As a litigator and appellate lawyer, Ben has twenty years of experience representing corporate and individual clients in commercial and regulatory disputes. His experience encompasses breach of contract lawsuits, insurance, and reinsurance coverage actions, suits challenging the constitutionality of state statutes and regulations, business tort cases involving fraud and unfair competition, labor and employment grievances, and intra-company conflicts between partners, shareholders, and joint venturers. He has also prosecuted or defended numerous “Article 78” proceedings in New York State courts, seeking judicial review of determinations made by state agencies and municipal authorities. In litigation, Ben has represented interests in a wide variety of commercial settings, including clients in the health care, telecommunications, banking, energy, real estate, construction, and hospitality industries.
In the realm of regulatory compliance, Ben counsels clients regarding the evolving requirements of state and federal law. He has conducted voluntary self-audits for licensed and regulated entities, to deliver compliance and “best practices” advice. He has, from time to time, served as outside regulatory counsel for insurers, insurance producers, cemeteries, not-for-profit corporations, and licensees in health and human services, hospitality, and automotive industries, among others.
Ben’s administrative law practice includes the representation of regulated entities in investigative and disciplinary proceedings before various New York State agencies, including the Division of Human Rights, Department of Labor, State Liquor Authority, and State Education Department, among others. Ben represents clients in all stages of these matters, including the agency’s initial investigation, defense of the client at agency hearings, and, when necessary, challenging adverse rulings before agency appeal boards and in courts of law. Ben’s administrative law practice also encompasses challenges to awards of competitively bid government contracts. He has represented both winning and protesting bidders in such matters concerning contracts awarded by numerous state agencies and municipal corporations.
In the area of municipal law, Ben has served as counsel to local planning boards, zoning boards of appeal, and other governing bodies in Upstate New York communities, and has from time to time been retained as special counsel to provide comprehensive legal analysis to municipal boards with respect to complex or novel issues of land use law. Ben also provides counsel to private clients with regard to land use approval requirements throughout New York State and represents them before zoning boards and in courts of law.
Professional Affiliations
New York State Bar Association
Education
- Juris Doctor, cum laude, St. John’s University School of Law
- St John’s University Law Review
- Bachelor of Arts (English and Sociology, double), cum laude, State University of New York at Albany
Media Mentions
Practice Areas
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Governance
- Municipal and Land Use Law
- Labor and Employment
- Regulatory Counsel to Licensees and Regulated Entities
- Administrative Law