SAMS - Key Persons


Barry J. Peek

Job Titles:
  • Contributor to the New York Law Journal
Peek is a contributor to the New York Law Journal, the Long Island Business News and the Labor Press.

Elva Prohens

Job Titles:
  • Executive Assistant
Executive Assistant, Elva Prohens, elva.prohens@scheinmanneutrals.com 516.595.3278

Julie A. Torrey

JULIE A. TORREY, Esq., is an Arbitrator, Mediator and Fact-Finder focused on resolution of workplace disputes in the private and public sectors, including labor and employment cases involving diverse disciplinary, contract and statutory issues in a range of industries and agencies. Since becoming a full-time neutral, Ms. Torrey has been selected to serve on the following arbitration panels: AAA Roster of Labor Arbitrators; FMCS Roster of Arbitrators; U.S. District Court, E.D.N.Y.'s Arbitration Roster; Realty Advisory Board & Local 32BJ, SEIU; NYC Department of Education/United Federation of Teachers Section 3020-a Panel; New York State Section 3020-a Disciplinary Panel; Cornell ILR Roster of Neutrals; and the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Mediate Art Panel. Prior to her work as a neutral, Julie was an attorney for over twenty years in the field of labor and employment, most recently as Counsel at Ingerman Smith, LLP, where she represented clients in federal and state court litigation, arbitration, Civil Service Section 75 proceedings, and administrative proceedings before PERB and the Commissioner of Education. She previously represented the Suffolk County Board of Ethics and conducted county-wide ethics training. Torrey has conducted hundreds of workplace investigations, including investigation of harassment, discrimination and retaliation complaints, as well as whistleblower claims. Julie is a Dean's list graduate of Georgetown University (1992) and Georgetown University Law Center (1995) and a graduate of the Cornell University ILR School, Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution's Labor Arbitrator Development Program. She is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in New York and is a member of the New York State Bar Association's Labor & Employment and Dispute Resolution Section Committees, in addition to the New York and New York City Bar Associations, and the Long Island Chapter of the Labor and Employment Relations Association ("LERA").

Martin F. Scheinman

Job Titles:
  • Arbitrator and Mediator
MARTIN F. SCHEINMAN, Esq., has served as a full-time Arbitrator and Mediator since 1979. During his career, Scheinman has decided or helped resolve over 20,000 disputes. Scheinman is widely viewed as one of the busiest and most acceptable neutrals in the United States. Initially serving only on labor/management disputes, in the last decade, his practice has evolved to also serving as a neutral in business, consumer, and employment matters. List of Law firms which have utilized, in the last three years, neutral services offered by Martin Scheinman and SAMS. Mr. Scheinman, B.S., M.S., Cornell University, J.D. New York University School of Law, is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators, the American Bar Association, and the Labor and Employer Relations Association ("LERA"). His panel memberships include AAA, FMCS, NYPERB, NJ Board of Mediation, and the NYC Office of Collective Bargaining. His portfolio of experience includes serving as an industry impartial chairman for several union and management associations covering over 50,000 employees, and as the permanent arbitrator in over 400 contracts in the private and public sector involving thousands of employees. Scheinman has mediated over 1,000 business and employment disputes involving cumulatively almost $10 billion dollars. He has been involved in resolving many of the most highly publicized cases regarding discrimination claims, the break-up of business partners and collective bargaining disputes impacting hundreds of thousands of workers. Mr. Scheinman, since 1978, has lectured extensively on employment arbitration, labor/management arbitration, employment and consumer mediation, and commercial dispute resolution. He frequently teaches for Cornell ILR's outreach programs and is the most senior member of its extension faculty in NYC. Scheinman has received numerous honors including: "Lifetime Appointment" as Presidential Councilor to Cornell University President; Judge William B. Groat Award; LERA - Robert MacGregor Award; Peggy Browning Fund Award; Sphinx Head Society, Cornell University; and along with his wife Laurie, in 2013, was named one of Cornell's Most Prominent Benefactors. Mr. Scheinman presently sits on the Cornell University Board of Trustees; the Board of Directors of the American Arbitration Association; the Board of Overseers of the Tilles Center for Long Island University; and as Neutral Member of the Executive Board of Cornell Institute for Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations, and is President of EQUALITY/Long Island. Scheinman is actively involved in social justice, philanthropic organizations and political campaigns. Along with his wife, they have hosted Senators, members of Congress, the former President of the United States as well as dozens of state and local officials at their residences. The Scheinmans are the benefactors of the Martin and Laurie Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution, ILR Cornell University and the Martin F. Scheinman Professor of Conflict Resolution which is located at ILR Cornell and the Cornell Law School.

Sonia Kaparakos

Job Titles:
  • Executive Assistant
Executive Assistant, Sonia Kaparakos, sonia.kaparakos@scheinmanneutrals.com, 516.595.3274

Timothy S. Taylor

Job Titles:
  • Arbitrator and Mediator
  • Cases in the Media / Law Firm
TIMOTHY S. TAYLOR, Esq., is a full-time arbitrator and mediator. He is a member of the American Arbitration Association's Labor and Employment Panels, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Panel. Additionally, he currently serves on the following panels: NYC Office of Collective Bargaining; NYS/PBA New York Panel for the Agency Police Services Unit; NYS/New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association Arbitration Panel; New York State PERB Arbitration, Mediation, Interest Arbitration & Fact-finding Panel; Albany Citizen's Police Review Board Mediation Panel; Rochester City School District/ Rochester Teachers Association Contract Arbitrator; New York State Education Department disciplinary roster. Before becoming a full-time arbitrator, Mr. Taylor worked in the private sector. He was an associate with the law firm of Rowley, Forrest, O'Donnell, and Hite from 1987-1989. After that, he joined the counsel's office at New York State United Teachers, where he served as senior counsel until 2011. In 2010, he studied at the Center for Healing and Reconciliation in Cape Town, South Africa, and The University of South Africa in Pretoria. In 2011, he was selected by AAA as a Higginbotham Fellow. From 2009 until 2016, Mr. Taylor was an Assistant Professor of Law at the Sage Colleges and was named faculty member of the year for 2012-2013. Since 2008, he has taught a variety of courses at the State University of New York at Albany. Currently, he teaches in the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy. He frequently lectures and advises in the areas of employment discrimination, civil rights, diversity, and inclusion. Mr. Taylor is admitted to practice in New York, Federal District Courts, and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member of the Albany County Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment section where he serves as co-chair of the Arbitration committee. Mr. Taylor is also a member of the Albany Law School, Government Law Center's Advisory Board and the Rockefeller Institute of Government's Center for Law & Policy Solutions. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Cornell University Law School. Mr. Taylor received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina, cum laude.