BPS LAW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Head of Our Tax Practice Group
Mr. Ausili is the head of our Tax Practice Group and a member of our Trusts and Estates Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, trust administration and taxation.
Mr. Ausili represents clients in Surrogate's Court proceedings and before the Internal Revenue Service and various state tax authorities. With an accounting background and extensive experience in the preparation of estate, fiduciary and gift tax returns, he advises clients on the use of various estate planning vehicles and post-mortem planning techniques.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of Our Insurance
Mr. Diaconis is a member of our Insurance and Employment Practice Groups. He has 43 years of experience which includes a tenure as Vice President of Hartford Financial Services Group.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Partner
Job Titles:
- Member of the Firm 's Elder Law
Liberta "Libby" Rrahimi is a member of the Firm's Elder Law and Trusts and Estates Practice Groups. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Rrahimi was an associate at a White Plains firm, working within their Private Clients Practice.
Mr. Planell is a former member of the Firm's Executive Committee, and former head of the Trusts & Estates Practice Group. His practice includes trust, estate, and tax matters and issues related to the organization and governance of charitable entities and not-for-profit corporations, particularly cemetery corporations.
Mr. Planell is a former Adjunct Professor at Pace University in Estate Planning and has been a frequent lecturer at bar associations, business groups and charitable organizations.
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Co - Managing Partner
- General Counsel of the Municipal Employee Benefits Consortium
- Member of the Firm 's Executive Committee, Co - Chair of the Municipal Law Practice Group
Mr. Braumuller is a Co-Managing Partner of the Firm, member of the Firm's Executive Committee, Co-Chair of the Municipal Law Practice Group, and Co-chair of the Corporate Law Practice Group. Prior to joining Bleakley Platt, Mr. Braumuller was associated with several national law firms.
Mr. Braumuller has served as the outside General Counsel of the Municipal Employee Benefits Consortium (MEBCO) for over ten years. MEBCO is a consortium of municipal corporations, which shares resources through an inter-municipal agreement (IMA) entered into under Article 5-G of the New York General Municipal Law, to operate a high-quality, low-cost self-insured health benefits program for its members. It offers local governments an innovative and financially stable health benefits program that provides robust coverage to their employees and retirees. He also provides general corporate and municipal law support to the Firm's Municipal Law Practice Group representing dozens of local towns and villages.
Mr. Braumuller serves as outside general counsel to several national and international businesses, including a metric parts distributor, a fasteners manufacturer, various technology companies, and restaurant franchisees.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of Bleakley Platt & Schmidt
Sabrina Blefgen is a member of Bleakley Platt & Schmidt, LLP's Real Estate and Commercial Finance Practice Groups. She has nearly a decade of experience in the practice of real estate and has represented sellers and purchasers in connection with both residential and commercial transactions. She also focuses on commercial office and retail leasing. In addition, Sabrina has experience representing lenders and borrowers in commercial financing transactions.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner of the Firm
Biography
Stephen J. Brown is a partner of the Firm and a member of the Litigation, Trusts and Estates, Guardianship and Corporate practice groups. Stephen has been practicing law for nearly 20-years and brings a wealth of experience and unique perspective to each matter he handles. He is known to be an aggressive advocate and has a proven track record of successfully representing clients in high-stakes and complex disputes before both State and Federal Courts.
His expertise covers a broad range of areas, including commercial litigation, route distributor matters, MHL Article 81 guardianships, trust and estate litigation, contract disputes, real estate litigation, and employment matters.
Stephen has a keen understanding of the legal system and a deep commitment to providing exceptional client service. He is well-versed in the intricacies of Article 81 guardianship proceedings and has helped numerous clients navigate this complex area of law. He has handled complex civil and commercial litigation, corporate, and trust and estate matters for clients before State and Federal trial courts in New York and Connecticut and he has handled numerous arbitrations.
Stephen serves as court-appointed guardian on matters before the Westchester County Surrogate's Court and Westchester County Supreme Court, including on trust accountings, Mental Hygiene Article 81, kinship and guardian ad litem proceedings. Stephen is an active member of the Part 36 Fiduciary Appointment list and is regularly appointed by Judges throughout the Westchester area in Article 81 proceedings.
Stephen also devotes a considerable amount of his practice to the representation of route owners or distributors in connection with contract negotiations, disputes and issues relating to their routes and rights and obligations under State and Federal law.
Prior to his legal career, he worked for Deloitte & Touche, LLP, as an actuarial risk management and insurance consultant.
Education
Pace Law School, J.D., 2004 (cum laude)
Pace Law School Law Review, 2002-2004
College of the Holy Cross, B.A., 1999
Ms. Galvão is a Co-Managing Partner, sits on the Firm's Executive Committee, and is a member of our Commercial Litigation, Appellate Advocacy, Trusts and Estates Litigation, and Internal Investigations Practice Groups. From 1993 to 1995, she served as a staff attorney for the New York State Court of Appeals. Ms. Galvão joined Bleakley Platt in 1995 as an associate and was made partner in 2006.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee