Abby Rosmarin, a lawyer in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, spoke at a program in White Plains entitled "Resolving Family Disputes Through The Collaborative Process". The program was sponsored by the Collaborative Law Committee of the Westchester Women's Bar Association.
Judge Edward P. Borrelli, a member of our Trusts & Estates, Matrimonial & Family Law, Appellate Practice and Mediation & Arbitration Practice groups, lectured on “Judicial Ethics” at a program of the New York State Unified Court System entitled “Taking the Bench – Spring, 2018” for newly-elected and recently appointed Town and Village Justices from around the state. The program was held in Albany, New York.
Abby Rosmarin, a lawyer in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, will co-chair a program in White Plains entitled "Issues Related to Representation in Family and Divorce Mediation". The program is sponsored by the Mediation Committee of the Westchester Women's Bar Association.
Abby Rosmarin, a lawyer in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, taught at a program in White Plains, New York for Divorced or Separated Parents sponsored by the NYS Certified Parent Education & Awareness Program. The class was designed to help parents gain a better understanding of what children are experiencing during family transition as well as provide tools and strategies to help reduce the stress of family changes.
Judge Edward P. Borrelli, a member of our Trusts & Estates, Matrimonial & Family Law, Appellate Practice and Mediation & Arbitration Practice groups, served on the faculty of the New York State Judicial Institute and New York State Unified Court System, Office of Justice Court Support sponsored Continuing Judicial Education Program at the NYS Association of Towns Annual Convention in New York City. Judge Borrelli presented on two topics: 1) 2018 Judicial Ethics Updates and 2) Ethics: Civic Participation Limitations
We are please to announce that Judge Edward P. Borrelli has joined the firm as Counsel in our Trusts & Estates, Matrimonial & Family Law, Appellate Practice and Mediation & Arbitration Practice groups. Judge Borrelli joins the firm following an illustrious 40 year career in the New York State Unified Court System, where he has presided over a very wide variety of proceedings, including Civil and Criminal jury trials and non-jury trials, high exposure Supreme Court Civil litigation, matrimonial, parental and grandparental child custody, visitation, child relocation, child support, domestic violence, elder law, adult guardianship and guardianship compliance enforcement proceedings.
Judge Edward P. Borrelli, a member of our Trusts & Estates, Matrimonial & Family Law, Appellate Practice and Mediation & Arbitration Practice groups, was part of a panel presentation by the New York State Judicial Institute entitled, "Rules Governing Judicial Conduct", as part of a seminar for new judges.
Judge Miller and Abby Rosmarin, lawyers in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, jointly spoke on "Early Intervention: Support Services for Parents in Conflict." This presentation was co-sponsored by Westchester Women's Bar Association and Family Kind.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, spoke before the NY State Council on Divorce Mediation on "Money Styles: How the Personal Psychology of Money Influences Divorce Finances" at a symposium entitled "Power Money and Rage: Negotiating Tough Issues in Mediation."
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, spoke at 2016 Senior Day on "How to Start the Conversation on Aging Issues: Family Dialogues.”
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group spoke before the Association of Divorce Financial Planners on "Substance Abuse: Thinking it Through for Divorce, Financial & Family Planning."
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, was part of a panel discussion on April 18, 2016 in Manhattan for a program entitled "Child Support Support", sponsored by the Family & Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York. Abby’s presentation focused on the psychology of money and ways to handle diverse thoughts and feelings about money when mediating child support and other divorce financial issues.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, will lecture at the Chappaqua Public Library for a program entitled, "Starting the Conversation: Adult Child and Parent Dialogues."
Judge Miller and Abby Rosmarin, lawyers in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, was part of a panel discussion entitled "MED-ARB: Getting Past the Impasse." The program, which was co-sponsored by Westchester Women's Bar Association, Westchester County Bar Association, Westchester Black Bar Association and White Plains Bar Association, explored how mediation and arbitration can be incorporated in matrimonial and family matters.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, lectured for the Westchester County Elder Abuse Coalition on "Refocusing for a Deeper Understanding."
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, was honored by Legal Services of the Hudson Valley on October 29, 2015 for her pro bono work on mediation matters.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, lectured on "Money Talks: The Psychology of Money and Divorce Finances" for the Catalyst Conference.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, and Kathleen Donelli, who is a member of our Collaborative Law & Matrimonial & Family Law groups, co-presented at the 2015 Catalyst Conference Money Talks - The Psychology of Money and Divorce Finances (10/1-10/5). In keeping with the conference’s mission - to provide a forum to foster an interdisciplinary approach to help separating or divorcing couples in mediation - the program included a divorce financial planner.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, has been invited to join the faculty at Manhattanville College School of Business. She will be teaching Negotiation and Situational Awareness in the Women’s Leadership Program: Lead with Distinction.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, lectured on May 16, 2015 at the 35th Annual Convention of the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York. Abby's presentation was entitled “Connecting with Clients: Opening the Door to ADR for Family Matters."
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, lectured on March 4, 2015 in Manhattan in a program sponsored by Family & Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York. Abby's presentation is entitled “Expanding our Understanding of Challenging Clients – What’s Going on in their Brains."
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, lectured on February 25, 2015 in White Plains for Pace Law School's Mediation Program. Abby's presentation was entitled “Listening Skills and Mediator Approaches.”
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, was interviewed by the Westchester Women's Bar Association for its newsletter. Speaking of her work as a mediator, Abby offered this insight on the mediation process: “Working as a mediator and a conflict coach stems from my belief that people would like, if they could, to bring their best version of themselves as they work with others to solve a problem.“ Click for the full article.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, participated at the 2014 Annual Conference of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals in Vancouver, B.C., on October 25, 2014. Abby's presentation was entitled “Narrative Understanding: Perspectives and Approaches to Improving Collaborative Skills.”
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, participated at the 6th Annual meeting of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. Her presentation was entitled, “A Facilitated Dialogue: Sharing our Difficult Cases or Moments.”
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, participated at the 2014 Annual Conference of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators in San Diego on October 16, 2014. Abby's presentation was entitled “Narrative Understanding: Perspectives and Approaches to Improving Conflict Resolution Skills.”
Seven of our lawyers have been selected Super Lawyers in the New York Metropolitan area. Gail M. Boggio has again been selected in the fields of Estate & Trust Litigation/Estate Planning & Probate/Elder Law. Howell Bramson has again been selected in the fields of Estate Planning/Tax and Corporate Business. Joseph Brophy has again been selected in the fields of Personal Injury/Medical Malpractice, General, Estate & Trust Litigation. Kathleen Donelli has again been selected in the fields of Family Law/Collaborative Law/Appellate. Dolores Gebhardt has again been selected in the fields of Family Law/Collaborative Law/Appellate. Judge Sondra Miller has again been selected in the fields of Appellate/Family Law. Frank W. Streng has been selected in the fields of Estate & Trust Litigation and Estate Planning & Probate. Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have been recognized by their colleagues as having the highest degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, was a panelist in Manhattan at Calvary Hospital's Eleventh Annual Trusts & Estates CLE program (Ethics for Breakfast), entitled, “You Can’t Fire Me – I Quit!: The Ethical Considerations of Dealing with Difficult Clients”.
Hon. Sondra M. Miller, who has a national reputation on family law issues and leads our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group and Appellate Practice group, authored an article for the New York Law Journal on Prenuptial Agreements entitled, "Come Live With Me and Be my Love...But Sign This Prenup!"
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, co-taught a full day workshop entitled, "Narrative Understanding", for the North Jersey Collaborative Law Group. This skill-based program drew from literary, therapeutic, and communication techniques to enhance the ability of professionals to better understand their client's concerns and help people resolve their differences.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, and Kathleen Donelli, who is a member of our Collaborative Law & Matrimonial & Family Law groups, jointly lectured for the Westchester Women's Bar Association on a program entitled, "Money Matters: How the Psychology of Money Impacts our Practice of Law."
Six of our lawyers have been selected Super Lawyers in the New York Metropolitan area. Gail M. Boggio has been selected in the fields of Estate & Trust Litigation/Estate Planning & Probate/Elder Law. Howell Bramson has again been selected in the fields of Estate Planning/Tax and Corporate Business. Joseph Brophy has again been selected in the fields of Personal Injury/Medical Malpractice, General, Estate & Trust Litigation. Kathleen Donelli has again been selected in the fields of Family Law/Collaborative Law/Appellate. Dolores Gebhardt has again been selected in the fields of Family Law/Collaborative Law/Appellate. Judge Sondra Miller has again been selected in the fields of Appellate/Family Law. Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have been recognized by their colleagues as having the highest degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Judge Miller and Abby Rosmarin, lawyers in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, lectured at Pace Law School on April 15, 2013 in White Plains, New York at a CLE program entitled "Essential Family Law/Matrimonial Law: Fundamentals."
On April 6, 2013, Kathleen Donelli (who heads up our Collaborative Law & Matrimonial & Family Law groups) and Deborah Wayne, Adjunct Professors at Pace Law School, presented a 6 hour Intensive Collaborative Law workshop for their students. The students found the workshop to be an exceptional learning experience. One of the students, Jonah Freedman, wrote: "I have participated in numerous simulations throughout my law school career and last Saturday’s collaborative law simulation was by far superior. What made this experience so rewarding was having the opportunity to role play and gain insights alongside all the Collaborative Law essential ‘players’ such as attorneys (including a Judge), mental health professionals and CPAs.” Judge Sondra Miller and Abby Rosmarin, lawyers in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, also participated in the workshop.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, was part of a panel presentation at Northern Westchester Hospital on February 27, 2013, entitled “Getting on the Same Page for Improved Discharge Outcomes: Uniting Families to Make Focused Care Decisions for Aging Parents.” The program, sponsored by SeniorBridge, is intended to provide hospital personnel a resource for families as part of a discharge plan.
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, was part of a panel discussion on February 26, 2013 on "The Do's and Don't of Client Intake for Matrimonial & Civil Mediators & Collaborative Attorneys" at the White Plains Library in a program sponsored by the Collaborative Practice & Mediation Committees of the Westchester Women's Bar Association. Kathleen Donelli, who is a member of our Collaborative Law & Matrimonial & Family Law groups, was the moderator of the program.
We are pleased to announce that Judge Sondra M. Miller, who leads our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group and Appellate Practice group, received the Kay Crawford Murray Award on January 22, 2013. The award is given by the New York State Bar Association's Committee on Women in the Law to celebrate "an individual who, in the spirit of Ms. Murray, recognizes the value of diversity in the legal profession and has committed to advancing the professional development of women attorneys."
Abby P. Rosmarin, a Mediator in our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, lectured in Manhattan on December 7, 2012 on "How Mediation and Collaborative Divorce Address Money Issues" for the New York Financial Psychology Group.
Five of our lawyers have been selected Super Lawyers in the New York Metropolitan area. Howell Bramson has been selected in the fields of Estate Planning/Tax and Corporate Business. Joseph Brophy has again been selected in the fields of Personal Injury/Medical Malpractice, General, Estate & Trust Litigation. Kathleen Donelli has again been selected in the fields of Family Law/Collaborative Law/Appellate. Dolores Gebhardt has been selected in the fields of Family Law/Collaborative Law/Appellate. Judge Sondra Miller has been selected in the fields of Appellate/Family Law. Joe Brophy has also been selected as one of Westchester's top 25 lawyers. Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have been recognized by their colleagues as having the highest degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
As part of the recent expansion of our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group, we have put a video on our web site. In the video, viewers can get to know better the members of our Mediation & Arbitration team: Hon. Sondra M. Miller, who leads the group, Adam J. Krim, Kristen Mackay Pennessi and Abby P. Rosmarin. The video is set forth below.
Hon. Sondra M. Miller, who leads our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group and Appellate Practice group, and Co-Chairs the New York State Family Violence Task Force, co-chaired a judicial seminar entitled: “’Friend’ or Foe: Social Media and the New Cyber-Landscape of Criminal and Family Law.” The seminar was part of a summer series of web casts offered by the New York State Judicial Institute for judges and non-judicial staff. The program was presented live at the Judicial Institute in White Plains, at group-viewing sites in each of the New York City counties, and on-line.
Hon. Sondra M. Miller, who leads our Mediation & Arbitration Practice Group and Appellate Practice groups, was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal on the impact of the new divorce law. Judge Miller, who has been a long-time proponent of reforms in divorce law, discussed how the new divorce law, passed in 2010, has had unintended consequences on temporary alimony for some affluent New Yorkers. See video below for that interview. Footage provided by Wall Street Journal.
On December 1, 2011 Hon. Sondra M. Miller was the recipient of the 2011 Judge Learned Hand Award by the Westchester Region of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). This was the first time that the Judge Learned Hand Award was presented by AJC's Westchester Region. The award ceremony took place at Chappaqua Crossing (the former Reader’s Digest site), in Chappaqua, New York. AJC is the oldest and most respected human relations organization in the United States. AJC builds bridges, advances security, promotes human rights, supports Israel and strengthens Jewish life. For over fifty years, AJC has taken great pride in publicly acknowledging the accomplishments of outstanding members of the legal community who excel in their field and give generously of themselves to the larger community.
Hon. Sondra M. Miller, who has been a long-time proponent of "no fault" divorce and helped bring upon its passage in law last year, was interviewed by the New York Law Journal (2/4/2011) to comment on a recent ruling on the new law by Essex County Justice Robert J. Muller. Justice Muller is the second judge to rule that a trial is required if a party disputes whether, under the new law, a marriage has "broken down irretrievably." The article went on to say:
"Sondra Miller, the former Second Department justice who headed a commission appointed by former Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye to examine the state's matrimonial laws, disagreed with Justice Muller's conclusion stating that the 'irretrievably broken' language must be read in the context within which it was written. . . . 'It is quite clear,' Ms. Miller said, that the 'purpose' of the language referring to an oath provided by 'one party' was to 'avoid litigation.' 'It was not the intent of the Legislature and the bill's sponsors to avoid litigation on fault grounds only to substitute litigation upon the ground of irretrievable breakdown,' added Ms. Miller who is now chief counsel at McCarthy Fingar in White Plains. 'The statute was designed to avoid the expense and delay of full trials.'"
Hon. Sondra M. Miller spoke at the Rockland County Courthouse in New City at the induction ceremony of newly elected Justice Linda J. Christopher.
Hon. Sondra M. Miller was interviewed by the New York Law Journal as a spokesperson for various state and local bar groups who lobbied Albany legislators for an amendment of divorce law to permit "no fault" divorce. Judge Miller, who is also the Director of the Office of Family Services for the Office of Court Administration, organized the event in Albany, to remind legislators of the need to change the divorce laws and to highlight the near-unanimous support that the no-fault option has among bar groups. In her interview, Judge Miller also spoke of the difficulties the no-fault option faced in the current legislative session, since no-fault divorce is just one of a myriad of items vying for attention. In the interview, Judge Miller said: "They are not focused on this issue. And we, as a group, are at a disadvantage because we are not lobbyists."
Hon. Sondra M. Miller was a keynote speaker on November 8, 2007 for The Family & Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York (FDMCGNY) at its 25th anniversary gala celbration in New York, New York. FDMCGNY is a not-for-profit group dedicated to the constructive resolution of traditional and non-traditional family disputes.
Dolores Gebhardt and Hon. Sonda M. Miller authored an article in the Pace Law Review, Justice Abandoned: Forty Years of Stalemate in Actions for Divorce on the Ground of Abandonment, 27 Pace Law Review 605 (2007). Click on Article to see this publication.
Dolores Gebhardt and Hon. Sondra M. Miller spoke at a forum in New York City at the Association of the Bar of the City of New York on October 11, 2007, entitled "The Need for No-Fault Divorce."
Hon. Sondra M. Miller has joined the Board of Directors of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley.
Hon. Sondra M. Miller In the aftermath of the recent bribery conviction of former state Supreme Court Justice Gerald P. Garson, there has been substantial media coverage of the manner in which matrimonial and family law cases are litigated in the court system. Judge Miller, who headed the Matrimonial Commission formed by Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye, was interviewed by The Institute for Judicial Studies for both her observations on the case and efforts to implement the recommendations of the Matrimonial Commission. For excerpts of that interview, click at Interview. Click at Report to see the recommendations of the Matrimonial Commission.
Hon. Sondra M. Miller lectured on Ethical Considerations and Attorney Fees as part of an all-day program in Tarrytown, New York on October 24, 2006 entitled "Probate and Administration of Estates" for the Trusts & Estates Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.
We are pleased to announce that Judge Sondra M. Miller, retired from the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department, as of January 1, 2006, has joined our Firm as Chief Counsel. Judge Miller is a member of the Firm's Business Litigation and Matrimonial & Family Law groups and will lead the Firm's appellate practice.