Dennis has spent the last four decades advocating for the rights of clients before and during litigation, with a special emphasis on land use and other municipal matters as well as public finance. Dennis was General Counsel to the Yonkers IDA and worked with a team including Shawn Griffin, co-leader of the Harris Beach Public Finance and Economic Development Practice Group, to bring over $2 billion in economic development results to the City of Yonkers. He also assisted villages and towns in the lower Hudson Valley area with successful efforts in economic revitalization. Dennis has also extensive experience in condemnations, tax certiorari cases, municipal zoning violations, defense of municipalities in land use claims, civil rights actions and an assortment of other legal issues throughout New York state before numerous city, town and village governing boards as well as Planning Boards and Zoning Boards of Appeal. In his area of legal emphasis, Dennis was lead trial and appellate attorney in Orangetown v. Magee, 88 N.Y.2d 41 (1996), a landmark municipal property rights case with his clients recovering over $8 million plus zoning relief.
In addition, Dennis has also served as appellate counsel in numerous appeals ranging from the Appellate Division level of the New York State Supreme Court, to the New York Court of Appeals as well as the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and continuing with Petitions for Writs of Certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. Knowing all sides of legal advocacy, Dennis has countless cases serving as Legal Counsel for plaintiffs and defendants as well as 20 years of service as a Village Court Justice.
Dennis has devoted countless hours to Pro Bono Publico legal services outside of land use and municipal issues, in matters ranging from religious civil rights and other First Amendment cases to helping a soldier wounded in the Iraqi War to recover desperately need funds. At the federal level, Dennis was appointed as a Federal Hearing Officer for the 911 Victims Compensation Fund in New York City. He has also served as Special Master for the Appellate Division’s Second Department. Dennis was Chairman of Project Reconciliation when the late paralyzed Police Officer Steven McDonald and the late Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M. traveled to Northern Ireland to promote reconciliation between Catholics and Protestants, including efforts to change paramilitaries of both religions into peacemakers.