motivation, saying “…he had no moral right to shrink, nor even to count the chances of his own life, in what might follow…” Before the final price he paid, his leadership effort took its toll. Looking haggard, he had grown old in the top job. The man who entered the White House at a muscular 185 pounds in 1861, weighed just 155 pounds at his death. Lincoln was not trying to please party supporters or his voter base in making hard decisions. Nor was he trying to ensure his legacy. His excruciating presidential effort was not about him. It was about his country—its survival and its future. Endnotes 1 See The President’s House, A History, Volume I, by William Seale, published in 1986 by the White House Historical Association, at. p. 368. 2 See Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, published by Simon & Schuster in 2015, at p. 245. 3 These quotes from Lincoln’s special July 4, 1861, message to Congress as well as later quotes from the message and from his First Inaugural Address were taken from Volume II of Abraham Lincoln’s Speeches and Writing, published in a Special Gryphon Editions issue under arrangement with the Library of America. 4 See the From the Back Bench columns in the June 2008 and May 2009 Newsletter predecessor to this Magazine. 5 See Lincoln by David Herbert Donald, published in 1995 by Simon & Schuster, at p. 289. WESTCHESTER LAWYER I APRIL 2016 I 27 CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL JOBS | OFFICE SPACE | SERVICES LEGAL JOBS OFFICE SPACE TRUST & ESTATES PARALEGAL WHITE PLAINS – DOWNTOWN Mount Kisco law firm seeks an experienced Trusts & Estates paralegal. Candidate should have at least five years of experience and be extremely organized with managing cases, especially those in the area of estate administration. We are looking for someone who is team oriented with strong communication and computer skills (NYSBA HotDocs, Word and Excel). Please send a cover letter and resume to Julie Lopez at jlopez@smhal.com. Beautiful, windowed offices in law suite. All amenities, including fax, color copier/scanner, high speed internet, Wi-Fi, conference room, phone/ voice mail system and kitchenette. Convenient to courts, train, bus, and parking. Call 914-684-1200 x 101. Westchester County Bar Association’s LAWYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM The WCBA Now Offers Free Confidential Help For the Problems Lawyers, Judges and Law Students Face The demands of the legal profession are known to contribute to the greater risk for alcoholism and depression suffered by lawyers over that of the general population. Shame, fear and stigma often make it difficult to seek help, but it is important to act when the signs of impairment begin. Contact WCBA’s Lawyer Assistance Committee Chair Daniel Seymour: LAP WESTCHESTER COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION CENTRAL WESTCHESTER Individual offices, co-working, executive suites and corporate offices in central Westchester. Minutes to White Plains. On-site parking. No long term leases, up-front capital or build-out costs. Rent for one month or one year. Beautiful building. Contact Rick Arkin at 914-906-0163. WHITE PLAINS A call can save a career. A call can save a life. 914-262-0548 | dseymouresq@aol.com All LAP services are confidential and protected under Section 499 of the Judiciary Law as amended by Chapter 327 of the Laws of 1993. Luxurious Class A office space available for individual attorneys or small firm at midsize commercial law firm. High floor of a deluxe Rockefeller Center complex Sixth Avenue building. 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