Labor and Employment partner attorney, Matt Miller defends an East Aurora Spanish teacher in a discrimination lawsuit. Matt says she, “was repeatedly denied by the district.” East Aurora Middle School Spanish teacher, Julie Rizzo, loves her job. She’d like to be able to continue teaching, however, Rizzo has a serious immune deficiency disorder she was… Read More
John Kolaga, NYSBA Environmental Committee Member, is presenting The “New Normal” for TENORM (Technically-Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material) in New York, on Thursday, February 25th. The environmental practice in Western New York continues to evolve, with its industrialized legacy driving the need for practitioners to stay on top of regional-based considerations. This program highlights a… Read More
Business Law focuses on innovative companies at the forefront of their respective industries. The recent disclosure of Tesla’s $1.5 billion investment in bitcoin (“BTC”)[1] has served as an exclamation point to the growing institutional acceptance of BTC as a credible store of value, akin to cash reserves or gold. This trend has advanced partially due… Read More
Gestational Surrogacy is finally legal in New York State, allowing for many couples to have their dreams of becoming parents within their reach. Our passionate fertility and surrogacy team of partner attorneys Jamie Batt, and Elizabeth DiPirro, and associate attorneys Micelle Graham, and Keli Iles-Hernandez understand well beyond just the legalities of surrogacy. If this… Read More
New York State’s Department of Labor (“NYSDOL”) recently issued new Quarantine Leave guidance that affects all employers, regardless of size. Back in March 2020, New York State enacted legislation that forced employers to provide job-protected leave for any employees who become subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine/isolation due to COVID-19. That mandate subsequently was modified to… Read More
Legalizing gestational surrogacy in New York State is moving the state closer to fertility equality for all. Fertility equality is the belief that the ability to create a family should not be determined by one’s wealth, sexuality, gender, marital status or biology. On February 15, 2021, New York State moves closer to making fertility equality… Read More
Tony Rupp Civil Rights attorney interviewed on GMA as he continues to hold those responsible accountable. Jake Reinhardt and his fiancée, Taylor Schmieder were in shock when Buffalo police officer and bounty hunters from Bail Bond LLC arrived on their doorstep in the middle of the night. The bounty hunters were armed and pointed their… Read More
Please join Rupp Baase partner attorney and construction law practice area leader, Dan Sarzynski in conjunction with Niagara Frontier Construction Financial Management Association for a virtual conversation on contract provisions and negotiations. On February 23rd, Dan will be discussing multiple important topics such as: Pay-if-paid provisions Indemnity provisions Lien waiver and lien exhaustion provisions No-damage-for… Read More
On January 29, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) published revised COVID-19 guidance (“Guidance”) to help employers identify COVID-19 risks and determine appropriate control measures. Our Labor & Employment team breaks down the Guidance for employers. The move came following an order from President Biden directing OSHA to release clear guidance for employers to… Read More
Fertility equality is the belief that the ability to create a family should not be determined by one’s wealth, sexuality, gender, marital status or biology.On February 15, 2021, New York State moves closer to making fertility equality a reality by enacting the Child Parent Security Act, (The Act). New York residents who rely on assisted… Read More
The COVID-19 era is an unprecedented time. Let us help you do all you can for your business right now. Rupp Baase Labor and Employment practice group leader, Matt Miller joins a panel of professionals including, Liz Warren, from Employer Services Corp. along with Thomas Mazurek, Jr. and Charles Pezzino from Tronconi Segarra & Associates… Read More
We want to wish a congratulations to our four Law Clerks for passing the bar exam. Your hard work, dedication and courage has helped you achieve this incredible accomplishment. We at Rupp Baase Pfalzgraf Cunningham are proud to introduce you to our wonderful clients. Meet Elizabeth Costello, the newest member of our Business Law team,… Read More
If you are an owner of a property which saw a significant decrease in net operating income in 2020 and didn’t see a commensurate decrease in your property’s assessed value, you may want to consider challenging your commercial property tax assessment. More specifically, if your property is a hotel, restaurant, or retail location, it’s even… Read More
Property taxes rank right up there with root canals, necessary evils all property owners must face. The COVID-19 crisis has put an unprecedented strain on commercial property owners in New York State. Business owners are seeing reduced income and rent while having to comply with expensive COVID-19 related health compliance measures. This unfortunate combination has… Read More
Our Partner and conservation ambassador Phillip Oswald weighs in on recent decision from the Third Department. This decision from the Third Department is a great win for conservation. The matter of Darwak vs. City of New York, involved John J. Darwak who owns approximately 403 acres of undeveloped land. In September 2017, the City of… Read More
On Monday, November 23rd NYS Forward Loan Fund (“NYFLF”) opened an economic recovery program for small businesses, non-profits, and small residential landlords across New York State. Our practice runs deeper than the law, we’re business owners too, so we broke this new offer down for your review. What is the offer? The NYFLF offers five-year… Read More
Members of our Business Law team, like Jamie Batt are joining with members of our Family Law team, Beth DiPirro and Keli Iles-Hernandz to create a fertility law practice to work with people who are navigating the rollercoaster ride of surrogacy as the NYS laws change. The laws for surrogacy in New York are changing… Read More
Matt Miller and our Labor & Employment team once again providing timely information for NYS COVID restrictions. Effective November 20, 2020, Governor Cuomo put parts of Erie County into an “Orange” zone under his micro-cluster initiative. This meant that, pursuant to Executive Order 202.68 and related Empire State Development guidelines, certain non-essential businesses, including all… Read More
Marco Cercone, has been a member of the Daemen College faculty since 2012, teaching Litigation, Contracts, Adv. Litigation, and Intro to Legal Skills. Marco is highlighted in this months Faculty Profile. What inspired you to pursue your career? “Since I was a little boy, I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer. My pediatrician was actually the… Read More
Veteran’s Day is a day where we honor those who have served our country and risked great sacrifice. At Rupp Baase Pfalzgraf Cunningham though, we honor them every day. On our team we have 7 veterans, 2 of which are managing partners in different locations. We’ve seen firsthand how the character traits of a veteran… Read More
The surrogacy laws in New York are changing. Family Law and Business Law practice areas join forces for surrogacy clients. Beth DiPirro, Keli Iles-Hernandez, and Jamie Batt are prepared to help NYS couples and surrogates navigate the layered and often emotional process of surrogacy. The team provides Patrick Connelly of Buffalo Business First insight about… Read More
Buffalo Games had been in business for 30+ years. Just like our firm, the company has grown rapidly since their opening. Today they are an industry leader in puzzles, games, arts and crafts, sensory & educational toys. We are so proud of our client and friend Nagendra Raina and his team for all their innovation,… Read More
The pandemic as caused all businesses to rethink their practice, office adjustments had to be made for the safety of employees. David Pfalzgraf, joins the discussion with Patrick Connelly and other local Managing Partners on COVID scanning, office space, and technology upgrades in our functioning COVID world. In an ever-changing world during this COVID-19 pandemic… Read More
Insurance company faces potentially millions of dollars in fines with NY DFS’s first enforcement of its cybersecurity regulations. With security breaches up 64% since 2014, the FBI has reported a 400% increase in cyberattacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the global average cost of a breach being $3.86 million, it has never been so vital… Read More
Every year Buffalo Business First announces the top attorneys in Buffalo, NY as chosen by their peers. Every year we are incredibly proud to see some of our attorneys named to the list. This list is a great honor as it is a award given in part by other peers. To be selected, an honoree… Read More
