MINTZ & GOLD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the New York State Law Guardian Committee
Alex is an experienced litigator who advises both individuals and businesses in a wide range of matters including commercial contracts, partnerships, real estate, and employment. Alex also works with individuals and families advising them in regard to business formation, estate planning, pre-and post-nuptial agreements and divorce negotiation. For the past 25 years, Alex has litigated cases in both arbitrations and state and federal courts concerning contractual disputes, including issues regarding intellectual property and business divorces, employment disputes, including discrimination and non-compete agreements, and estate litigation, including Surrogates Court will contests. Alex also counsels investment advisors and individuals in FINRA arbitrations as well as advising individuals and corporations charged with federal or state crimes. Utilizing the trial and investigative skills he honed as a prosecutor, Alex has conducted internal investigations relating to alleged age, sex, race discrimination, and harassment.
Alex served in the Queens County District Attorney's Office from 1992-1998, conducting investigations and trying cases in the Major Crimes Division's Special Victims Bureau. Alex also was a supervisor in the Appeals Bureau where he argued over 30 appeals before the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division as well as multiple cases before the New York State Court of Appeals and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Alex is a lifelong New Yorker who received his B.A. from Union College in 1988, and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 1992. He is a long-time board member of Grand Street Settlement, a lower east side community organization where he serves on the Executive Committee. He is also a graduate of the Coro Leadership New York program.
Andrew R. Gottesman is a partner at Mintz & Gold LLP and heads the firm's Bankruptcy and Restructuring practice. Andrew enjoys a national practice which focuses on advising clients in bankruptcy and corporate restructuring on matters including debt and business restructuring, creditors' rights, distressed asset transactions and distressed trading.
Over the course of his career, Andrew has represented debtors, secured lenders, unsecured lenders, asset purchasers, asset sellers, equity holders and has been in-house counsel at JP Morgan Chase. During the last major economic crisis, Andrew clerked for the Hon. James M. Peck in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Prior to joining Mintz & Gold, Andrew worked in the Business Reorganization and Restructuring departments of two major law firms and ran his own successful practice.
Andrew is a graduate of St. John's University School of Law, where he was an editor of the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Journal. Andrew regularly appears in bankruptcy courts throughout the country and has completed the American Bankruptcy Institute/St. John's University School of Law Bankruptcy Mediation Training program.
Andy's clients also benefit from his substantial experience in mediation and arbitration matters, resulting in creative solutions to avoid litigation and numerous favorable settlements. Andy's mediation experience stems from his two years as the Attorney Advisor to the Office of Legal Affairs for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, where he served as the research and writing clerk for the mediation department and staff attorney's office. In 2009 and 2010, Smith received the Second Circuit's Special Achievement Award for his work in the mediation department and staff attorney's office.
Barry M. Kazan is a partner in Mintz & Gold's commercial litigation and bankruptcy and restructuring department. For more than 25 years, Barry's practice has focused on the areas of commercial litigation, bankruptcy and creditors' rights. He is an experienced trial lawyer with extensive appearances in state, federal, and bankruptcy courts, and before arbitration tribunals. His practice centers on class action defense, bankruptcy and creditors' rights, distribution and franchise law, real estate workouts, fraudulent conveyance actions, corporate governance, and ERISA. However, it would be difficult to find a substantive area of the law to which he has had not had significant exposure. Barry believes it is incumbent that lawyers know their clients' businesses and has intimate knowledge of the following industries: consumer electronics, financial services, life sciences, chemical manufacturing and distribution, and commercial real estate.
While Barry spends significant time in the courtroom, he spends an equally significant time assisting lawyers and clients in the boardroom. Traditionally, he represents high-net-worth individuals, privately- and publicly-held companies, and funds. He is regularly consulted to advise on issues with the goal of avoiding litigation - either by reviewing contracts at inception or by negotiating resolutions of disputes before they reach litigation. His partners and clients value his judgment, his practical advice, his creativity, and the efficient way in which he reaches a "win" for the client. In addition to his skills as an attorney, he has extensive knowledge of litigation project management including early case assessment, budgeting, planning, and reporting tools.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Real Estate
Benjamin Cotler is an associate in the Real Estate and Corporate Departments at Mintz & Gold LLP. Mr. Cotler handles various real estate transactional and corporate maters.
Benjamin received his Juris Doctor degree at New York Law School where he was a member of the Center for Real Estate Studies and was awarded the Paul & Jeannette Lewis Scholarship. During law school, Benjamin clerked at two separate boutique real estate transactional firms where he handled an array of residential and commercial transactional matters.
Prior to law school, Benjamin received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Maryland.
Benjamin is pending admission to the New York State Bar Association.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Commercial
- Member of the Bar of the State of New York
Carli Aberle is an Associate in the Commercial Litigation group at Mintz & Gold LLP. Carli received her Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from University of Maryland. While a student at Brooklyn Law School, Carli served on the executive board of the Brooklyn Journal of International Law. She also interned for the Honorable Ellen M. Spodek, New York State Supreme Court, Kings County.
Carli is a member of the Bar of the State of New York and is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Charles "Chuck" Ross represents both individuals and companies in criminal trials and investigations. Whether he is representing someone at trial or advising a company on how best to negotiate the dangerous shoals of an investigation, Chuck Ross is sought out for his skill, expertise, and dedication to achieving the best results for his clients. He has successfully represented a wide variety of individuals and companies in both criminal and administrative matters - from stockbrokers, investment advisers, hedge fund managers, and compliance officers to lawyers, doctors, noted entertainers and athletes.
Chuck has tried over 100 cases to verdict before juries in both federal and state courts in several jurisdictions. In dozens of cases, he has repeatedly persuaded prosecutors not to charge his clients and has avoided criminal proceedings all together. He has successfully guided major companies and organizations and well as corporate officers and employees through criminal and regulatory investigations in the health care industry, the financial industry, the legal profession and the technology field to name just a few. He has handled criminal antitrust matters, public corruption cases and fraud charges of all kinds.
Chuck has also handled numerous more traditional criminal cases such as sex crimes, allegations of possession of child pornography, narcotics distribution, gambling, racketeering, murder, rape and assault. In short, there is no type of criminal case, whether it is a complex white collar case or a street crime matter, that Mr. Ross is not comfortable and experienced at handling.
Chuck is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New York Council of Defense Lawyers, and the Federal Bar Council. He served as vice chair of the Judiciary Committee of the New York City Bar Association, and frequently lectures on topics involving white collar defense and criminal trial skills and strategy. He has consulted on criminal justice issues for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, CNBC and Court TV. Chuck has been named as a New York Super Lawyer each year from 2006 to the present.
Craig D. Spector is a Partner in Mintz & Gold's Real Estate Department. Craig brings deep and expansive experience in representing clients in connection with transactions across a broad spectrum of asset classes and advises clients in connection with acquisition, ownership, leasing, operation and disposition of properties, with a special focus on finance, construction finance, development and redevelopment of properties. Representative transactions also include acquisitions of distressed real estate, performing and non-performing mortgage loan portfolios and liquidation of non-performing assets. In connection with such matters Craig counsels clients when structuring entities and forming joint ventures for investment purposes. Clients include large and small owners of commercial real estate, private equity funds, national tenants, developers, investors, and lenders. Leasing services include representation of landlords and tenants in connection with office, retail, industrial and warehouse properties, with a specialty in complex build outs for tenants.
Craig represents clients nationwide and is admitted to practice law in the State of New York and the State of New Jersey. Prior to joining Mintz & Gold, Craig was chair of the Real Estate Department of a prestigious national and international law firm.
Craig received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and his Juris Doctor degree from New England Law in Boston, Massachusetts. He is a member of the New York State Bar, the New Jersey State Bar and the American Bar Association. Rated "AV Preeminent" in Martindale- Hubble. ALM & Martindale-Hubble "New York Top-Rated Lawyers" 2019-2020. Best Lawyers 2021-2022.
Elliot G. Sagor co-heads Mintz and Gold's Investigations, White Collar and Fraud practice. From 2001-2013 he was a partner at Hogan & Hartson LLP which then became Hogan Lovells US LLP in 2010. He is a former federal prosecutor with a distinguished record as a member of the New York defense bar. In over 40 years of high-stakes complex civil and criminal litigation practice, Elliot has obtained numerous favorable verdicts, settlements and results for a diverse group of individuals, corporate, and multinational clients, directors, broker-dealers, accountants, and attorneys. He has represented clients in investigations where there are alleged violations of federal securities laws, tax, accounting fraud, antitrust, state securities laws, False Claims Act and FDA violations. Elliot has extensive experience in handling all types of trials, appeals, and pre-indictment advocacy before the United States Attorneys Offices, the SEC, DOJ, FINRA, New York State Attorney General, District Attorney, and other federal and state regulatory authorities.
Prior to entering private practice, Elliot was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1970-76. He was a member of the Securities Fraud Unit and Public Corruption Unit, with a focus on the investigation and prosecution of complicated financial and securities frauds, including the grand jury investigation and indictment of Robert L. Vesco, the fugitive financier.
With a background in accounting from the Wharton School and a Master of Law in Taxation from NYU Elliot tried many tax, securities, fraud, and corruption jury cases and argued their appeals before the Second Circuit. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorneys' Office, Elliot served on active duty as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps from 1967-69 and was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal in 1969. Before that he was a law clerk to Hon. Irving Ben Cooper, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York.
Elliot lectures and writes on federal criminal issues, ethics, and discovery. He has lectured at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA), the Civil Litigation Seminar sponsored by the New York Law Journal, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York on ethics issues, including "The Ethics of Threats, and the Line between Extortion and Zealous Advocacy," and at the ABA First National Institute on E-Discovery. He has also written several articles for the White-Collar Crime Reporter and other distinguished journals, such as the Litigation Journal of the ABA (on discovery) an was a principal contributor to Business Crimes-A Guide for Corporate and Defense Counsel (Practicing Law Institute). His articles include: "Martin Act Does Not Preclude a Private Litigant from Bringing a Non-Fraud Common-Law Cause of Action."
Elliot has been consistently recognized by Super Lawyers every year from 2014 - 2022. He was Co-Chair of the ABA's Criminal Justice Section subcommittee on Corporate Criminal Liability. He was Head of the Ethics Committee for the New York Counsel of Defense Attorneys and was Special Counsel to the New York Senate Committee on Investigations and Taxation. Board of Editors, White-Collar Crime, Westlaw Journal.
Eric M. Kutner heads Mintz & Gold's Trusts & Estates Department. In addition to his considerable legal background, he is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant with an extensive background in business and accounting.
Mr. Kutner brings to Mintz & Gold, LLP a wealth of experience with clients in many different areas, including medical practices, service industries, retail stores, manufacturers, restaurants, stock brokers, private foundations and law firms.
He has acted in many different capacities, including as trustee, executor, attorney and Certified Public Accountant, and is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Founding Partner of Sampson
- Owners, Developers
Erica Nazarian focuses on real estate and corporate law. Erica assists owners, developers and lenders on all aspects of commercial real estate matters, including acquisitions, sales, financing and leasing. Additionally, she advises clients with the negotiation and preparation of joint venture agreements, shareholders agreements and corporate formation and governance documents. Through her representation of parties on both sides of transactions, she has a unique perspective and understanding of how to approach each matter. Such clientele has included family owned and other real estate development and management companies, private equity companies, high net worth individuals, financial institutions and various joint venture entities.
In addition to her role as Counsel to Mintz & Gold LLP, Erica is a founding Partner of Sampson, Van Vleet, Nazarian & Shamroth LLP.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Real Estate
Esther Tang is an associate in the Real Estate and Corporate Departments at Mintz & Gold LLP. Esther handles various transaction and governance issues.
Esther attended Fordham University School of Law with merit scholarship. During law school, Esther served as the Senior Notes Editor of the Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law and successfully published two books. She was a Crowley Scholar in International Human Rights and was awarded the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award upon graduation.
Esther is fluent in Mandarin and a member of the Asian American Bar Association of New York.
Heath Loring joined Mintz & Gold's Real Estate and Corporate Departments in September 2006. While attending law school, Mr. Loring worked as a legal intern for the Rockland County District Attorney's Office, as well as in the legal department of Kara Homes, a residential real estate developer in New Jersey.
Job Titles:
- Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Justice Howard Miller has served for 12 years as a Justice on the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Second Department. For 23 years prior to that time, he served in many judicial capacities in New York State including Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Acting Surrogate, County Court Judge, and Family Court Judge in Rockland County. He has done mediations and arbitrations, privately and for NAM.
Ike Sorkin was quoted in The New York Times. The New York Times, January 30, 2014
In a New York Times article about how recent Wall Street scandals have increased the need for white collar criminal defense lawyers, Ike Sorkin is highlighted for representing a former Barclays trader. New York Times , September 24, 2012
In Bloomberg, Ike Sorkin comments on standards for trading on inside information.
Jack A. Horn graduated with highest honors from the Cornell Law School, where he served as an editor of the Cornell Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He has extensive experience in real estate and other commercial transactions with some of the leading law firms in the country, including Paul. Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Mayer Brown LLP and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, and was a partner at Squadron, Ellenoff, Plesent & Scheinfeld LLP and Hogan & Hartson LLP. His experience covers a broad range of real estate matters, including, for example, (i) large and small office, retail and other commercial leases, representing both landlords and tenants, (ii) financings, representing both borrowers and lenders, (iii) sales and acquisitions, representing both sellers and purchasers, (iv) joint ventures, and (v) construction and development. He is a member of the New York Bar and has also been admitted to the Illinois and D.C. Bars.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Bar of the State of New York
Jim Kennedy has nearly 40 years of experience as a trial lawyer, appellate advocate and legal strategist specializing in a wide range of complex commercial litigation. Jim has appeared in courts and arbitral tribunals throughout the country, has won trial verdicts aggregating more than $200 million, has successfully defended claims having a similar magnitude and has obtained settlements exceeding tens of millions of dollars. His broad experience includes disputes involving contracts, fiduciary duties, ownership rights, business divorce, fraud and other business torts, intellectual property, real estate, construction, and general commercial law.
Jim represents large and small companies, individuals (including witnesses in investigations and legal proceedings) and entrepreneurs. Aggressive yet practical, Jim focuses consistently on achieving his client's business objectives.
Before he joined Mintz & Gold, Jim spent nearly 20 years at top-tier "Big Law" firms, including more than a decade as a partner at Paul Hastings, followed by about 20 years in boutique litigation firms that he formed. Early in his career, Jim served as a Law Secretary to the Honorable Bernard S. Meyer, then Senior Associate Judge on the Court of Appeals.
Jim serves, pro bono, as General Counsel to Gina Gibney, Inc., a Manhattan based non-profit dance and community service organization for whom he served as a Board member for about 10 years. He is also a regular guest lecturer on intellectual property issues at Columbia University.
Jim is a member of the Bar of the State of New York and is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the United States Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, Fifth and Ninth Circuits and for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Jim has been recognized by Super Lawyers since 2013. He is a graduate, cum laude, of the St. John's University School of Law, where he won various awards and served on the Board of the school's Moot Court team. Jim received his B.A. from Rider University, where he was a Dean's Scholar.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Employment & Labor
- Head of Mintz & Gold 's Labor
Background Representative Matters Awards, Associations & Publications
Background
Jeffrey D. Pollack is the head of Mintz & Gold's Labor and Employment Department, and concentrates his practice in all areas of labor and employment law on behalf of employers. Mr. Pollack was named a New York Super Lawyer from 2013-2021. Mr. Pollack is recognized as an authority on the Fair Labor Standards Act. He represents companies in lawsuits involving allegations of wage and hour violations, union representational campaigns, collective bargaining negotiations, and regularly practices before the Federal and State Courts, the NLRB, EEOC and the New York State Division of Human Rights and New York City Commission on Human Rights. Mr. Pollack's practice includes counseling clients on the day-to-day concerns of employers in today's litigious climate.
After serving as co-counsel in an 8-day NLRB trial where Jeff served as lead counsel, former NLRB member Peter Kirsanow said this about Jeff: "I've had the opportunity to see lots of labor lawyers in action. I'd always thought . . . were among the best oral advocates among management side labor lawyers. You're among that group."
Jeff received a B.A. degree from Emory University in 1987, and a J.D. degree, cum laude, from Boston University in 1990, where he served as an editor of the Law Review. He is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey (and retired from the bar in Florida and Massachusetts) and served as an adjunct professor of Legal Writing at Brooklyn Law School. He is the author of numerous published articles on labor law.
Jeff speaks regularly on employment matters, including Sexual Harassment Summit: Perspectives and New Best Practices in the Wake of #MeToo, NYC Bar Association, Nov. 30, 2018; 3rd Annual Employment Law Institute, NYC Bar Association, March 10, 2017; Uber and the Gig Economy: Redefining the Employment Relationship, NYC Bar Association, Nov. 21, 2016.
Jeff also serves as an arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association's panel of employment arbitrators, a Special Master with the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division - 2nd Department, and a private mediator.
Job Titles:
- Partner - Co - Head, Corporate Department