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Victoria Graffeo
D: (518) 701-2744  
appellate@harrisbeach.com

Victoria A. Graffeo

  Counsel

(518) 701-2744
  appellate@harrisbeach.com
“The analytical skills that I honed as an appellate jurist are of great benefit when serving clients with complex legal issues.”
Profile
Representative Matters
Professional and Civic
Areas of Experience
Admissions
Education
Location
Publications and Events

Drawing on her many years of serving on the bench of the New York State Court of Appeals, the Appellate Division, Third Department and the State Supreme Court, Judge Graffeo leads the firm’s Appellate Practice Group and handles civil appeals in state and federal courts.  She also serves as an appellate consultant to domestic and foreign law firms. She is a member of the Business and Commercial Litigation Practice Group and the Government Compliance Practice Group. She acts as a mediator or a neutral arbitrator in private dispute resolution situations and serves as a mediator for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District.

As former Senior Associate Judge on the New York Court of Appeals, Judge Graffeo is frequently engaged to provide expert witness services in connection with contract disputes governed by New York law. In this capacity she prepares reports on New York law to aid arbitrators or courts interpreting New York precedent.

Prior to joining Harris Beach, Judge Graffeo served on the New York Court of Appeals from December 2000 to November 2014. She authored over 250 civil and criminal majority opinions for the Court and she was appointed by the Chief Judge to serve as Chair of several Access to Justice committees. In April 1998, she was designated to serve as an additional Associate Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court in the Third Judicial Department. In September 1996, Judge Graffeo was appointed to fill a justice vacancy on the New York State Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District and was elected to a full term of office commencing January 1, 1997. She presided over jury and nonjury trials, hearings, motion arguments and other proceedings in Albany, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties.

Her judicial appointments included chair of the New York State-Federal Judicial Council, chair of the Advisory Committee on the Pro Bono Scholars Program, co-chair of the Advisory Committee on New York State Pro Bono Bar Admission Requirements, chair of the Advisory Committee on Pro Bono Service By In-House Counsel In New York State, Court of Appeals Liaison to the New York State Board of Law Examiners and member of the American Bar Association’s Legal Education and Bar Admission Section.

From January 1995 to September 1996, Judge Graffeo served as Solicitor General and Counsel to the New York State Attorney General. She was involved with the executive and administrative matters of the Office of the Attorney General, with more than 400 attorneys. As head of the Appeals and Opinions Bureau, she was directly responsible for management of the state's federal and state appellate litigation and the rendering of Attorney General Opinions to state agencies and municipalities. Judge Graffeo had responsibility for the review and approval of hundreds of briefs to the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the New York State Court of Appeals and the Appellate Divisions of the New York State Supreme Court.

Previously, Judge Graffeo had a number of posts in state government from 1982 to 1994. She served as Chief Counsel to the Assembly Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly, Counsel to the Minority Leader Pro Tempore of the New York State Assembly and Assistant Counsel of the New York State Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. She began her legal career as a litigation associate in an Albany law firm.

Professional and Civic

  • New York State Bar Association, member
  • Abany County Bar Association, member
  • Capital District Italian-American Bar Association, past President
  • Third Judicial Department, Character and Fitness Committee, member

Recognition

  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Appellate Practice, 2021
  • Capital Region Chamber, Women of Excellence Award for Distinguished Career, 2017
  • Best Lawyers, Appellate Practice, since 2017
  • New York State Office of Court Administration, recognized as one of the “Pioneering
  • Women Judges of the Third Judicial District,” 2017
  • Honored in the Book of Lives and Legacies, a publication of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, 2017
  • New York Law Journal, Lawyers Who Lead by Example Lifetime Achievement Honoree, 2016
  • New York State Comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, Received Italian Heritage and Culture Award, 2016
  • New York State Bar Association, Vincent E. Doyle, Jr. Award for Outstanding Judicial Contribution to the Criminal Justice System, 2015
  • Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York and the Albany County Bar Association, Recognized for her work on Access to Justice Initiatives, 2015
  • Fund for Modern Courts, Career Public Service Award, 2015
  • Capital District Italian-American Bar Association, Hon. Anthony V. Cardona Award for “Excellence in Service and Commitment to the Legal Community,” 2015
  • American Italian Museum in Albany, Inducted into the Wall of Fame, 2015
  • New York State Senate and Assembly Resolutions, Recognition of contributions to the Italian-American community in the Capital District and public service, 2015

Legal Practices

Alternative Dispute Resolution
Appellate
Business and Commercial Litigation
Government Compliance and Investigations

Admissions

New York

U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

U.S. District Court, New York - Eastern District

U.S. District Court, New York - Northern District

U.S. District Court, New York - Southern District

U.S. Supreme Court

Albany Law School

JD 
1977

State University of New York at Oneonta

BA 
1974

Location

Albany, NY Office
New York, NY Office
Insights
News
August 20, 2020

81 Harris Beach Lawyers Recognized in 2021 Best Lawyers List; 10 Named Lawyers of the Year

Attorneys from Harris Beach PLLC are named as Best Lawyers, Lawyers of the Year and “Ones to Watch” in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers
August 15, 2018

63 Harris Beach Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers® List

A total of 63 attorneys from Harris Beach PLLC have made the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, the oldest guide of its kind in th
Events
September 4, 2018

Harris Beach Sponsoring Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) of NYS

The Court Appointed Special Advocates ( CASA) is a national association in the United States that supports and promotes court-appointed advo
September 4, 2018

Harris Beach Sponsoring “Meet the Court of Appeals Judges” CLE

This is a moderated panel discussion with the Judges of the New York State Court of Appeals. The program will provide an introspective look
External Publications
July 1, 2019

Lecturer: Appellate Judges’ School for Court of Appeals and Appellate Division jurists

June 1, 2018

Keynote Speaker: Then & Now: A Look Back at Trailblazers & Forward- Has Equality for Women Been Achieved?” (Judith S. Kaye Program: Conversations on Women & the Law, a CLE co-sponsored by the Historical Society of the New York Courts and the New York City Bar Association’s Women in the Legal Profession Committee)

March 1, 2018

Speaker: Gender Equality in ADR (New York State Bar Association CLE)

August 1, 2017

Speaker: Effective Appellate Advocacy- A Judge’s Perspective (New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting)

Publication: CPLR Article 78 Challenges to Administrative Determination (chapter in Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts, Fourth Edition, Thomson Reuters)

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Victoria A. Graffeo

appellate@harrisbeach.com
D: (518) 701-2744
Albany, NY Office
New York, NY Office
Victoria Graffeo
https://www.harrisbeach.com/people/graffeo-victoria-a/

■ Areas of Expertise

Legal Practices

Alternative Dispute Resolution Legal Practice
Appellate Legal Practice
Business and Commercial Litigation Legal Practice
Government Compliance and Investigations Legal Practice

■ Profile

Drawing on her many years of serving on the bench of the New York State Court of Appeals, the Appellate Division, Third Department and the State Supreme Court, Judge Graffeo leads the firm’s Appellate Practice Group and handles civil appeals in state and federal courts.  She also serves as an appellate consultant to domestic and foreign law firms. She is a member of the Business and Commercial Litigation Practice Group and the Government Compliance Practice Group. She acts as a mediator or a neutral arbitrator in private dispute resolution situations and serves as a mediator for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District.

As former Senior Associate Judge on the New York Court of Appeals, Judge Graffeo is frequently engaged to provide expert witness services in connection with contract disputes governed by New York law. In this capacity she prepares reports on New York law to aid arbitrators or courts interpreting New York precedent.

Prior to joining Harris Beach, Judge Graffeo served on the New York Court of Appeals from December 2000 to November 2014. She authored over 250 civil and criminal majority opinions for the Court and she was appointed by the Chief Judge to serve as Chair of several Access to Justice committees. In April 1998, she was designated to serve as an additional Associate Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court in the Third Judicial Department. In September 1996, Judge Graffeo was appointed to fill a justice vacancy on the New York State Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District and was elected to a full term of office commencing January 1, 1997. She presided over jury and nonjury trials, hearings, motion arguments and other proceedings in Albany, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties.

Her judicial appointments included chair of the New York State-Federal Judicial Council, chair of the Advisory Committee on the Pro Bono Scholars Program, co-chair of the Advisory Committee on New York State Pro Bono Bar Admission Requirements, chair of the Advisory Committee on Pro Bono Service By In-House Counsel In New York State, Court of Appeals Liaison to the New York State Board of Law Examiners and member of the American Bar Association’s Legal Education and Bar Admission Section.

From January 1995 to September 1996, Judge Graffeo served as Solicitor General and Counsel to the New York State Attorney General. She was involved with the executive and administrative matters of the Office of the Attorney General, with more than 400 attorneys. As head of the Appeals and Opinions Bureau, she was directly responsible for management of the state's federal and state appellate litigation and the rendering of Attorney General Opinions to state agencies and municipalities. Judge Graffeo had responsibility for the review and approval of hundreds of briefs to the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the New York State Court of Appeals and the Appellate Divisions of the New York State Supreme Court.

Previously, Judge Graffeo had a number of posts in state government from 1982 to 1994. She served as Chief Counsel to the Assembly Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly, Counsel to the Minority Leader Pro Tempore of the New York State Assembly and Assistant Counsel of the New York State Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. She began her legal career as a litigation associate in an Albany law firm.

■ Professional and Civic

  • New York State Bar Association, member
  • Abany County Bar Association, member
  • Capital District Italian-American Bar Association, past President
  • Third Judicial Department, Character and Fitness Committee, member

■ Admissions

  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Appellate Practice, 2021
  • Capital Region Chamber, Women of Excellence Award for Distinguished Career, 2017
  • Best Lawyers, Appellate Practice, since 2017
  • New York State Office of Court Administration, recognized as one of the “Pioneering
  • Women Judges of the Third Judicial District,” 2017
  • Honored in the Book of Lives and Legacies, a publication of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, 2017
  • New York Law Journal, Lawyers Who Lead by Example Lifetime Achievement Honoree, 2016
  • New York State Comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, Received Italian Heritage and Culture Award, 2016
  • New York State Bar Association, Vincent E. Doyle, Jr. Award for Outstanding Judicial Contribution to the Criminal Justice System, 2015
  • Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York and the Albany County Bar Association, Recognized for her work on Access to Justice Initiatives, 2015
  • Fund for Modern Courts, Career Public Service Award, 2015
  • Capital District Italian-American Bar Association, Hon. Anthony V. Cardona Award for “Excellence in Service and Commitment to the Legal Community,” 2015
  • American Italian Museum in Albany, Inducted into the Wall of Fame, 2015
  • New York State Senate and Assembly Resolutions, Recognition of contributions to the Italian-American community in the Capital District and public service, 2015

■ Education

Albany Law School
 ,JD
 ,1977
State University of New York at Oneonta
 ,BA
 ,1974

Harris Beach and its subsidiaries provide a full range of legal and professional services for 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 is among the BTI Elite law firms based on in-depth interviews of more than 600 corporate counsel at the world’s largest and most influential companies. Our clients include Fortune 100 corporations, privately-held companies, emerging businesses, public sector entities, not-for-profit organizations and individuals. Principal industries we represent include education, energy, financial, food and beverage, health care, insurance, manufacturing, medical and life sciences, real estate developers, and state and local governments and authorities.

Industry Teams
Automotive and Vehicle Dealerships
Blockchain and Digital Assets 
Cannabis
Construction and Surety
Educational Institutions Higher Ed
Educational Institutions K-12
EMS and Fire Protection Providers
Energy
Financial Institutions and Capital Markets
Food and Beverage
Health Care
Industrial and Consumer Manufacturing
Medical and Life Sciences
Municipalities and Local Agencies
Nanotechnology
Photonics
Racing and Gaming
Real Estate Developers
Science and Technology
Telecommunications and Media
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
USA Collegiate Sports
Veterinary Medicine

Practices
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Appellate
Business and Commercial Litigation
Collection Law
Commercial Real Estate
Corporate
Cybersecurity Protection and Response
Diversity Compliance
E-Discovery (e-infoSM)
Employee Benefits
Employment Litigation
Environmental Law
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Financial Restructuring, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights
Government Compliance and Investigations
Health Law
Immigration Law
Insurance Coverage
Intellectual Property Law
International Trade Law
Internet Law
Labor and Employment Law
Mass Torts and Industry-Wide Litigation
New Markets Tax Credit
Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law
Product Liability and Comprehensive General Liability
Public Finance and Economic Development
Real Property Valuation Litigation
Residential Real Estate
Tax Law
White Collar Crime
Wills, Trusts and Estates

Consulting Services
HB Solutions LLC
Collegiate Sports Compliance
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
Economic Development and Public Affairs
Educational Institution Assistance
EMRG® (E-Discovery Management Resources Group)
Energy
Health and Human Services
Human Resources
Information Technology
Marketing and Communication Services
Municipal and Local Agency Assistance

HB Cornerstone LLC
Owner Representation
Design Services
Facilities Consulting
Move Management

Caetra.io
CyMetric (Cybersecurity Regulation Compliance Software)

Offices throughout New York:

Albany
677 Broadway
Albany, NY 12207
518-427-9700

Buffalo
726 Exchange Street
Buffalo, NY 14210
716-200-5050

Ithaca
119 East Seneca Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-273-6444

Long Island
333 Earle Ovington Boulevard
Uniondale, NY 11553
516-880-8484

New York City
100 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005
212-687-0100

Rochester
99 Garnsey Road
Pittsford, NY 14534
585-419-8800

Saratoga Springs
513 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-587-0551

Syracuse
333 West Washington Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
315-423-7100

White Plains
445 Hamilton Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601
914-683-1200

Offices also in:

New Haven, CT
195 Church Street
New Haven, CT 06510
203-784-3159

Newark, NJ
One Gateway Center
Newark, NJ 07102
973-848-1244

Washington, DC
800-685-1429

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
© 2022 Harris Beach PLLC

Content current as of February 3, 2023 8:44 am
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