Attorneys Mathew T. Dudley, Ross B. Hofherr, Kirstie A. Means, Tyler A. O’Reilly, Christopher C. Palermo, Michelle K. Piasecki, Jaime L. Regan, Brendan J. Venter and Bradley M. Wanner have been elected partners of Harris Beach PLLC, effective Jan. 1, 2021.
Mathew T. Dudley represents developers, corporations and municipalities in zoning and land use applications and related litigation, including prosecuting and defending N.Y.C.P.L.R. article 78 proceedings and plenary actions. Mathew also represents municipalities in defending civil rights actions, breach of contract claims and personal injury lawsuits in both federal and state court. Additionally, Mathew handles appeals and has argued before the Appellate Division, Second Department.
Ross B. Hofherr represents a wide range of clients in litigation and regulatory compliance matters. Ross’s litigation practice includes the defense of consumer class actions, premises liability claims and complex business disputes in state and federal courts. Ross’s regulatory compliance practice involves advising clients on regulatory issues related to consumer financial services, data privacy, international trade and government contracting. Ross advises clients on state, national and international data privacy regulations related to cybersecurity.
Kirstie A. Means counsels and represents corporate, municipal and individual clients in litigation matters in New York state and federal courts, including appeals to the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, and alternative dispute resolution proceedings, including arbitration and mediation. Kirstie’s practice includes handling a variety of litigation matters, including breach of contract claims, disputes over ownership interests in closely-held businesses, anti-compete clauses, insurance coverage disputes, employment disputes, motor vehicle negligence and personal injury litigation. She has also litigated matters involving the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), New York’s Municipal Annexation Law and New York’s Scaffold Law.
Tyler A. O’Reilly advises large and small businesses and their boards of directors and managers on a broad range of business and commercial matters, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, commercial contracts and corporate governance. A significant portion of his practice involves representing financial institutions and corporate borrowers on financing transactions involving syndicated and bilateral credit facilities, asset-based lines of credit, early-stage private equity investments, private debt offerings, and mezzanine-level private placements. Tyler has also advised leading investment banks on a variety of capital markets transactions, including Rule 144A and Regulation S issuances of high-yield debt securities and initial public offerings on the New York Stock Exchange.
Christopher C. Palermo helps clients resolve complex commercial and other civil litigation, including mass tort, toxic tort, product liability, contract, fraud, antitrust, class action and health care matters in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Chris has regularly represented clients in state and federal regulatory matters and governmental enforcement actions, including civil litigation, qui tam litigation under state false claims acts and the federal False Claims Act, and governmental investigations brought by state Attorneys General and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Michelle K. Piasecki focuses her practice on energy and environmental law, with a particular emphasis on renewable generation and emerging energy-related technologies. She represents renewable developers in all aspects of project development and siting, including navigating the regulatory process under Article 10 of the New York Public Service Law and the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). Michelle counsels clients through the interconnection process with local distribution utilities and the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) and provides guidance on a wide range of environmental matters.
Jaime L. Regan defends complex product liability, mass tort and commercial disputes, and counsels entities involved in the chain of supply of retail and consumer products, construction and industrial equipment, personal protective equipment, automotive products, plastics and phenolic molding compounds, and drugs. As a member of the First Response Emergency and Crisis Disaster Team, Jaime oversees clients’ crisis management by documenting incident scenes, responding to government investigations, and defending resultant litigation. Jaime also routinely advises clients on a broad array of matters impacting their businesses, including product development, marketing, labeling, training and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brendan J. Venter represents employers seeking to fill highly-skilled positions in the United States by developing and managing global talent acquisition programs. Counseling employers throughout the United States and internationally, he assists with obtaining immigration status and employment authorization for employees in nearly all nonimmigrant and immigrant (permanent resident/“green card”) visa categories. His practice includes an emphasis on assisting college/university faculty members, medical professionals, research scientists, engineers, and IT professionals with complex immigration issues involving nonimmigrant visa processes in the E-3, H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, and other visa classifications.
Bradley M. Wanner is an experienced trial and appellate attorney defending clients in mass tort litigation including products liability and commercial litigation. Prior to joining Harris Beach, he served as an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Special Litigation Unit of the Tort Division of the New York City Law Department, where he represented the City in high exposure and catastrophic personal injury matters and property damage matters. He served as lead trial counsel for 15 matters, obtaining two defense verdicts, three discontinuances, and 10 favorable settlements, and as lead appellate counsel for six matters.
About Harris Beach
Founded in 1856, Harris Beach and its subsidiaries provide legal and professional services to clients across New York state, as well as nationally and internationally. Harris Beach is among the country’s top law firms as ranked by The National Law Journal and ranks as a BTI Elite law firm based on in-depth interviews of more than 600 corporate counsel at the world’s largest and most influential companies. Clients include Fortune 100 corporations, privately-held companies, emerging businesses, public sector entities, not-for-profit organizations, and individuals. Principal industries Harris Beach represents include cannabis, education, energy, financial, food and beverage, health care, insurance, manufacturing, medical and life sciences, real estate developers, science and technology, veterinary medicine, and state and local governments and authorities. Our more than 210 lawyers and consultants practice from offices throughout New York State in Albany, Buffalo, Ithaca, Long Island, New York City, Rochester, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse, and White Plains, as well as from offices in New Haven, Connecticut and Newark, New Jersey. For more information, go to www.harrisbeach.com.