News & Updates 2023
Coughlin & Gerhart Proud to Sponsor FREE Summer Concert Series
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP is proud to once again sponsor the 9th annual BROOME BANDS TOGETHER summer concert series. The Broome Bands Together Summer Concert Series offers free, family-friendly concerts from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday nights (weather permitting) starting June 6th to August 15th at Otsiningo Park in Binghamton, NY.
The scheduled lineup is: June 6th – Beard of Bees; June 13th – Matthew Cornwell & L’Bonti; June 20th – The Yada Yadas; June 27th – Two Dollar Pistol; July 11th – Messy Truth; July 18th – The Gents; July 25th – Sydney Irving & The Mojo; August 1st – Wildcard; August 8th – Storm Front; August 15th – The Shambles.
Coughlin & Gerhart’s sponsorship donation will keep the concerts FREE to the public.
Great food and drink options will be available for purchase by: Beer Tree Brew Co., Downtown Danny’s, Here’s the Twist, and B’n’B Kettle Corn.
“We are excited for another great lineup this year and look forward to seeing the community come out to enjoy beautiful summer evenings at Otsiningo Park,” Rachel Abbott, Coughlin & Gerhart managing partner, said. “It is amazing to see how much this event has grown since we started sponsoring the concerts in 2015.”
Mark Gorgos Recognized for Service by NYS Third Department Attorney Grievance Committee
Congratulations to Mark Gorgos, partner at Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP, who was recognized for his 6 years of distinguished service on the New York State Third Department Attorney Grievance Committee (“AGC”), at a ceremony last Friday in Albany. In addition to his Committee membership, Mark served as Chair of the 21 member Committee in 2022. Members of the AGC are appointed by the Justices of the Supreme Court of New York State, Appellate Division 3rd Department, which covers an area from Corning to Albany to Plattsburgh. The Committee meets monthly to review complaints filed against attorneys for alleged violations of ethical rules. Members of the Committee are highly regarded for their professional integrity and knowledge of the rules and laws that govern attorney conduct in New York.
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP Names New Managing Partner
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP has announced that the Firm’s Partners have elected Rachel A. Abbott as the Firm’s new Managing Partner.
Coughlin & Gerhart is a 55-attorney general practice law firm that is based in Binghamton and has offices in Bainbridge, Cortland, Ithaca, Owego, Hancock, Walton, New York and Montrose, Pennsylvania.
Ms. Abbott, who has been with the Firm since 2005, succeeds Mark S. Gorgos as Managing Partner. Ms. Abbott’s term will begin January 1, 2023. Mr. Gorgos has led Coughlin & Gerhart since 2005.
As Managing Partner, Ms. Abbott will oversee general firm management and be responsible for guiding the firm’s vision, strategy, growth, innovation, and culture.
“I am honored to assume the role of Managing Partner for C&G and I feel fortunate that Mark has steered this Firm in such a strong position during the past 17 years,” Ms. Abbott said. “Our Firm has only had two prior Managing Partners. I look forward to leading a client-centric and community focused team to deliver the highest level of legal services to our clients.”
Mr. Gorgos, who had advised his Partners months ago that he would not be seeking another three year term as Managing Partner, will remain active in the firm. He’ll continue his busy practice in the areas of business & banking, education law, and complex financial transactions.
“While I have enjoyed my years as Managing Partner, at some point you have to transition to new leadership. Rachel and I have been working on this process for a year and a half. I’m very proud of the growth of this Firm during my tenure, and I’m especially proud and grateful to each and every one of our partners and associates. We have more than tripled in size while demonstrating our strength and resiliency in surviving a fire, floods, and a pandemic. Rachel will do a great job in carrying on the time honored legal and client traditions of our Firm.”
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP, which was founded in the 1890s, has grown to be a multi-service law firm. The firm’s main office is located at 99 Corporate Drive, Binghamton.
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP Announces New Partners to Firm
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP is pleased to announce that attorneys Nicholas Cortese and Keegan Coughlin became Partners in the firm, effective January 1, 2023.
Mr. Cortese began his legal career as an Appellate Court Attorney for the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department. From there, he was appointed as Senior Law Clerk to Third Department Justice Robert S. Rose. After his clerkships, Mr. Cortese entered private practice with a law firm in Syracuse, New York, before returning home to Binghamton in 2017 to join Coughlin & Gerhart.
Mr. Cortese primarily practices in the Firm’s Public Law group. His diverse practice includes the representation of municipalities, school districts, fire districts and emergency services providers on a wide range of legal issues. He also focuses on appellate, special proceedings and real property tax litigation, as well as administrative hearings and investigations.
Mr. Coughlin grew up in Johnson City, NY and joined Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP as an associate in 2016. His practice is concentrated in the areas of estate planning, trust & estate administration, and municipal & public law.
Mr. Coughlin is a member of the New York State Bar Association, as well as the Broome County Bar Association. He began his legal career as a law clerk with the Binghamton City Court while attending law school. He later served as a student judicial law clerk to the Honorable Thomas J. McAvoy, Senior U.S. District Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP, which was founded in the 1890s, has grown to be a multi-service law firm, consisting of more than 50 lawyers and a professional support staff. It has been recognized as a Best Lawyers® Best Law Firm and 20 of its attorneys have been recognized on either the Upstate New York Super Lawyers list or in The Best Lawyers in America®. The firm’s main office is located at 99 Corporate Drive, Binghamton. It has other branch offices located in Montrose, Pennsylvania, Ithaca, Bainbridge, Cortland, Owego, Hancock, and Walton, New York.
Kristen K. Luce, Esq. Elected to Executive Committee
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP is pleased to announce that Kristen K. Luce was elected to the firm’s Executive Committee for a one year term, starting in January 2023. She joins current members, Rachel A. Abbott and Brady L. Begeal. “There are a lot of important responsibilities associated with being an elected member of the firm’s Executive Committee and I’m humbled that my fellow partners trust me with this duty,” says Luce.
Ms. Luce joined Coughlin & Gerhart in 2007 and is a partner with the firm. Her practice is concentrated in the areas of Estate Planning & Wills, Probate and Trust & Estate Administration, Real Estate Law, Elder Law & Guardianships, and Litigated Estate Matters.
Ms. Luce is a member of the Broome County and New York State Bar Associations. She is a member of the New York Bar Association’s Elder Law and Special Needs Section. She previously served on the Board of Directors to the local American Automobile Association (AAA) Club, is a past Co-Chair of the Broome County Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Committee, served on the Board of Directors for the Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network (April 2008 – February 2016), and is a former member of the Owego Rotary. In 2014 and again in 2018, Ms. Luce was appointed by the Town Board of the Town of Binghamton to an interim position of Acting Town Justice.
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP, which was founded in the 1890s, has grown to be a multi-service law firm consisting of more than 50 lawyers and a professional support staff. The firm’s main office is located at 99 Corporate Drive, Binghamton, New York. It has convenient branch offices located in Bainbridge, Cortland, Hancock, Ithaca, Owego, and Walton, New York and Montrose, Pennsylvania.
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP Named a 2023 Best Law Firm
U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers in America© have named Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP as a Metropolitan Tier 1 Best Law Firm for the Binghamton, New York region in the areas of Banking and Finance Law, Litigation-Labor & Employment, Litigation-Trust & Estates, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs, Real Estate Law, and Trusts & Estates Law. The Firm has also received the Best Law Firms distinction as a Metropolitan Tier 2 Best Law Firm in the areas of Arbitration, and Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships).
Firms included in the 2023 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise. To be eligible for a ranking in a particular practice area, a law firm must have at least one lawyer who is included in The Best Lawyers in America©, which recognizes the top 4 percent of practicing attorneys in the United States. Thirteen C&G attorneys are included in this list for 2023. Receiving a tier designation reflects the high level of respect a firm has earned among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and the same practice areas for its abilities, its professionalism, and its integrity.
“Law firms serve a critical role in American life and ranking them is a key extension of our overall mission to help individuals make important life decisions,” says Morgan Felchner, Executive Editor at U.S. News.
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP, which was founded in the 1890s, has grown to be a multi-service law firm, consisting of more than 50 lawyers and a professional support staff. The firm’s main office is located at 99 Corporate Drive, Binghamton. It has convenient branch offices located in Bainbridge, Cortland, Hancock, Ithaca, Owego, and Walton, New York and Montrose, Pennsylvania.
Coughlin & Gerhart Attorneys Honored in Best Lawyers® List
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP is proud to announce that thirteen of its lawyers were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2023. The lawyers recognized are James P. O’Brien (Product Liability Litigation-Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants), Mary Louise Conrow (Litigation-Labor & Employment), Mark S. Gorgos (Banking & Finance Law, Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency & Reorganization Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Transactions/UCC Law, Education Law, and Municipal Law), Rachel A. Abbott (Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs), Paul J. Sweeney (Labor Law-Management), Robert R. Jones (Litigation–Trusts & Estates), Robert J. Madigan, Jr. (Real Estate Law), Keith O’Hara (Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants), Beth E. Westfall (Trusts & Estates), Kristen K. Luce (Trusts & Estates), Joseph J. Steflik, Jr. (Labor Law-Management and Employment Law-Management), Richard B. Long (Arbitration and Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants), and Jeffrey A. Brown (Workers’ Compensation Law-Claimants). In addition, Nicholas Cortese was listed in the category of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the category of Municipal Law.
In addition, James P. O’Brien (Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants) and Mary Louise Conrow (Litigation-Labor & Employment) were further recognized as “Lawyer of the Year,” which is awarded to only one lawyer per region and practice area.
Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which almost 50,000 leading attorneys cast nearly 5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”