News & Updates
Join Nathan J. Kopp, Esq., for a free seminar on Business Succession Planning, Wednesday, August 12, 2026 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce (Board of Education Building, 1 Sheldon Guile Blvd., Owego). Lunch is provided! Business owners will learn how aligning their business succession plans with their broader estate planning goals will help protect their company, their family, and their legacy.
CONGRATS, MARK SPINNER!
Congratulations to Mark Spinner on his election as President of the Broome County Bar Association. We are proud of this well-deserved recognition and look forward to his service in the year ahead!
COUGHLIN & GERHART WELCOMES JEFFREY D. WALKER, ESQ.
Welcome Jeffrey D. Walker, Special Counsel! Jeffrey is based out of our Ithaca office and is ready to bring his twenty-five years of experience to the firm. Jeffrey’s areas of practice include municipal law, litigation, and general civil practice, representing individuals, businesses, and municipalities in a wide range of legal matters.
COUGHLIN & GERHART RE-ELECTS MANAGING PARTNER
We’re proud to share that our Managing Partner, Rachel A. Abbott has been re-elected to her role. Her leadership has helped guide Coughlin & Gerhart toward a refreshed, forward-looking vision, one that respects our long-standing roots while strengthening the direction we’re shaping together.
COUGHLIN & GERHART, ATTORNEYS HONORED IN BEST LAWYERS® LIST
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP, a distinguished multi-service law firm, is proud to have 16 of its attorneys recognized by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® and five attorneys recognized in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2026 editions. The lawyers recognized are Rachel A. Abbott (Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs), Jeffrey A. Brown (Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants), Mary Lou Conrow (Litigation – Labor & Employment), Mark S. Gorgos (Education Law), Robert R. Jones (Litigation – Trusts & Estates, and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs), Kristen K. Luce (Trusts & Estates), Robert J. Madigan, Jr. (Real Estate Law), Lars Mead (Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants), James P. O’Brien (Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants), Keith O’Hara (Commercial Litigation, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants), Alan J. Pope (Construction Law), Joseph J. Steflik, Jr. (Labor Law – Management), Paul J. Sweeney (Labor Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor & Employment), Beth E. Westfall (Trusts & Estates) and Carrie A. Wenban (Corporate Law, and Business Organizations including LLCs and Partnerships – Ithaca, NY).
The following attorneys were listed in the category of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America: Thomas Bouman (Litigation – Trusts & Estates, and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs), Keegan Coughlin (Municipal Law, Real Estate Law, and Trusts & Estates), Caroline M. Guiles (Real Estate Law, and Trusts & Estates), and Lindsey L. Johnson (Elder Law, Real Estate Law, and Trusts & Estates).
ornell Law School)
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP is pleased to announce Alan Pope, Esq. has been reappointed as a member of the Judicial Hearing Officer (JHO) Selection Advisory Committee for New York’s Third Judicial Department. His new term runs through March 31, 2027.