Our attorneys demonstrate a deep commitment to serving clients’ needs effectively, efficiently and in full consideration of their short and long-term strategic goals and circumstances. Given that areas of practice often overlap, we draw upon each other’s strengths and knowledge, ensuring all of our clients benefit from the full range of experience at our firm.
Construction Law
We embrace a team approach, drawing upon all applicable experience and knowledge within our firm for every client and every case. This is particularly effective in our construction law practice, which often draws upon a deep understanding of insurance coverage and risk transfer. We represent clients including owners, developers, contractors, and design professionals in a broad range of commercial and residential construction cases, spanning New York State Labor Law, construction accidents, adjacent property damage, construction defect claims, construction delays, structural failures, and contract disputes.
PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY
We team with our clients and their insurers to achieve the best possible outcomes in professional liability claims. Our lawyers defend the interests of clients in various areas, including the legal, healthcare, financial, design, and insurance professions.
School and Education Law
We have a dedicated team of experienced attorneys able to effectively handle all legal matters within school and education law, including litigation and in-house matters for school districts, schools, other education entities, and families. The BM&S legal team has achieved favorable decisions and results for our clients in courts and administrative forums throughout New York City and the State. These results, to name a few, include numerous court dismissals and discontinuances of personal injury suits, favorable Commissioner of Education decisions on school policies and discipline, dismissals of EEOC and NYS Division of Human Rights complaints, and favorable resolutions of anti-bullying matters.
General Liability
Our collaborative approach guides our practice and helps us excel in general liability defense, which requires teamwork and effective communication between our clients, their insurance carriers and our attorneys. We defend our clients in a broad range of claims including bodily injury, property damage, premises liability, retail and habitational claims, including negligent security and liquor liability. We focus on providing exceptional representation while cognizant of each of our clients’ individual handling requirements. Our experience encompasses defense of lawsuits in state and federal courts.
Premises Liability
Our team defends property owners, ensuring their rights are protected, in liability cases including personal injury, slip/trip and fall, negligent security, negligent maintenance and snow and ice removal cases, as well as alleged Americans with Disability Act violations and wrongful death in both state and federal courts.
Commercial Litigation/Transactions
Our commercial litigators provide innovative and comprehensive counsel in high stakes situations. We develop a thorough understanding of our clients’ goals and business to inform our strategies and drive optimal outcomes. With experience spanning the full range of commercial law in various industries, we successfully manage and resolve multi-party and complicated cases through litigation and dispute-resolution. In addition, in the area of transactions, we handle business entity formation, including publishing services in New York. We also handle contractual matters, buy/sell agreements and other related issues.
Cyber Risk, Privacy and Data Security
All businesses are impacted by cyber security and privacy issues. We help our clients navigate this ever-changing world by providing proactive cyber security and risk assessment, breach preparation as well as offering insurance and regulatory advice. If there is a cyber incident, we act as breach counsel to quickly help our clients investigate and respond to the various technical, legal and public relations challenges. We employ a multidisciplinary approach coordinating with trusted industry experts to achieve the best possible outcome and reduce liability. Should administrative proceedings or litigation result, we are equipped to vigorously defend our clients.
For 24/7 data breach assistance, call 914-704-4440 or email databreach@bmslegal.com
Automobile, Trucking and Transportation
Our transportation-focused lawyers possess a deep understanding of the industry’s unique challenges. With experience in areas including catastrophic liability claims, cargo, moving and storage, and security, our team offers client-focused and cost-effective service. While providing hands-on support, including coordination of rapid response to accident investigations and retention of experts, we help manage and mitigate risk.
Appellate
With breadth of experience in a broad range of complex appellate matters, we serve as appellate counsel in federal and state courts, developing innovative strategic approaches. Given the investment and high stakes of most appellate cases, we stay focused on achieving legal outcomes that best serve our clients’ needs.
Environmental Law
Our lawyers apply their breadth of experience and knowledge to the effective resolution of complex environmental claims. With particular focus on cases in the area of petroleum spills and clean-up as pertaining to the New York State Navigation Law, we represent our clients in negotiations with administrative agencies and regulators, as well as protect their interests through strategic defense in a range of litigation. We also support clients with toxic tort cases in which the plaintiff claims exposure to a chemical or dangerous substance caused injury or disease.
Product Liability
Our product liability team is experienced in various industries including automotive, retail products, machinery and pharmaceuticals. We focus on proactive risk mitigation along with addressing liability claims with strong and forward-thinking defense strategies. When cases span multiple disciplines, our attorneys work together to formulate strategy for complex matters.
Excess Insurance Coverage/Monitoring
We protect our clients’ interests through a comprehensive, creative and collaborative approach. Our team handles excess insurance disputes, in addition to acting as monitoring counsel. We draw on our vast insurance coverage experience to assess and provide guidance with respect to allocation, risk transfer and priority of coverage issues as well as exposure analysis. As monitoring counsel, we collaborate with defense counsel to develop and implement a goal-oriented defense strategy.
Civil Rights
Our civil rights attorneys represent municipalities, cities, counties, state governments and police, fire and correction departments against civil rights allegations including 42 U.S.C.§1983, violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act. We understand the complexities of lawsuits involving civil rights claims, including media and political implications. Our client-centered and team approach drives the best possible outcomes.
Alternative Dispute Resolution Services
We provide alternative dispute resolution in a range of contexts on behalf of our clients. When appropriate, mediation is offered as a potentially cost-effective means of handling matters spanning the breadth of the firms’ practice areas, including construction, insurance coverage and civil rights, along with premises and professional liability.
Real Estate, Commercial and Residential
Our diverse real estate practice encompasses transactions and litigation in the commercial and residential arenas. Clients include homeowners, business owners, developers, and investors. Our transactions practice encompasses commercial and residential leases, purchase, sale, and development agreements, and contract drafting. Our litigators handle a full range of real estate litigation and dispute resolution, focusing on business-driven solutions for every client.
HEALTH CARE
We defend physicians, nurses, hospitals and other healthcare professionals in complex medical malpractice cases. Our attorneys have the background necessary to understand the basis of claims, and we have access to the expert witnesses who are influential in many of these situations. Knowing that each case is unique with different contributing factors, we drive creative solutions that lead to the best possible outcomes. Whether moving forward with litigation or working proactively with clients in risk management, we have the resources to protect and advance our clients’ interests effectively.