Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman LLP

Allan Hyman is a senior partner and practices in the firm's litigation, real estate tax certiorari, and condemnation law departments. He has successfully obtained millions of dollars of tax refunds and savings for clients during his 30 year professional career. Additionally, he has handled condemnation proceedings in New York and other jurisdictions that resulted in awards significantly in excess of initial offers to purchase made by condemning authorities. Mr. Hyman has lectured extensively in his field at Hofstra University Law School, the Nassau County Bar Association Academy of Law, the Institute of Property Taxation, and the Columbia Society of Real Estate Appraisers. He is the author of numerous articles on tax certiorari and condemnation issues in both legal periodicals and the business press. Active in civic affairs, Mr. Hyman serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. He is also a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board of the Education and Assistance Corporation, a social service organization that offers counselling to non-violent offenders as an alternative to incarceration. A graduate of Syracuse University, Mr. Hyman holds a Juris Doctorate from St. John's University Law School. He is admitted to practice in New York State and before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, the Circuit Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and serves on the Tax Certiorari and Condemnation law committee of the Nassau County Bar Association. He also serves on the Governor's Judicial Selection Committee for the Appellate Division, Second Department. He makes his home in Sands Point, NY.

Candace Reid Gladston practices as a Partner in the Civil Litigation and Criminal Defense Departments at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP. Ms. Gladston, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, received her undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, in Political Science, from Columbia University in 1984. In 1987, she earned her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law where she was honored with the Felix Frankfurter Award. Ms. Gladston co-authored "The Second Amendment Was Not Intended to Justify Every Tom, Dick and Harriet with an Assault Weapon" which was published in the St. John's Journal of Legal Commentary, Spring 2003, Vol. 17, Issue 3, pp. 515-522. Additionally, she co-authored "Megan's Law Should Survive The Latest Round of Attacks," published in the Spring 1999 issue of St. John's Journal of Legal Commentary, as well as "Megan's Law Before the Second Circuit," which was published in the February 26, 1997 issue of The New York Law Journal and "Arbitration of Strike Misconduct Cases Arising Out of Legal Strikes," in The Arbitration Journal, Vol. 39, No. 3, 1984. She is admitted to practice in the state of New York, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States District Court, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York.

David A. Sloane is a partner in our Real Estate Practice Group and manages the Suffolk County office. Certilman Balin merged with his firm, Mars, Sloane & Conlon on September 15, 2001.

Douglas E. Rowe is a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP. He brings to the firm a broad range of expertise in labor and employment law, including claims alleging discrimination based upon race, sex, religion, national origin, age and disability, as well as sexual harassment, wage and hour issues, labor arbitrations, and defense of employment-related claims under federal and state statutes. He also counsels on and litigates issues relating to restrictive covenants and trade secrets. By initiating preventive counseling on company policies and other personnel matters, Mr. Rowe also helps clients keep costs down and avoid litigation. A seasoned litigator at the state and federal level, Mr. Rowe has significant appellate experience. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York, United States District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. In 1981, he earned his Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Maryland. Mr. Rowe is a member of the New York and Nassau County Bar Association.

Mr. Skolnik is a member of the Leadership Council of the Mentoring Partnership of Long Island, which creates and supports mentoring programs across Long Island, and serves on the Board of Directors of Farmingdale College Foundation, which provides financial assistance, including scholarships, for Farmingdale State College programs and projects not funded by the New York State budget. Mr. Skolnik is also a co-founder and the administrator of LIKE (Lawyers Involved in Kids? Education), a program that establishes mentoring relationships between attorneys and potentially ?at-risk? elementary school students and seeks to develop vocabulary and analytical skills in the mentees through word games. Mr. Skolnik is admitted to practice in the state of New York.

Frederick M. Mars is a partner in our firm's Suffolk County Office and practices in the Real Estate Group. On September 15, 2001, his firm Mars, Sloane & Conlon merged with Certilman Balin. Over the course of his career, Mr. Mars has successfully prosecuted and defended Article 78 Proceedings, and he has also prosecuted declaratory judgment actions both for and against municipalities. He is often called upon for his problem solving ability in clearing titles to real estate. Additionally, Mr. Mars practices in the areas of estate planning and corporate law. From 1964 to 1968, Mr. Mars held the position of Special Town Attorney in the Town of Brookhaven and as an Assistant District Attorney, he represented the building department and the Board of Appeals. Mr. Mars serves on the Advisory Boards of First American Title Company and Chicago Title Insurance Company. He has volunteered his time as a board member of the Suffolk County Red Cross and as President of the Patchogue Rotary Club. He was an officer in the BPO Elks Club of Patchogue. Admitted to practice in the State of New York and before the United States Supreme Court and in both the Eastern and Southern Districts of the Federal Courts in New York, Mr. Mars is a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association. A graduate of New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Government (1949), he holds an L.L.B. from Harvard Law School (1952).

Jodi S. Hoffman is a Partner in the Real Estate Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP. She has been practicing at Certilman Balin for twelve years and brings a breadth of real estate experience to the firm. She represents clients on Long Island and in New York City in a variety of real estate transactions, including commercial leasing, commercial sales acquisitions, residential purchase and sales and commercial and residential lending.

Jothy Narendran is a partner in Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP's Commercial Real Estate Group. Ms. Narendran drafts contracts, leases, zoning applications, commercial loan documents, easements, covenants and restrictions. She represents institutional lenders in financing commercial properties. Ms. Narendran earned a Bachelor of Science from the New York Institute of Technology in 1987, a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1992, and a Juris Doctor from The Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center of Touro College in 1996. She is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association where she serves on the Real Property Law Committee. She is also a member of the New York State and American Bar Associations. Ms. Narendran was admitted to practice in the state of New York in 1997.

Michael Axelrod concentrates his practice in the areas of labor relations, discrimination law, municipal law and government relations. Over his career he has primarily been engaged in representing public sector unions and has negotiated numerous contracts on their behalf. He currently serves as legislative counsel for more than 50,000 police officers, and as the labor counsel for 50,000 public safety public employees. Additionally, he was honored as Law Enforcement Man of the Year" by both the Nassau Police Conference and the Nassau County Detectives Association. A graduate of the University of Miami and the New England School of Law, Mr. Axelrod holds a Masters in Labor Law from New York University Law School. He is admitted to the New York and Florida Bars. He served as a delegate to the 1996 Republican National Convention and has been appointed and confirmed four times and presently serves as the New York Commissioner on the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor. A former president of the Jewish Lawyers Association, Mr. Axelrod also served on the Board of Directors of the Nassau Center for the Developmentally Disabled. He has been an Arbitrator for the New York State Employment Relations Board since 1996. Mr. Axelrod is admitted to practice in the state of New York; U.S. District Court; the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Tax Court; and Florida.

Patrick McCormick, a partner in the Litigation Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, litigates all types of complex commercial and real estate matters. These matters include business disputes including contract claims, disputes over employment agreements and restrictive and non-compete covenants; mechanics liens; trade secrets; insurance claims; real estate title claims; complex mortgage foreclosure cases and commercial and residential landlord/tenant matters in which Mr. McCormick represents both landlords and tenants. Representing clients in both federal and state courts at the trial and appellate level, he has argued numerous appeals, including 2 arguments at the New York Court of Appeals New York State's highest court. His diversified legal career spans 16 years including serving four years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx where he prosecuted felony matters and appeals and conducted preliminary felony and homicide investigations at crime scenes. In 1985, he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Fordham University, and in 1988, he graduated from St. John's University School of Law. He is a Special Professor of Law at Hofstra University School of Law. Mr. McCormick is admitted to practice in the state of New York, as well as the Second Circuit United States District Court of Appeals and United States District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Richard J. McCord is a Partner in the Bankruptcy Group. He has an in-depth understanding of bankruptcy law, gained from 24 years of experience in many different roles.

Russell H. Stern practices, as a partner, in the Corporate and Securities Group at Certilman Balin. Mr. Stern serves as general outside counsel to several of the largest privately owned companies on Long Island. He also provides counsel to corporations, entities and business ventures of all types and sizes in connection with finance matters, private placements, mergers and acquisitions, as well as general corporate and business matters. Mr. Stern has a very active real estate syndication practice. He graduated from Duke University in 1995, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in English and Drama. He studied at the Loyola University Rome Center for Liberal Arts and the University College of London in 1993. In 1998, Mr. Stern earned his Juris Doctor, with honors, from the George Washington University Law School. He was awarded the Corpus Juris Secumdum Award for Excellence in Contracts. Mr. Stern published, "China: A Most Favored Nation Or A Most Feared Nation: The PRC's Latest Anti-Crime Campaign and a Possible United States Response," which appeared in the George Washington Journal of International Law and Economics, Vol. 31:1 (1997). He is admitted to practice in the State of New York. Active in community affairs, Mr. Stern donates his time to such charitable causes as the American Heart Association and the Long Island Mentoring Partnership.

Susan L. McWalters is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP. She has experience in all facets of mortgage and tax lien foreclosures.

Aaron R. Gardner is an associate in the Corporate/Securities Practice Group at Certilman Balin. He concentrates his practice on the representation of corporate clients in mergers, acquisitions and financing transactions as well as advising publicly-traded clients on regulatory matters. Prior to joining the firm, Aaron held several internship positions at the New York Stock Exchange. He worked in the Office of the General Counsel and the Division of Enforcement, where he gained experience with regard to regulatory issues for public companies. Additionally, he worked as a brokerage assistant at Marcus & Millichap, a national real estate investment brokerage. Mr. Gardner earned his Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School in 2005 and was a member of the Corporate and Securities Law Association. He majored in finance and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, cum laude, from The Ohio State University in 2002. While an undergraduate, Mr. Gardner participated in the Honors Program, and was awarded an Ohio State University Trustees Scholarship. He also was an appointed member of the University Judicial Panel and the Committee on Academic Misconduct. He studied marketing and economics with an international business focus for a semester in 2001 at the American Intercontinental University in London. He is admitted to practice in the states of New York and New Jersey.

Andrea Ziegler practices as an associate in our Real Estate Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP where she represents clients in residential real estate transactions, including the drafting and review of residential leases and the closings of single family homes, condominiums and co-ops. She has experience in drafting documents for condominiums, homeowner associations, and cooperatives, having registered them with the New York Attorney General's Office. She also has experience in corporate law.

Daniel S. Cohan is Estate Planning and Trusts and Estates Counsel to Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP. He concentrates his practice in the area of sophisticated estate planning, probate law, private family foundations and complex trust arrangements. A frequent lecturer on estate planning issues, Mr. Cohan is a member of the Estate Planning Council of New York City, Inc. and the Tax and Estate Planning Council of Nassau County, Inc. He is also a member of the Committee of the Surrogate's Court of the New York County Lawyers Association and a member of the Trust and Estate Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association. Mr. Cohan graduated from the University of Michigan and holds a Doctor of Law from Fordham University Law School. He has served as Adjunct Professor of Estates, Trusts and Wills in Adelphi University's program for paralegals.

David Ostreicher is an associate in the Corporate/Securities Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP. Prior to joining the firm, David was an associate at another Long Island law firm where he concentrated on drafting and reviewing health care contracts for the nursing home industry. He also focused on drafting employment agreements, shareholders agreements and operating agreements for professional service corporations and professional service limited liability companies. He has served as a legal intern to the Honorable Martin E. Ritholtz of the New York State Supreme Court. While an undergraduate, he spent a summer in the Real Estate Group at Ernst & Young. He earned his Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law in 2004 where he was a staff member at the Fordham International Law Journal. At Yeshiva University, he attended the Sy Syms School of Business and earned his Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, in 2001. He was honored with the Henry Brout Award for Excellence in Accounting and made the National Dean's List. David is admitted to practice in the States of New York and New Jersey, and he is a member of the American Bar Association and the Jewish Lawyers Association of Nassau County.

Elke Stoiber is an associate in the Real Estate Practice Group where she practices in aspects of commercial and residential real estate, including contracts, new construction, new construction closings and commercial and residential lending. While working at Certilman Balin as a paralegal in the firm's Real Estate Group, Ms. Stoiber attended law school at night. She earned her Juris Doctor from Touro Law School in 2002, and she completed her undergraduate degree simultaneously in the year 2002 from SUNY Empire State. She is a member of the Nassau County, New York State and American Bar Associations.

Jennifer Bentley practices in the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group at Certilman Balin. She works extensively with public sector labor unions, concentrating in the area of law enforcement on issues of contract grievances, improper practices, arbitration and civil litigation.

Leigh Rate, an associate in the Real Estate Law Practice Group in the Hauppauge Office at Certilman Balin, concentrates her practice on real estate and land use matters. She represents clients at closings; counsels them with their subdivision and site plan applications; and represents them before Town and Village Boards and in Article 78 proceedings. Ms. Rate is experienced in handling Health Department applications, as well as applications to the Pine Barrens Commission. Prior to her position at Certilman Balin, Ms. Rate was an Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Brookhaven where she was counsel to the Building Department and the Board of Zoning Appeals. This experience gave her the unique ability to understand both sides of the fence. In 1997, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from North Carolina State University. In 2000, she earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Touro Law Center where she was a teaching assistant for a class in Real Property Law. Ms. Rate does pro bono work for Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk County, and is also a volunteer member of its Family Selection Committee. This organization and its volunteers are dedicated to helping build simple, decent, affordable homes for the working poor of Suffolk County. She is admitted to practice in the State of New York.

Marin L. Buczkowski is an associate in the Real Estate Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP. Prior to this position, Marin was a Law Clerk at another Long Island law firm where she represented numerous lender clientele in residential mortgage real estate transactions. She worked as a Summer Law Clerk to The Honorable Ute Wolff Lally, Nassau County Supreme Court, and also at IBM in Fishkill, New York, while attending college. She earned her Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law in 2004 and her Bachelor of Science, cum laude, in International Business, from Marist College. While at Marist, she made the National Dean's List, the MAAC Lacrosse All-Academic Team, and actively participated in the National Model United Nations as well as volunteering in various campus community services. Marin is admitted to practice in the state of New York.

Matthew J. Bizzarro is an associate in the Litigation Practice Group at Certilman Balin. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as an associate at another Long Island law firm where he concentrated his practice on personal injury, medical malpractice, criminal, commercial and matrimonial litigation. He also represented clients in landlord-tenant matters, and he acted as lead attorney in several personal injury trials. He earned his Juris Doctor from St. John's University School of Law in June 2003. While a law student, he was a member of the Student Network Associations Program and the Justinian Law Society. Matthew published articles for the St. John's Law School Criminal Justice Journal and was a semifinalist in the 2001 and 2002 Criminal Law Institute's "Mock Trial." In 2000, Matthew earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Hofstra University where he was inducted into the Phi Theta Alpha Honor Society. After law school, Matthew served as a law clerk and then worked as an associate at a mid-sized Manhattan insurance defense law firm. In both of these positions, he represented clients in litigation matters. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York and is pending admission to the Federal Bar.

Paul S. Linzer is of counsel to the Criminal Law/ Labor Law Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, where he concentrates his practice on all aspects of criminal defense litigation and representation of members of various law enforcement unions at Internal Affairs and other police disciplinary proceedings. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Linzer was an Assistant District Attorney in the Nassau County District Attorney's Office for seven and one-half years. Mr. Linzer earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the State University of New York at Albany in 1988, and a Juris Doctor from The American University, Washington College of Law in 1991. A member of the New York State and Nassau County Bar Associations, Mr. Linzer is admitted to practice in the states of New York and Florida, as well as the District of Columbia. He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.

Stacey Nigro is an associate in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP. Before deciding to become an attorney, Ms. Nigro worked for eight years as the Director of the Education and Assistance Corporation's Nassau and Suffolk County Mediation Programs. During that time, she trained hundreds of individuals to mediate in the courts under the Office of Court Administration's Community Dispute Resolution Centers Program. For several years, she was also an Arbitrator for the Domestic Fee Dispute Arbitration Program, which was operated by the Nassau and Suffolk County Courts. Ms. Nigro earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the State University of Albany in 1987 and her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from the Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. While a law student, she was an Associate Editor of the Moot Court Board and a teaching assistant for two years at Touro's Writing Skills Center. Additionally, she was honored with academic awards in Family Law, Trusts and Estates, and Legal Methods I and II. During law school, Ms. Nigro worked in the Trusts and Estates Department at another Long Island law firm. She also spent a summer at Guercio & Guercio in Farmingdale and served as a student law clerk for a Federal Court Judge, The Honorable Leonard D. Wexler in Central Islip.

Thomas A. Bizzaro, Jr. practices as an associate in the Litigation Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP. He brings a wealth of litigation experience to the firm, having handled all aspects of individual caseload work, from pleadings through trials. To date, his practice has encompassed commercial claims, product and professional liability claims, racial and sexual harassment and discrimination claims, computer software contract actions, and personal injury trials where he has acted as Lead Attorney. Before joining Certilman Balin, Thomas was an associate at Milber Makris Plousadis & Seiden, where he practiced in the General Liability, Commercial Litigation, Products Liability and Professional Liability Groups. Prior to that position, he was an associate in the Commercial Litigation, Products Liability, Professional Liability and Labor Law practice groups for two years at a large Long Island law firm. His first position after law school was at a mid-sized insurance defense law firm in New York City. He earned his Juris Doctor from St. John's University School of Law, where he was honored with the 1998 CALI Award for Future Excellence in International Law and an Honorable Mention in the 1997 Criminal Law Institute Mock Trial. He is a graduate of Hofstra University's College of Business Administration, having earned a degree in Public Accounting in 1995. While in Law School, he was a Class Representative for the Student Bar Association and was a member of the Criminal Law Institute, Justinian Law Society, and Health Care Law Society. As an undergraduate, he was involved with the Accounting Society, Tax Society and the Volunteer Income Tax Advisory program, where he prepared income tax returns for elderly people. A resident of Smithtown, Thomas is admitted to practice in the State of New York, as well as the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.