Capital District Attorney and Family and Divorce Mediator

Experienced Capital District attorney and divorce mediator

I have been an attorney for more than 15 years and acting as a mediator to help people to resolve disputes peacefully for 5. I became an attorney so that I could help people through difficult situations. I have worked for law firms, companies, organizations and as a solo practitioner, where I have focused on a wealth of different issues and tasks.  I focus on areas that are especially meaningful to me and in which I am practiced, especially divorce mediation and legal services for the family.

Early in my career I spent more than eight years investigating, promoting and defending international human rights standards throughout Latin America and with nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations. As a consequence, I am a Spanish speaking attorney and mediator, and am fortunate to be able to serve the area’s Spanish-speaking community.

As a consequence of my diverse professional roles, I am able to provide my clients with a breadth of legal and practical advice unavailable to someone who has spent the bulk of their focusing on a single issue. I have experience in the following substantive and thematic areas:

• Alternative Dispute Resolution (Mediation and Arbitration)
  • Certified NYS Lemon Law Arbitrator
  • Certified FINRA Arbitrator
  • Completed over 80 hours of divorce mediation training
  • Community and family mediator since 2007, focusing on family (custody, support, parenting, divorce) and small claims matters.
  • Certified New York State Long Term Care Ombudsman
• Family Law (including custody and support matters)
• Small business matters and Entrepreneurship
• Corporate Governance
• Municipal Law, Land Use and Zoning
• Technology & Telecommunications
• Civil/Human Rights
• Communications
• Compliance and Training
• International Law and Affairs
• Administrative & Regulatory Law
• Advocacy, Lobbying and Policy
• Mortgage Lending
• Not-for-Profit and Trade Associations
• Real Estate
• Commercial Transactions

Representative past or current clients and in-house engagements include: Consumer Federation of America, Equal Justice Works (formerly National Association for Public Interest Law), Guardian Loan Company of Massapequa, Human Rights Watch, individuals seeking help on child support and custody issues, Localisation Industry Standards Association, Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, National Exchange Carrier Association, Northwind and Power, rural telecommunications carriers, Rural Independent Competitive Alliance, the U.N.-sponsored “Truth Commission” for El Salvador, and Verizon Wireless.

Memberships

• Albany County Bar Association
• New York State Council on Divorce Mediation

The following volunteering and service experiences, among others, have enriched my professional and personal endeavors:

• Board of Directors, Cornell Club of the Greater Capital District (President, 2010-12; Vice President, 2008-2010; Board Secretary, 2008-09).
• Cornell and GW Alumni Associations: Interview prospective Cornellians during application cycle. Advised graduating college and law students on employment opportunities (1989-95, 1999-2004, 2007-2008).
• Member, Board of Directors, Hispanic Outreach Services of Catholic Charities/Albany Diocese (2007-Mar. 2009; Board Secretary, 2008-Mar. 2009).
• Democratic Party candidate elected in general election of Nov. 2000 to serve two years as District of Columbia Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC 3C-06). Represented community in that capacity January to September 2001 (resigned due to move from jurisdiction). Elected by fellow commissioners to serve as Secretary.
• Conceived of, designed, maintain website for USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) Survivor Association, dedicated to sailors lost in October 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf.

I am responsible for the following publications and presentations:

• “ADR in the Cloud: Maximizing the Internet to Market Your Services”, Workshop presentation for October 2011 NYSDRA Annual conference (with Daniel Burns).
• Organized three-person panel on wind power in New York state. Presentation on wind power zoning and other legal issues in New York state. Annual meeting of the Association of Towns of the State of New York (Feb. 2010).
• Wind Power Law Blog (informational website focusing on wind energy legal developments, especially regarding land use and zoning law, environmental concerns, and judicial and regulatory actions, emphasizing developments in New York state.) (May 2008-present).
• Presentations on wind energy basics to elementary school students (1st and advanced 5th graders) (Mar. and Apr. 2009).
• Presentation on wind power zoning and other legal issues in New York state. Annual meeting of the Association of Towns of the State of New York (Feb. 2009).
• “There’s Gold Wind in Them Thar Hills, But How Do You Zone It?”, Talk of the Towns & Topics (Association of Towns of the State of New York, Vol. 22, No. 5 (Sept/Oct. 2008)).
• 2004 Fall VON. Moderated panel on rural broadband issues.
• Numerous entries in NECA Washington Watch (2004-05).
• RICA Report, a twice monthly newsletter for the Rural Independent Competitive Alliance, a trade association of 80+ rural competitive local exchange carriers, focusing on legal, regulatory and CLEC industry developments (2003-04).
• KLC Report—weekly articles on judicial, regulatory and industry developments for clientele base of rural independent local exchange carriers (2002-04).
• The Rule of Lawlessness in Mexico: Human Rights Violations in the State of Oaxaca (Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights: Minneapolis, 1996).
• Massacre in Mexico: Killings and Cover-up in the State of Guerrero (Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights: Minneapolis, 1995).
• Numerous articles concerning Mexico in Human Rights Observer (newsletter of Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights) (1995-96).
• Various community public speaking engagements describing human rights situation in Mexico; guest lecturer U. Minn. Law School regarding U.N.-sponsored Truth Commission on El Salvador (1995-96).
• Human Rights in Venezuela (Human Rights Watch: New York, 1993) (co-author).
• Case investigation and report in De la locura a la esperanza: la guerra de 12 años en El Salvador, (U.N.-sponsored Truth Commission on El Salvador: New York, 1993).
• “The Violation of Labor Rights in Guatemala,” petition before U.S. Trade Representative regarding GSP benefits (Americas Watch: Washington, D.C., 1990).