Judicial Recognition
Congratulations to Chief Bankruptcy Judge Conrad B. Duberstein of the Eastern District of New York who despite having retired in 1995 has been recalled every year and was continued to December 31, 2005 by the Judicial Council of the 2nd Circuit and the Board of District Judges of the Eastern District.
Chief Judge Duberstein, who has served since 1984, recently celebrated his 89th birthday and is the oldest Chief Bankruptcy Judge in the country.
Congratulations to Brooklyn Bar Association member Hon. Michelle Weston Patterson who was reelected to office in the Supreme Court, Kings County. Also elected to the Supreme Court this past November were Brooklyn Bar Association members Hon. Eric I. Prus and Hon. Wayne P. Saitta.
Congratulations to Brooklyn Bar Association member Hon. Sarah L. Krauss who was reelected to the Civil Court of the City of New York and been designated as an Acting Supreme Court Justice in Kings County.
Congratulations also to Brooklyn Bar Association members Gerald Dunbar, Evelyn LaPorte and Bernard J. Graham who were elected in November to the Civil Court of the City of New York. Associate member George Silver, who was elected to the Civil Court in New York County, is expected to be assigned to the Brooklyn Civil Court.
Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc.
New Staff Members
The Brooklyn legal community welcomes Jeannie Costello, who was hired in October by the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc., to be the new Executive Director of the Project. Prior to joining the VLP, Ms. Costello worked in the national law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, LLP, where she concentrated her practice in the areas of intellectual property and entertainment law.
The Brooklyn legal community also welcomes Liz Padilla, Esq., who was appointed on December 20th as the Pro Bono Coordinator of the VLP. Formerly, Ms. Padilla had worked at the Family Law Center.
Kudos And Professional Recognition
Congratulations to associate member Charles Eric Gordon of Plainview, Long Island, who was elected as the First Vice President of Professional Investigators, Inc., a not for profit fraternal and educational organization.
Professional Announcements
Brooklyn Bar Association Trustee and Editor-in-Chief of the Brooklyn Barrister Andrew M. Fallek has announced that Joseph Fallek, P.C., has relocated its office to 110 Wall Street, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10005. Telephone number 212-797-4700
Brooklyn Bar Association member Andrew S. Garson has announced that his law firm Garson Gerspach DeCorato & Cohen, LLP has relocated to 110 Wall Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10005. The telephone, fax and e-mail addresses are unchanged. Telephone number is 212-742-8700.
Word has been received at the Brooklyn Bar Association that Andrea F. Composto, the Chair of the Young Lawyers Section, will continue in the general practice of law as the third generation in the new law firm which will be known as The Law Offices of Composto & Composto, located at 142 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201, telephone number 718-875-5199.
Court Notes
On November 24, 2004, Presiding Justice A. Gail Prudenti announced the appointment of Robert P. Guido to the newly created position of Special Counsel for Grievance Matters for the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Guido had served for more than twenty-one years with the Grievance Committee of the 10th Judicial District, where he had been its Chief Counsel for the last three years.
Family Matters
Congratulations to David Jon Doyaga, son of Brooklyn Bar Association Past President David J. Doyaga and Kerri Doyaga, who passed the July, 2004 New York State Bar Examination.
Bereavements
The Brooklyn Bar Association extends its deepest condolences to Andrea Katz Ritscher, Esq., and family on the passing of her father Brooklyn Bar Association member Alan B. Katz on November 15, 2004. Alan Katz, who is also survived by his widow Harriette Katz and son Bruce Katz, an attorney in Arlington, Virginia, had been a member of the Brooklyn Bar Association for more than 37 years at the time of his passing.
Legal Briefs is compiled and written by Avery Eli Okin, Esq., CAE, the Executive Director of the Brooklyn Bar Association and its Foundation. Please send items for inclusion in the “Legal Briefs” column to his attention at the Brooklyn Bar Association, 123 Remsen Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201-4212.
For your convenience and to ensure the inclusion of all time sensitive items, you may fax an item to (718) 797-1713 during regular business hours or e-mail to Avery Eli Okin, Esq., CAE.