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Home > News & Events > 2008 News & Events (2008)Binghamton, NY, December 2008 COUGHLIN & GERHART’S ATTORNEYS AND EMPLOYEES DONATE TO CHILDREN’S HOME Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. helped brighten the Christmas holiday at the Children’s Home of Binghamton by fulfilling the wish list items for 17 residents. In addition to these gifts, Coughlin & Gerhart has donated numerous items of need to the Children’s Home and its many programs on behalf of their clients, including local banks and realtors, in lieu of traditional gifts of thanks. Donated items include boys and girls socks, gloves, health and beauty aids, radio/CD players, games, batteries and battery chargers and kitchen supplies. Coughlin & Gerhart also donated 55 blankets as well as gift baskets to their family programs. According to Jill Madigan, Legal Assistant for Coughlin & Gerhart who oversees many collections and donations, “This is important in these hard times, especially with so many people in our area losing jobs. Every little bit helps these children and families that don't have enough money for every day items. And the need doesn’t end at the holidays, it lasts throughout the year.” For more information on the Children’s Home, contact Rebecca Mebert, Vice President of Community and Donor Relations at 607-772-6904. Binghamton, NY, Holidays 2008 COUGHLIN & GERHART’S FIRST ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF TREES A GREAT SUCCESS
On December 5, 2008, Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. raised nearly $6000 for charity during their first annual “Festival of Trees” event. Occurring during the First Friday activities, members of the public as well as invited guests viewed the fifteen Christmas trees, which were displayed in their lobby at the Professional Towers, 19 Chenango St., before they were auctioned off for charity. The trees were decorated by local businesses and individuals who generously donated both their time and money to this worthy cause. The auction proceeds for the individual trees were donated to charities chosen by the participating businesses. Toys for Tots, The Boys and Girls Club of Binghamton, the Broome County Urban League, and the Broome County S.O.S Shelter were some that benefited from the “Festival of Trees”. After the auction, several of the high bidders chose to donate their trees to other organizations. The “Sugar Plum Tree” decorated by the Spiedie & Rib Pit and Sugar Momma’s Bakery was donated to the Boys and Girls Club, while Binghamton City Hall’s Tree will spend the holidays at the Binghamton Fire Department. Courterback Development Company’s “Holidays Make Everyone Young” themed tree will brighten up the Good Shepherd Fairview Home, while the B-Mets tree will go to an organization called "Rooms to Heal", a non-profit organization that re-decorates kids' rooms into a place to rest or recover. The support received from local businesses and the community made the event a true success. Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. is looking forward to making the “Festival of Trees” an annual part of Binghamton holiday festivities. Binghamton, NY, November 2008 Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. Conducts Planning and Zoning Seminar In an effort to assist the members of Planning Boards and Zoning Boards of the twenty-one Towns and Villages which we serve obtain their required hours of continuing education, Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. held the first of 2 seminars on November 8, 2008 at the Bainbridge Town Hall. Over 40 planning and zoning board members were in attendance being instructed by 10 public law attorneys of our firm and received certificates of completion of three hours of credit. The second seminar was conducted on November 15, 2008 at the Johnson City Justice Building. Our format was similar to last year using sample situation vignettes. Fact patterns were distributed to each attendee so he/she could be either a member of our model boards or a member of the public during the public hearing portion of those joint meetings. Attorneys from our firm served as chairs of these model boards, as the attorney for the applicant, and as commentators explaining what is happening and why. We received many positive responses from the attendees, and will plan on continuing this service to our members of Towns and Villages in future years. We have also developed a way for our clients to earn additional continuing educational credits at home. Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. has prepared audio tapes and CDs discussing recent planning and zoning cases and materials which our clients can listen to at home or in their car, and earn one hour of credit by returning to us a list of numbers that are imbedded to show that the board member has heard the materials and qualifies for the credit. A Certificate of Completion is then mailed to each person that participates. Binghamton, NY, October 29, 2008
A graduate of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Ms. Dmitriev is a member of the Broome County Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association, and is a coach of the Women’s Binghamton University Crew Team. Binghamton, NY, August 11, 2008
A graduate from Boston College School of Law, Mr. Valenzuela has practiced law in the Binghamton area since 2004 in the area of workers’ compensation. Mr. Valenzuela is a member of the Broome County Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association, and is on the Board of Directors of the Baden Powell Council of Boy Scouts of America. Binghamton, NY, August 8, 2008 Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. partners, Keith A. O’Hara and Scot G. Miller, recently received new BV Peer Review Ratings from Martindale-Hubbell. For over a century, lawyers have relied on the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory for authoritative information on the worldwide legal profession. The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings play an integral role in this service to the legal community. Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings attest to a lawyer’s legal ability and professional ethics, and reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and Judiciary. The BV Peer Review Rating is an excellent rating for a lawyer with more experience. This is the maximum rating a lawyer can receive who has been admitted to the bar from 5-9 years. The following article recently appeared in The Press & Sun Bulletin as part of the continuing education in law series. Law Day 2008: The Rule of Law The Crown v. John Peter Zenger, 1735 In the early 1730s, John Peter Zenger, a German immigrant, started publishing The New-York Weekly Journal. In it, he printed articles by opponents of Governor William Cosby criticizing his removal of the colony's Chief Justice from office. These articles mocked Cosby while warning against leaders who put themselves above the law. Outraged, Governor Cosby ordered copies of select issues seized and burnt and Zenger was eventually indicted for seditious* libel. After months in jail, Zenger's trial began, but his lawyers were disbarred and prevented from defending their client. Andrew Hamilton, a Philadelphia lawyer, took over the case and offered a defense that went against traditional English law. In England, proof of publication was all that was necessary to convict a publisher of libel. Whether the alleged libel was true or not didn't matter. Hamilton insisted that the truth should make a difference: if Zenger had published the truth, he couldn't be guilty of libel. When the court rejected Hamilton's argument, the lawyer urged jurors to decide for themselves. They acquitted Zenger, setting a precedent in favor of truth that was later affirmed by courts in England and the United States. Thus, a jury of regular men helped lay the foundation for one of the freedoms in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. *Sedition: word or action inciting rebellion against the authority of a state. Classroom Newspaper Activity:
Binghamton, NY, April, 2008 Trial work of Coughlin & Gerhart LLP was recently recognized in a favorable federal court decision. Oliver N. Blaise, III and Jeffrey Husisian handled the trial for our client, who sued his former employer for age discrimination after being terminated under the guise of a company-wide layoff. Our client, who had significant training, experience and an excellent work history, was in his 50's, as were the majority of the other employees laid off. The company claimed that the termination was due to economic conditions and poor job performance. In a 75 page decision, the judge overseeing the case found that the employer's reasons for the termination were a pretext to justify discriminatory conduct, which was based in large measure on our client's age. The court awarded our client over $135,000 in compensatory damages, plus attorneys' fees. The case and decision were recognized in the New York Law Journal. Deposit, NY, March, 2008 Mark Gorgos, Managing Partner of Coughlin & Gerhart LLP, announced the firm has opened a new regional office in the village of Deposit, NY. The facility will be located at 105 Front Street, Deposit... the same location the firm used many years ago. Robert Madigan, Jr., will be the partner in charge of this office, with assistance from attorneys Beth Westfall, John Thomas and Cheryl Insinga. According to Gorgos, "We are pleased to be able to re-open this additional office for the convenience of our clients and look forward to a successful future in this area of Broome and Delaware County. Binghamton, NY, March, 2008
We're excited to report that the move of our main office from 20 Hawley Street to the historic building at 19 Chenango Street in downtown Binghamton is on schedule to be completed in the first half of March 2008. This refurbished office space, with updated technology capabilities, will serve the needs of our clients for many years to come. The location features convenient parking and close access to courts and governmental agencies. Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. was committed to maintaining its headquarters in the downtown part of the city, which is currently undergoing a revival. The firm's decision to remain downtown was included as a highlight in the Mayor's 2007 State of the City address. We look forward to showing off our new space to our clients and friends in the near future. Please be sure to check back on this site in the upcoming weeks for actual move dates in the event you are planning on visiting us in the month of February 2008. For more information about Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P., contact the firm's managing partner, Mark S. Gorgos, Esq. at (607) 723-9511 or 1-877-COUGHLIN, or E-mail us at info@cglawoffices.com. Binghamton, NY, February, 2008 Nancy Kline of our Trusts and Estates group recently delivered a lecture to 100 lawyers at the Broome County Bar Association's Continuing Legal Education Program on Elder Law. Nancy covered the general rules for Medicaid eligibility for people in nursing homes and important considerations for pre-application purposes. Our Trusts and Estates attorneys are available to help clients understand and navigate this complex area of the law. Binghamton, NY, February, 2008 Senator Thomas W. Libous has sponsored a Resolution which was unanimously passed by the Senate to honor our late founding partner Eugene Gerhart and to recognize him as an outstanding citizen for his exemplary service to our community, our state, our nation and our profession. Copies of the Gold Seal Resolution No. 3694 have been shared with his daughters and with our firm. Binghamton, NY, January 21, 2008 Coughlin & Gerhart L.L.P. is proud to announce that Richard B. Long has been honored in "New York Area's Best Lawyers." in the areas of Alternate Dispute Resolution and Personal Injury Litigation in the 2008 listings published by New York Magazine. Long has also been included in "Best Lawyers in America", the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. Mr. Long was a Partner in the firm from 1961 to 2001, and is currently "Of Counsel". He headed the firm's Litigation Department for 26 years and has concentrated for nearly 50 years in civil litigation at the trial level. Mr. Long is former chair of the Trial Lawyers Section of the New York State Bar Association. Binghamton, NY, January 21, 2008 Coughlin & Gerhart L.L.P. is proud to announce that John M. Thomas, Esq. has been honored in "New York Area's Best Lawyers" in the area of Trusts & Estates in the 2008 listings published by New York Magazine. Thomas has also been included in "Best Lawyers in America", the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. Judge Thomas joined Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. in 2001 and is "Of Counsel" with the firm. He served as the Broome County Surrogate Judge from January 1, 1985 to January 1, 2001. Binghamton, NY, January 18, 2008 Beth E. Westfall, a member of the firm's Trust & Estates practice group, recently presented a seminar on estate planning and planning for long term care to a group of caregivers who assist Alzheimer's patients. The program is sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association several times a year and includes topics such as wills, powers of attorney, health care proxies, Medicare, Medicaid, trusts, and long term care insurance. Batavia, NY, January 9, 2008 Coughlin & Gerhart L.L.P. hosted a seminar for its municipal clients in Batavia, New York. C&G partners Mary Lou Conrow, Esq. and Paul J. Sweeney, Esq. presented to over 90 attendees on several public sector employment issues, including police and fire disability, discipline, leaves of absence, retirement and collective bargaining issues. C&G represents cities, counties, town and villages through out New York State in all areas of labor and employment law. Binghamton, NY, January 4, 2008 Coughlin & Gerhart L.L.P. is proud to announce that Frank Nemia, Esq., and Joseph J. Steflik, Jr., Esq. have been honored as two of the "New York Area's Best Lawyers" in the area of labor and employment law in the 2008 listings published by New York Magazine. Both have also been included in "Best Lawyers in America." Mr. Nemia joined Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. in 1999 and is currently "Of Counsel" with the firm. Mr. Nemia was founder, first chairman and is Chair Emeritus of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. Mr. Steflik joined Coughlin and Gerhart, L.L.P. in 1999 and is a Partner in the firm. He is Chair of the firm's Labor and Employment Law Practice Group. |
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