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New York State Attorney General Investigations

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The Office of the New York State Attorney General has earned a national reputation of being one of the most aggressive law enforcement agencies in the country, often pursuing claims against companies by utilizing novel legal theories to effect fundamental change in business practices.  In these cases, having an experienced legal team that understands the powers and limitations of the Attorney General, as well as the political and media communications elements of the office has never been more important.

Almost daily, the Office of the New York State Attorney General announces its investigation of, or settlement with, organizations of all sizes and in a variety of industries.  Targets include publicly-traded companies with high brand awareness and privately-held, family-owned businesses that are well-known in their communities for their products or services.  The Attorney General has broad based powers to initiate investigations stemming from deceptive advertising, charitable organizations’ filings, labor and employment, gaming, public corruption, criminal prosecutions and securities violations (Martin Act).  No sector is immune from the Attorney General, including energy, health care, retail, manufacturing, environmental, construction, transportation, and rail to name just a few.  Accusations from the Attorney General can have a devastating impact on an organization’s reputation and operation.

Harris Beach offers a team acutely familiar with the Office of the New York State Attorney General.  Former senior staff and leaders in that office now counsel and defend businesses and individuals against accusations made by the Attorney General.  Our attorneys serve as New York counsel for organizations based elsewhere that maintain a presence in New York and as counsel to businesses headquartered in New York.  Our team works with clients from the onset of an investigation to evaluate all aspects of the case, not only developing legal recommendations, but weighing the impact of potential parallel inquiries from other regulators and analyzing the political and public aspects involved in a case. We incorporate this unique knowledge into a comprehensive strategy serving the best interests of our clients.

When necessary, we have employed industry experts to examine issues to ensure that a balanced public narrative is in place, rather than the one-sided version from a government regulator.  We are well-connected to the same key media outlets that the Office of the New York State Attorney General uses to tell its story so we can present the client’s position on the issue to the same media in the same news cycle.  Our attorneys work effectively with businesses if a company finds itself at the epicenter of an Attorney General investigation to provide full and thoughtful advice to help the client during what may be an otherwise tense decision-making environment.

  • Represented a company that had retail locations across Upstate New York that was investigated and sued by the Attorney General for misleading advertising claims. We litigated this matter in New York County Supreme Court and successfully resolved the matter without any fine, penalty or  admission of wrongdoing by the client. This high profile matter received extensive coverage in over 25 media outlets, including The New York Times, USA Today and Corporate Counsel as well as numerous regional publications.
  • Represented a senior executive charged with embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a well-known and highly respected government institution. This matter received widespread media attention. Resolved the matter without a jail sentence.
  • Represented a student in a Title IX investigation and successfully overturned the school’s administrative finding of expulsion by filing an Article 78 Proceeding in State Supreme Court.
  • Successfully represented a company that was under investigation by the Inspector General’s Office and District Attorney’s Office for their handling of  MWBE requirements during a construction project. The investigation concluded with no criminal charges or civil suit being brought against our client.
  • Defended energy companies under investigation by the NYS Office of the Attorney General‘s consumer fraud bureau involving allegations of violations of GBL §§349, 349-d and 350 concerning deceptive sales practices, which were resolved through negotiation and the execution of an Assurance of Discontinuance.
  • Engaged as counsel in high profile matters such as both of Governor Cuomo‘s Moreland Commission investigations.  The first Commission scrutinized the failures of electrical utilities after Hurricane Sandy.  The second Commission was tasked with probing corruption in New York politics, including conflicts of interests, such as outside employment of legislators. In both matters, a thorough understanding of the inner workings of NYS government was essential to the representation.
  • Counsel to a major financial services company in an investigation by the New York State Attorney General’s office which resulted in a favorable resolution.
  • Counsel to company in a consumer fraud investigation commenced by the New York State Attorney General’s office.
  • Negotiated nationally publicized settlement in 2013 with Federal Trade Commission and New York Attorney General to address antitrust concerns raised as a result of the consolidation of the only two hospitals in Utica, New York.

Leaders

William Flynn

William M. Flynn

Member
(518) 701-2711
wflynn@harrisbeach.com
Victoria Graffeo

Victoria A. Graffeo

Counsel
(518) 701-2744
appellate@harrisbeach.com
Karl Sleight

Karl J. Sleight

Member
(518) 701-2716
ksleight@harrisbeach.com

Team

Terrance Flynn

Terrance P. Flynn

Member
(716) 200-5120
tflynn@harrisbeach.com
William Flynn

William M. Flynn

Member
(518) 701-2711
wflynn@harrisbeach.com
Victoria Graffeo

Victoria A. Graffeo

Counsel
(518) 701-2744
appellate@harrisbeach.com
Brian Mahoney

Brian C. Mahoney

Member
(716) 200-5121
bmahoney@harrisbeach.com
Karl Sleight

Karl J. Sleight

Member
(518) 701-2716
ksleight@harrisbeach.com
Joan Sullivan

Joan P. Sullivan

Member
(518) 701-2732
jsullivan@harrisbeach.com
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New York State Attorney General Investigations

Service

The Office of the New York State Attorney General has earned a national reputation of being one of the most aggressive law enforcement agencies in the country, often pursuing claims against companies by utilizing novel legal theories to effect fundamental change in business practices.  In these cases, having an experienced legal team that understands the powers and limitations of the Attorney General, as well as the political and media communications elements of the office has never been more important.

Almost daily, the Office of the New York State Attorney General announces its investigation of, or settlement with, organizations of all sizes and in a variety of industries.  Targets include publicly-traded companies with high brand awareness and privately-held, family-owned businesses that are well-known in their communities for their products or services.  The Attorney General has broad based powers to initiate investigations stemming from deceptive advertising, charitable organizations’ filings, labor and employment, gaming, public corruption, criminal prosecutions and securities violations (Martin Act).  No sector is immune from the Attorney General, including energy, health care, retail, manufacturing, environmental, construction, transportation, and rail to name just a few.  Accusations from the Attorney General can have a devastating impact on an organization’s reputation and operation.

Harris Beach offers a team acutely familiar with the Office of the New York State Attorney General.  Former senior staff and leaders in that office now counsel and defend businesses and individuals against accusations made by the Attorney General.  Our attorneys serve as New York counsel for organizations based elsewhere that maintain a presence in New York and as counsel to businesses headquartered in New York.  Our team works with clients from the onset of an investigation to evaluate all aspects of the case, not only developing legal recommendations, but weighing the impact of potential parallel inquiries from other regulators and analyzing the political and public aspects involved in a case. We incorporate this unique knowledge into a comprehensive strategy serving the best interests of our clients.

When necessary, we have employed industry experts to examine issues to ensure that a balanced public narrative is in place, rather than the one-sided version from a government regulator.  We are well-connected to the same key media outlets that the Office of the New York State Attorney General uses to tell its story so we can present the client’s position on the issue to the same media in the same news cycle.  Our attorneys work effectively with businesses if a company finds itself at the epicenter of an Attorney General investigation to provide full and thoughtful advice to help the client during what may be an otherwise tense decision-making environment.

■ All Services

■ People

Terrance P. Flynn

Member
(716) 200-5120
tflynn@harrisbeach.com

William M. Flynn

Member
(518) 701-2711
wflynn@harrisbeach.com

Victoria A. Graffeo

Counsel
(518) 701-2744
appellate@harrisbeach.com

Brian C. Mahoney

Member
(716) 200-5121
bmahoney@harrisbeach.com

Karl J. Sleight

Member
(518) 701-2716
ksleight@harrisbeach.com

Joan P. Sullivan

Member
(518) 701-2732
jsullivan@harrisbeach.com

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
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

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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
Sports Law
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White Collar Crime
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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

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

Content current as of May 25, 2022 9:15 pm
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