HANCOCK ESTABROOK - Key Persons
Alan J. Pierce is a partner in the Litigation Practice and Leader of the Appellate Practice. He has more than 20 years of litigation experience, concentrating on appellate practice, insurance coverage, defamation and civil and commercial litigation. Mr. Pierce has handled numerous appeals in his career, appearing before the New York State Court of Appeals, all four Departments of the State's Appellate Divisions and in the Second, Fourth and Eleventh United States Circuit Courts of Appeals. He has served as trial and appellate counsel in successful actions for defamation and insurance bad faith. Mr. Pierce has authored several publications on appellate practice and insurance coverage, and lectures on behalf of the NYSBA and the Office of Court Administration on appellate advocacy and insurance coverage litigation. Prior to joining the Firm, he served as Confidential Law Clerk to the Hon. Richard D. Simons, New York State Court of Appeals.
Job Titles:
- Journal of Science & Technology, Editor - in - Chief
Amanda Nardozza is an associate working across all departments of the Firm. She is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law, summa cum laude, where she served as an Executive Editor for the Syracuse Journal of Science and Technology Law. She was a member of the Justinian Honor Society and Travis Lewin Advocacy Honor Society.
During her tenure at Syracuse Law, Ms. Nardozza was a student attorney for the Elder and Health Law Clinic and a student prosecutor for the Academic Dishonesty Board.
She is admitted to practice in New York State.
Anneliese Aliasso ("Anni") is an associate in the Firm's Litigation and Real Estate practices. She frequently represents clients in connection with residential real estate matters, including the purchase and sale of real property and lease negotiations. Anni also engages in litigation involving landlord/tenant disputes and foreclosure matters.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Professional Development and Diversity Officer
Mr. Shulman is a recognized leader in the field of real estate practice in Upstate New York. He has practiced law for more than 50 years and has a Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent ® rating. His robust practice is dedicated to all aspects of real estate transactions, including the representation of buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants in all facets of commercial and residential transactions. He regularly advises clients in the creation and operation of residential, commercial and mixed-use developments.
After serving in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corp., Mr. Shulman began his private law practice in 1968 with Mackenzie Smith Lewis Michell & Hughes. In 1972 he joined The Pyramid Companies, a Syracuse based shopping center developer, serving as General Counsel. While with Pyramid, he was responsible for land acquisition, leasing and financing of numerous enclosed mall shopping centers in upstate New York and in Massachusetts. Mr. Shulman returned to private practice in 1981, establishing the firm of Van Epps & Shulman. In 1992, he became one of the founding shareholders of Shulman Grundner Etoll & Danaher, P.C.
Throughout his career, Mr. Shulman has continued to represent Pyramid, along with The Pioneer Companies, The Widewaters Group, The Edgewater Companies, Integrated Acquisition and Development Corp., and other developers large and small. His representation focuses on all aspects of commercial and residential real estate development, from initial zoning and planning to construction and long-term financing with various local, regional and national lending institutions. Mr. Shulman has participated in panels sponsored by the State and County Bar Associations on various aspects of real estate development and is a member of the Onondaga County, New York State and American Bar Associations.
Cameron Rustay is an associate working across all departments of the Firm. He is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law, where he served as an Editorial Member and a Lead Articles Editor for the Syracuse Law Review.
Prior to joining the Firm, he was a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Matthew J. Doran, Onondaga County Court.
He is admitted to practice in New York State.
Carl L. Schmidt is an attorney in the Firm's Environmental, Zoning and Land Use Practice. He focuses on all aspects of environmental law, including compliance and remediation, health and safety regulations as well as right to build issues, including compliance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQRA").
Previously, Mr. Schmidt served as Director of Solid Waste Programs for Oswego County.
He is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Caroline M. Bertholf is an associate attorney practicing in the Firm's Trusts & Estates Department. She focuses her practice on trusts and estates matters, including estate planning and administration, elder law and wealth transfer planning. She assists clients and families with establishing wills, powers of attorney, health care proxies, living wills, revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, asset preservation trusts, and supplemental needs trusts.
Carrie J. Pollak is a partner in the Corporate, Real Estate, Tax and Health Care Practices. Her legal practice concentrates in the area of corporate and real estate transactions, and governance for tax-exempt and for-profit entities. Ms. Pollak regularly advises nonprofit and for-profit organizations on diverse legal issues including formations, taxation and tax exempt issues, corporate governance, corporate restructurings, regulatory matters, and a variety of commercial ventures, contracts, transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and real estate purchase and sales, and bank, private equity and bond issuance financing. She routinely represents renewable energy companies, small businesses, and providers of charitable services, such as long-term health care and affordable housing. Ms. Pollak previously served as an adjunct professor at Cornell Law School, teaching Nonprofit Organizations. She is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from corporate governance to regulatory issues.
She routinely represents clients before the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the New York State Office of the Attorney General, Department of Taxation and Finance, and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal. She has represented clients before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as the New York State Department of Environmental Protection.
Ms. Pollak is the senior attorney in the Firm's Ithaca office.
Catherine A. Diviney is a partner in the Healthcare Practice and a member of the Firm's Executive Committee. Ms. Diviney has concentrated her legal practice in the area of health law since 1993. She regularly advises health care providers, including hospitals, nursing homes, physicians, Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)- and Office of Mental Health (OMH)- licensed providers, nurses, and other licensed professionals on diverse legal issues. Ms. Diviney serves in the roles of general legal advisor, compliance advisor and hospital/physician transactions counsel for her clients.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the New York State
With over 40 years of experience, Mr. Grundner is a respected and sought-after advisor for some of the largest and most dynamic developers in the Upstate New York real estate market. He represents shopping center and office building owners and developers in all types of commercial real estate transactions. His work focuses on site acquisition and development, preparation and negotiation of commercial retail and office leases, and construction and permanent financing. He has extensive experience in title examination and preparation of title reports and policies for both commercial and residential properties. His commercial real estate clients include The Pioneer Companies, American Landmark Properties of Chicago, Illinois, Hamilton Equity Partners of New York City, Raymour & Flanigan, and two (2) Ithaca area developers, Integrated Acquisition and Development Corp. and Greenstate Properties.
Upon graduating from law school in 1978, Mr. Grundner joined the Syracuse office of Bond Schoeneck & King. He was a member of the firm's Property Department until February of 1985, focusing on commercial and residential real estate transactions, landlord-tenant matters, zoning law and municipal law. From 1985 to 1992, Mr. Grundner was with the law firm of Van Epps & Shulman. He became a partner of Shulman Grundner Etoll & Danaher, P.C. when the firm was formed in January 1992.
Mr. Grundner is a member of the New York State and Onondaga County Bar Associations, and a member of the Real Property Law Sections of both Bar Associations.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the New York State
Mr. Danaher represents shopping center and office building owners and developers in all types of commercial real estate transactions. His work focuses on site acquisition and development, preparation and negotiation of commercial retail and office leases, securing "right to build" approvals for development projects and construction and permanent financing. His commercial real estate clients include: Widewaters Group, Westlake Development, LLC and Conifer Realty, LLC. Mr. Danaher is also the Acting Village Justice for the Village of Fayetteville.
Mr. Danaher is a member of the New York State and Onondaga County Bar Associations and the Real Property Law Sections of both Bar Associations.
Previously, Mr. Danaher worked as an insurance underwriter for Metropolitan Property & Casualty.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Leader of the Elder Law & Special Needs Practice
Cora A. Alsante is the Leader of the Elder Law & Special Needs Practice and a partner in the Tax and Trusts & Estates Practices. She is also a member of the Firm's Executive Committee. Ms. Alsante focuses her practice on estate planning, trusts, planning for the elderly and disabled, and estate and trust administration. She represents individuals and numerous assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.
Job Titles:
- Trusts & Estates Attorney
Ms. Troyanovych is a graduate of SUNY Cortland and received her law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she was a Notes and Comments Editor for the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal.
Daniel B. Berman is a partner in the Litigation Practice, and formerly served as Chair of the Litigation Department. He has more than 40 years of experience litigating cases throughout New York. After a decade of trying personal injury cases, primarily as insurance defense counsel, Mr. Berman shifted his main area of practice to representing clients in business and commercial litigation matters. His practice is now focused on the litigation and resolution of business and professional disputes for clients ranging from global banking institutions to individuals operating local small businesses. With 23 years of experience as a member of the American Arbitration Association's Commercial Arbitration Panel, he is also able to provide clients with the resolution of even the most complex disputes.
Daniel K. Mannion focuses his practice on serving a diverse portfolio of clients on various commercial real estate and corporate matters. He regularly advises real estate developers, lenders, property owners, nonprofit organizations and public agencies in a vast array of commercial real estate matters including the purchase and sale of commercial properties, lease transactions, commercial loans, foreclosures and landlord/tenant matters.
Mr. Mannion has extensive experience counseling property owners and developers through complex acquisitions and development projects that include mixed-use spaces, residential condominium and homeowner associations, as well as lease and asset-based financing. He also regularly represents property owners and developers with cell tower leases, oil and gas leases and wind turbine and solar ground leases.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Leader in the Area of Environmental Law
Doreen A. Simmons is a nationally recognized leader in the area of Environmental Law and is the leader of the Environmental Practice at Hancock Estabrook. She has more than 30 years of experience representing major and mid-sized industries, individuals, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations in regulatory proceedings and matters involving compliance, acquisitions and permitting throughout the State of New York and all regions of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Ms. Simmons has represented clients in State and Federal litigated matters regarding Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, Superfund (CERCLA), The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and the New York State Navigation Law that governs petroleum sites. She frequently represents clients in Article 78 proceedings, toxic tort litigation, insurance coverage lawsuits, and contract disputes in courts and before regulatory agencies.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- the New York State Small Business Development Center Advisory Board News