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M I R A N D A & S O K O L O F F , L L P
New York Of Counsel
The Esposito Building
240 Mineola Boulevard, Mineola, NY 11501
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Michael A. Miranda |
Mr. Miranda attended Colgate University, graduating in 1983. He graduated from The New York Law School in 1986. While at Now York Law School, he was articles editor of The New York Law School Journal for Comparative and International Law. His article, "An Analysis of the Tort Exception of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act" was published at 7N.Y.L.S.J. INTL COMPL. L. 281(1985).
He was admitted to practice in New Jersey in 1986 and in New York in 1987 as well as the relevant Federal courts for these jurisdictions.
Mr. Miranda has defended several municipalities in Federal Court discrimination actions. In particular, he has achieved the following victories:
In Tara v. Village of Briarcliff Manor, the plaintiffs gained notoriety by alleging that the conservative Village of Briarcliff Manor was anti-Irish in opposing their Gaelic facility. Mr. Miranda was able to successfully defeat the suit by a motion for summary judgment arguing that the plaintiffs had not sustained any constitutional injury. The Court agreed, and dismissed the entire complaint before one deposition was taken or one document exchanged.
In Puglisi v. Tuckahoe , the plaintiff asserted that the Village was selectively enforcing its code against him because he was renting to African-Americans. The District Court, by Judge Motley, disagreed and dismissed the complaint before trial. Additionally, the defendants were awarded their attorneys fees in excess of $30,000 because we were able to successfully argue that the complaint was frivolous under the strict standards of Section 1988. The decision of dismissal and the attorney fee award were upheld on appeal by the Second Circuit.
In Griffin v. Liberty, Miranda obtained a defendants' verdict for the Village and various police officers accused of falsely arresting the President of the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce. This case was before Judge Brieant in the Southern District.
In Kovalsky v. Haverstraw, Mr. Miranda obtained another defense verdict for the Village of Haverstraw and its police officers for allegedly breaking the arm of a prisoner during an arrest. Mr. Miranda used a doctor to demonstrate that the injury suffered by the plaintiff could not have been sustained in connection with the arrest.
In Shim v. Village of Lynbrook, Mr. Miranda obtained a defense verdict in a racial discrimination/false arrest case. The plaintiffs had asserted that the only reason they were arrested was because they were black. They alleged that they were returning important belongings to the plaintiff's house when she was arrested. The jury deliberated less than an hour in reaching a verdict for the Village and the officers on qualified immunity grounds.
In Ricciuiti v. the City of New York and Henry Lopez, Mr. Miranda and his co-counsel obtained a defense verdict for all defendants. This case involved serious charges of fabrication of police records and police misconduct.
Mr. Miranda has also authored articles for the Defense Research Institute. He serves as a member of the Municipal Law Committee of DRI, as well as the Municipal Law Committee of the New York State Bar Association. He is also slated to speak at the Practicing Law Institute's Police Liability Panel on September 19, 1998.
Position: Member
Born in Brooklyn, New York, February 26, 1961
Admitted to bar:
1986, New Jersey
1987, New York
Education:
Colgate University (B.A., 1983); New York Law School (J.D., 1986).
REPORTED CASES:
Halpern Development Venture, Inc. v. Board of Trustees of Villiage of Tarrytown
247 A.D.2d 584, 669 N.Y.S.2d 606 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept., Feb. 23, 1998)
Mount Vernon Fire Ins. Co. v. Creative Housing Ltd.
88 N.E.2d 404, 645 N.Y.S.2d 433 (NY., June 11, 1996)
U.S. Underwriters Ins. Co. v. Val-Blue Corp.
85 N.Y.2d 821, 647 N.E.2d 1134, 623 N.Y.S.2d 834 (N.Y., Feb. 9, 1995)
Murtha v. Incorporated Village of Island Park
2020 A.D.2d 650, 609 N.Y.S.2d 315 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept., Mar. 28, 1994)
Shaw Temple A.M.E. Zion Church v. Mount Vernon Fire Ins. Co.
199 A.D.2d 374, 605 N.Y.S.2d 370 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept., Dec. 20, 1993)
Puglisi v. Underhill Park Taxpayers Assoc.
125 F.3d 844 (2nd Cir. 1997)
Ricciuti v. N.Y.C. Transit Authority
124 F.3d 123 (2nd Cir. (N.Y.), Aug. 21, 1997) (NO. 341, 96-7194)
Rodriguez v. Margotta and Village of Sleepy Hollow
71 F.Sup.2d 289 (S.D.N.Y., Oct. 27, 1999)
Tara Circle, Inc. v. Bifano
1997 WL 399683 (S.D.N.Y., July 15, 1997)(NO. 95-CIV. 6522 (DLC)).
Author:
"Analysis of the Tort Exception of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act,"
7 N.Y.L.S.J. Int'l. Comp. L 281, 1985.
Email:
michaelmiranda@mirandasokoloff.com
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| Brian S. Sokoloff |
Mr. Sokoloff co-founded the law firm of Miranda & Sokoloff LLP on July 13, 1998.
Mr. Sokoloff attended Brooklyn Law School, graduating cum laude in 1996. He was admitted to the bar in New York State in 1987, and is admitted to the following federal courts; United States District Court for the Southern, Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts; the Second Circuit; and the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Sokoloff went straight from law school into the General Litigation Division of the New York City Law Department. There, he litigated and tried cases in a wide variety of areas, including federal civil rights, police and correction officer excessive force, employment Discrimination class actions, election law, education law, civil service, pensions, and D At the Law Department Mr. regularly represented the New York City Board of Education in lawsuits brought by teachers, parents, and children. Mr. Sokoloff regularly handled proceedings before the New York State Education Commissioner, particularly those involving challenges to the designation of students for special education programs.
In 1990, Mr. Sokoloff left government employment, and, for the next eight years, he was affiliated with the law firm of Thurm & Heller, LLP the last two years of which he was a partner. At Thurm & Heller, the bulk of Mr. Sokoloff's practice found him representing municipalities and municipal districts of every stripe, including school districts. He litigated and successfully tried large civil rights cases in federal court, such as LeBlanc-Sternberg v. Fletcher, 846 F.Supp. 294 (S.D.N.Y. 1994) and DLC v. Town Of Hyde Park (unreported). The Sternberg case, about which Mr. Sokoloff wrote a front-page analysis for the New York Law Journal on January 6, 1994, was a challenge by Orthodox Jews and the United States Department of Justice to the establishment of the Village of Airmont in Rockland County on the ground that the Village was formed in order to deny Orthodox Jews their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion and their rights under the Fair Housing Act. The DLC case was a challenge by a Landowner and developer to Hyde Park's rezoning of land for the alleged purpose of scuttling the proposed development of a Walmart shopping center across the street from the FDR home and library in Hyde Park. Both Sternberg and DLC lasted several years and took weeks to try successfully
At Thurm & Heller, Mr. Sokoloff scored a major victory in Ennis v. Board of Education of the Somers Central School District, 670 N-Y.S.2d 322 (2nd Dep't 1998), in which, on appeal he secured dismissal dismissal of a defamation claim brought by a former superintendent against the members of the Board of Education.
In addition, in Baluta v. Hicksville Union Free School District (E.D.N.Y.)(Docket No, CV-94-1871 CV-94-1871 (FB)), Mr. Sokoloff obtained pretrial dismissal of age discrimination, gender discrimination, and retaliation claims brought by a former teacher, who charged that the school district's salary structure was discriminatory.
Mr. Sokoloff also represented Rockland Community College In a lawsuit brought in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in which Plaintiff challenged the salary structure as violative of the Federal Equal Pay Act. That action was settled in advance of trial.
Position: Member
Born in Flushing, New York, November 3, 1960
Admitted to bar:
1987, New York and U.S. District CourtSouthern and Eastern Districts of New York
1984, U.S. District Court, Northern and Western Districts of New York.
Education:
Baruch College (B.A., summa cum laud, 1982)
Brooklyn Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1986)
REPORTED CASES:
Wojitas v. Village of Islandia
234 A.D.2ed 455, 651 N.Y.S.2d 262
(Table, Text in WESTLAW), Unpublished Disposition, 1996 WL 729758 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept., Dec. 16, 1996)
Town of East Hampton v. Omnibuild USA No. 1, Inc.
215 A.D.2d 746, 627 N.Y.S.2d 723 2d Dept. 1995
Scopelliti v. Town of New Castle
210 A.D.2d 308, 620 N.Y.S.2d 405 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept., Dec. 12, 1994)(NO. 93-01998)
Sattler v. City of New York Com'n on Human Rights
147 Misc.2d 189, 554 N.Y.S.2d 763 (N.Y. sup., Mar. 19, 1990)
Great Northern Ins. Co. v. Mount Vernon Fire Ins. Co.
170 F.3d 275 (2nd Cir. (N.Y.), Mar. 11, 1999)(NO. 97-7989)
DLC Management Corp. v. Town of Hyde Park
163 F.3d 124 (2nd Cir. (N.Y.), Dec. 15, 1998)
Baluta v. Hicksville Union Free School Dist.
2000 WL 335770 (E.D.N.Y., Mar. 15, 2000)
U.S. v. Village of Airmont
925 F.Supp. 160 (S.D.N.Y., Apr. 25, 1996)
Recipient:
American Jurisprudence Award in Trusts
Member:
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York
New York State Bar Associations
New York County Lawyers Association
Email:
bsokoloff@mirandasokoloff.com |
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| Steven Verveniotis |
Position: Member
Born in Pireaus, Greece, January 11, 1960
Admitted to bar:
1986, New York; U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
1996, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
Education:
New York University (B.A., 1982)
New York Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1986)
LANGUAGES: Greek.
REPORTED CASES:
The Dweck Law Firm LLP v. Cynthia Allen Mann, _A.D.2d_
727 N.Y.S.2d 58, 2001 N.Y. Slip Op 04546 (1st Dep't . 2001)
Haggerty v. Law Office of Carole A. Burns
282 A.D.2d 500, 728 N.Y.S.2d 374, 2001 WL 428709 (N.Y.A.D.2 Dep't .)
2001 N.Y. Slip Op. 03534 (2d Dep't . 2001)
Wolkstein v. Morgenstern
275 A.D.2d 635, 713 N.Y.S.2d 171, 2000 WL1358647 (1st Dep't . 2000)
Polovy v. Duncan
269 A.D.2. 111, 702 N.Y.S.2d 61 (1st Dep't . 2000)
Cepeda v. Trolman & Glaser, P.C.
259 A.D.2d 355, 687 N.Y.S.2d 67 (1st Dep't . 1999)
Hamond v. Marks Shron & Co.
249 A.D.2d 364, 671 N.Y.S.2d 106 (2d Dep't 1998)
Rodriguez v. Weprin, et. al.
116 F.3d (2d Cir. 1997); In re Mediators, Inc., 105 F.3d 822 (2d Cir. 1997)
Haggerty v. Law Office of Carole A. Burnes
244 A.D.2d 458, 665 N.Y.S.2d 913 (2d Dep't 1997)
appeal to Court of Appeals denied 92 N.Y.2d 802, 677 N.Y.S.2d 72 (1998)
Aglira v. Julien Schlesinger, et. al.
214 A.D.2d 178, 631 N.Y.S.2d 816 (1st Dep't 1995)
D'Orange v. Crudo & Crudo
877 F.Supp. 152 (S.D.N.Y. 1995).
Articles Editor:
Journal of International Comp.
New York Law School
Member:
New York State and American Bar Associations
PRACTICE AREAS:
Insurance Coverage Litigation
Professional Liability Defense
Civil Rights Law
Employment
General Litigation.
Email: sverveniotis@mirandasokoloff.com
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| Ondine C. Slone |
Position: Associate
Born in Manhasset, New York, April 14, 1964
Admitted to bar:
1989, New York
1991, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
1993, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
Education:
University of Michigan (B.A., 1986)
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University (J.D., 1989)
REPORTED CASES:
Scopelliti v Town of New Castle
210 A.D.2d 308, 620 N.Y.S.2d 405 (2d Dep't 1994)
Ziaika v. Pace Plumbing Corp.
254 A.D.2d 480, 679 N.Y.S.2d 631 (2d Dep't 1998)
Whiteman v. Ternimah
255 A.D.2d 378, 679 N.Y.S.2d 708 (2d Dep't 1998)
Editor:
Moot Court Board. Winner
Moot Court Competition
PRACTICE AREAS:
Municipal Liability Litigation
Police Liability
Employment Discrimination
Conversion of Property
Torts
Email:
oslone@mirandasokoloff.com |
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| Bruce Robert Calderon |
Position: Associate
Born in Huntington, New York, December 5, 1970
Admitted to bar:
1998, New York, New Jersey and U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Education:
State University of New York at Albany (B.A., 1993)
Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center (J.D., cum laude, 1997)
REPORTED CASES:
Friedlander et al. v. Roberts et al.
2000 WL 1471566 (S.D.N.Y.) (Francis, MJ)
Bryant v. City of New York, N.Y.L.J.
Nov. 6, 2000 at 26 (N.Y. Cty. Sup. Ct.) (Freidman, J).
Recipient:
CALI Excellence for the Future Awards
Pre-Trial Litigation and Criminal Law II
Corpus Juris Secundum Award
Criminal Law I. Professional
Articles Editor:
Touro International Law Review, 1996-1997.
Member:
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York; New York State Trial Lawyers Association.
PRACTICE AREAS:
Municipal Liability
Insurance Defense
Employment Litigation
Civil Rights
Personal Injury
Email:
bcalderon@mirandasokoloff.com |
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| Meredith L. Bernstein |
Position: Associate
Born in Queens, New York, June 19, 1970
Admitted to bar:
1995, Connecticut
1996, New York
1997, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
Education:
State University of New York at Binghamton (B.A., 1992)
New York Law School (J.D., 1995)
REPORTED CASES:
Kapsalis v. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America
276 AD 2d, 595, 714 NYS 2d 902 (2nd Dept 2000)
PRACTICE AREAS:
Insurance Defense
Email:
mbernstein@mirandasokoloff.com
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| Mark R. Osherow |
Position: Of Counsel
Born in New York, N.Y., March 11, 1963
Admitted to bar:
1988, Connecticut
1989, New York
1990, New Jersey, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey and U.S. District Court, Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York
1994, Florida
1995, U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida
Education:
University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1985)
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University (J.D., 1988).
(Also practicing individually, Boca Raton, Florida).
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