Family Law

• Guardianship
  Our attorneys assist families in obtaining guardianship (SCPA Article 17) over minor children when they are in need of a court-appointed guardian of their property such as when they receive funds from a decedent’s estate or as a beneficiary of a lawsuit.

Criminal Law

• Wrongful Death
  Zilliox v. Western New York Snowmobile Club of Boston, Inc., 79 A.D.3d 1782, 913 N.Y.S.2d 638, N.Y.A.D. 4 Dept. 2010 (Successful defense on appeal of a snowmobile club sued in a wrongful death action.)
• Assault
  Obtained jury verdict in favor of a city police department in action where plaintiff alleged false arrest, false imprisonment and assault and battery.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  We serve as general counsel to many not-for-profit corporations. With attorneys who are experienced in different and complementary areas of law, Hancock Estabrook delivers well-rounded legal representation attuned to the needs of nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations. We advise our clients on governance, tax-exempt rules and other operational and regulatory matters. Representative corporate governance matters we advise clients on include...
• Mergers and Acquisitions
  Hancock Estabrook handles mergers, acquisitions, recapitalizations, reorganizations and leveraged buyouts for both public and private companies. When structuring transactions, our attorneys are always cognizant of the tax, employment, environmental, pension, liability and related issues that may arise. We also work with accounting, financial and other experts that need to be involved in our clients’ transactions.
• Business Transactions
  Our knowledge of healthcare regulations proves invaluable in advising clients on healthcare transactions and contracts, from simple vendor contracts to complex affiliation agreements. While we have extensive experience in drafting, reviewing and revising contracts common to most healthcare delivery transactions, we also construct and implement complex and unique business transactions with vendors, independent contractors, third-party payors and other healthcare providers. Representative transactional and contracting matters on which we advise clients include...
• Limited Liability Companies
  Our attorneys are experienced in dealing with complex issues concerning partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations and alternative entities, and we also counsel clients on matters concerning business succession planning.
• Construction Contracts
• Trade Secrets
• Intellectual Property

Employment Law

• Employment Discrimination
  Representing clients on a variety of litigated and administrative matters under various federal and state laws, including, but not limited to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, and New York State’s Human Rights Law, Civil Rights Law and Labor Law.
• Employment Litigation
  Ms. Middlebrook represents both private and public employers in all aspects of labor and employment law.  She counsels clients on labor and employment issues, including Family and Medical Leave Act compliance, Fair Labor Standards Act compliance, addressing discrimination and harassment issues in the workplace and compliance with federal and New York State labor laws, including overtime laws.  Ms. Middlebrook also advises clients on issues concerning non-competition agreements and restrictive covenants and has litigated issues arising under restrictive covenants.
• Severance Agreement
  Assisting in the construction, evaluation and defense of executive compensation packages, including drafting executive employment, benefits and severance agreements.
• Sexual Harassment
  Obtained jury verdict in favor of a junior high school principal in a lawsuit brought by a teacher alleging discrimination and sexual harassment.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Avoiding costly litigation is always our goal. We focus on preventive practices and a two-track approach by aggressively pursuing viable claims and defenses as well as creative settlement options. Our attorneys provide advice and counsel on regulatory matters, real estate matters, Brownfield Program project management, remediation matters, internal environmental audits and establishing environmental prevention programs, environmental litigation matters, and toxic exposure matters.
• Premises Liability
  Ms. Callahan has more than 30 years of civil litigation experience and has been a partner at the Firm since 1989. She has represented clients in a number of significant appeals to the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals. In addition to her appellate experience, she defends clients in lawsuits involving professional liability, commercial litigation, products liability, premises liability, motor vehicle accidents and veterinary malpractice.  She also represents veterinarians and other licensed professionals in disciplinary proceedings.
• Construction Litigation
  Thomas C. Cambier represents owners, developers, commercial and residential contractors, and suppliers in a wide range of legal matters from large-scale capital improvement projects and private developments to residential construction.  Focusing his practice on his acute understanding of the construction industry, Mr. Cambier provides clients with practical and cost-effective solutions.  He is regularly called upon to advise public and private entities in the process of negotiating and drafting design and construction agreements, including AIA design and construction contracts and EJCDC contracts.
• Real Estate Transactions
  Mr. Danaher represents shopping center and office building owners and developers in all types of commercial real estate transactions. His work focuses on site acquisition and development, preparation and negotiation of commercial retail and office leases, securing “right to build” approvals for development projects and construction and permanent financing. His commercial real estate clients include: Widewaters Group, Westlake Development, LLC and Conifer Realty, LLC. Mr. Danaher is also the Acting Village Justice for the Village of Fayetteville.
• Land Use and Zoning
  The Renewable Energy team consists of attorneys from our Environmental, Real Estate, Zoning & Land Use, Litigation and Public Finance practices that provide holistic legal counsel on all aspects of renewable wind and solar projects. Our attorneys are knowledgeable and prepared to provide effective representation for clients with renewable energy needs and have counseled clients through a variety of matters including right to build concerns, local approvals from municipal boards, lease negotiations, PILOT agreements, real property tax valuations, applications and assistance with incentive plans, land use and zoning approvals and associated permitting. Our attorneys have a firm understanding of the legal, regulatory, business, technical, and political issues that surround projects and provide sound strategies for achieving our clients’ goals.

Immigration Law

• Citizenship and Naturalization

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Successfully defended several area manufacturers in lawsuits brought in New York City to recover for personal injury and wrongful death arising from alleged exposure to asbestos-containing products.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Our attorneys work with clients to properly structure beneficiary designations and distributions from individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, and deferred compensation plans to ensure that the retirement planning conforms with the client’s estate planning goals and individual needs.
• Wills
  Our Trusts & Estates Practice attorneys represent clients in Surrogate’s Court proceedings throughout New York State. We handle contested matters including accounting proceedings, discovery proceedings, will contests, construction of wills and trust agreements, and other litigated matters involving decedents or trusts.
• Trusts
  We support our clients through every stage of their life cycle, providing comprehensive legal support. Our attorneys prepare organizational documents, bylaws, trust and member agreements; assist with the purchase of appropriate insurance protection; assist in obtaining necessary government approvals; advise on corporate structures, including joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and dissolutions; and represent entities in regulatory matters and transactions of all sizes. We regularly counsel organizations in matters of charitable giving. We know and understand the rules regarding investments, endowments, charitable trusts, supporting organizations, private foundations and restricted funds. Our expertise, encompassing both state and federal law, is wide and deep, and we approach problems with sensitivity to multiple regulatory regimes.
• Power of Attorney
  Our Trusts & Estates Practice attorneys advise clients and prepare all documents necessary for a complete estate plan, tailored to each individual client’s needs and circumstances. Such documents include wills, powers of attorney, health care proxies, living wills, revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, asset preservation trusts, supplemental needs trusts, testamentary trusts, life insurance trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, and charitable trusts. We also handle any real estate transfers resulting from estate and trust planning.

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Tax Law
  Our attorneys help nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations structure projects in a way that minimizes the negative impact of New York State and federal tax laws on their charitable pursuits, including unrelated business income, sales and real property taxation. We have successfully worked with clients on issues relating to private benefit, political activity, lobbying, and complex structuring, including the use of subsidiaries, joint ventures and partnerships. Representative tax matters we advise clients on include...