| Biographies |
| Alan J. Schwartz, Principal / Attorney |
|
Mr. Schwartz, Mr. Schwartz, a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Hofstra University with High Honors in English and a graduate of the St. John’s University School of Law, is admitted to practice before all Courts of the State of New York, the United States District Courts of the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York State, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Lawyers Association of Nassau County, Inc. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Nassau County Bar Association, the Board of Directors of the Accountant Attorney Networking Group [AANG] and as President, as a Member and Ambassador of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Long Island [JCRC-LI], served as a Member of the FEGS [Federation Employment & Guidance Service] Long Island Partner Advisory Council, and serves as Executive Vice-President of the Nassau County Police Reserves, Inc., as well as on the Board of Directors of AAPLE [American Academy For Professional Law Enforcement], serves on the Board of Directors of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors of the Melville Chamber of Commerce and as Vice-President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 69, as a member of the Advisory Council of the Art League of Long Island as well as on the Committee of the Long Island Fight for Charity Mr. Schwartz has served as a member of the Long Island Association and its Small Business Council, is licensed as a Real Estate Broker in the State of New York and serves on the Advisory Board of the First American Title Insurance Company of New York. Mr. Schwartz’s professional affiliations include the Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations, the Former Assistant District Attorneys Association [FADAA], the Law Firm Managing Partners Group, the Criminal Courts Bar Association of Nassau County, the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, the Long Island Business Resource Association [LIBRA], the Professional Roundtable, Gotham City Networking [Long Island Legal Group], the Tucker Group, the Melville Chamber of Commerce and the Long Island Business Associates [LIBA] and, in the past, have included the Long Island Association [LIA] and its Small Business Council, the American Judges Association, the Network of Allied Professionals, Inc. [NAPI] [to which the Firm served as counsel], Leadpro, the Nassau Lawyers’ Association of Long Island, Network Partners of Garden City, the Garden City Business Club, the Lawyer’s Round Table, the Round Table Networking Group, the Attorney Roundtable, Network Associates of Long Island [NALI] and Co-Chaired the Gotham Suffolk Networking Group.Mr. Schwartz was recently the recipient of the Melville Chamber of Commerce 2017 Weisbrod Award For Community Service in recognition of the charitable contributions and philanthropic endeavors he provides to the community they serve. Mr. Schwartz was a 2011 recipient of 50 Or So Around 50 Award in recognition of outstanding achievements, leadership & contributions to Long Island by Long Island Business News, and he has served as a member of the Long Island Association and its Small Business Council, is licensed as a Real Estate Broker in the State of New York and served on the Advisory Board of the First American Title Insurance Company of New York, and was named one of the Best Lawyers on Long Island in the “Best of Long Island 2014” Mr. Schwartz offers his experience to other attorneys as a mentor, in the "Of Counsel Mentor Program" of the Nassau County Bar Association, and currently serves as a member of its Criminal Court Law and Procedure, Real Property Law, District Court, General/Solo/Small Firm Practice and Technology and Practice Management Committees, having previously served on its General Practice, Plaintiff's Round Table, Professional Ethics (and the Executive Sub-Committee thereof), Community Relations and Public Education’s Senior Citizens Forum Sub-Committee, Corporation Law and Law Practice Management Committees. He also currently serves as a member of the Criminal Law, District Court, Real Property and Solo & Small Firm Practitioners Committees of the Suffolk County Bar Association, having previously served on its Law Office Management, Banking, Commercial and Corporate Law Committees. In the five years he spent as an Assistant District Attorney in Nassau County, Mr. Schwartz practiced in the District Court Trial Bureau, the Grand Jury Bureau and the County Court Trial Bureau. He was also a member of the specialized Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorney's Office, and served as a member of a select Criminal Justice Task Force with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, studying and providing recommendations concerning Systems Improvements for Enhanced Community Safety in the State of New York. Mr. Schwartz serves as the New York Representative of the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network, LLC.Mr. Schwartz resides on Long Island with his wife. In their leisure time, the Schwartz family spends their summers enjoying golf, bicycling and boating, and are former members of the Huntington Yacht Club. Mr. Schwartz plays golf regularly, and is member at the Hamlet Golf & Country Club. Mr. Schwartz is an avid car enthusiast and motorcyclist, served as a member of the Long Island Corvette Owners Association (to which the Firm served as counsel) and a charter member of Long Island Vettes. Mr. Schwartz is also a member of the American Motorcyclist Association and the Harley Owners Group, and served as a member, Road Captain, Activities Director and Assistant Director of the Long Island Chapter, as well as a member of the Woodstock Chapter. The Schwartz family spend their winters skiing at Windham Mountain, where Mr. Schwartz was a founding member of the Ski Windham Commerce Club, and his son actively competed for years as a member of the Windham Mountain Alpine Racing Team, later racing as a captain of the Brandeis Ski Team and the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association. In his little “spare time”, Mr. Schwartz is an active supporter
of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Arthritis Foundation.
|
| Scott E. Migden, Associate |
|
SCOTT E. MIGDEN, Associate, a graduate of The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. While at Hofstra, he was a member of the Hofstra Trial Advocacy Association and competed in seven interscholastic trial advocacy competitions across the country. He was a staff editor on the Family Court Review, and had his Note published in April of 2017. In addition to previously interning for our office, he interned with the Hofstra University School of Law Criminal Justice Clinic and the Legal Aid Society, Bronx Criminal Trial Office. Mr. Migden is admitted to practice before all Courts of the State of New York, the United States District Courts of the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York State. Top |
| Randy L. Braun, Of Counsel |
|
RANDY L. BRAUN, a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Pace University [where he was elected to the prestigious Alpha Chi National Academic Honor Society] and a graduate of the Fordham University School of Law [where he won appointment as a member of the Moot Court Board], is admitted to practice before all Courts of the State of New York, the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Braun became a partner in a New York City firm in 1996, and opened his own practice in 2004, after which he became of counsel to the Law Offices of Alan J. Schwartz. Mr. Braun has represented employers and individuals in the areas of labor, employment, discrimination, human resource, prevailing wage and construction law matters. His philosophy is one of creativity and pragmatism as he consistently strives to achieve the best possible result for the client, and to make the client's experience in working with an attorney a positive one. |
| Beth Polner Abrahams, Of Counsel |
|
For over 22 years, Beth Polner Abrahams has provided quality legal representation to seniors and the disabled, as well as customized estate planning to meet the personal needs of families, their children and other loved ones. Ms. Polner Abrahams is a member of the New York State, Nassau and Suffolk Bar Associations and has lectured for the N.Y.S. Bar Association. She is past chairperson and a current member of Senior Umbrella Network of Nassau (SUNN), an association of business professionals and advocates involved with seniors, and a member of the Suffolk and Queens County SUNs. She is also co-chair of the Nassau County Bar Association Elder Law, Social Services and Health Advocacy Committee. Ms. Polner Abrahams is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Ms. Polner Abrahams has published articles on planning for the
disabled and supplemental needs trusts, guardianship proceedings and
estate and elder law planning for dignified aging. |
| Frank J. Livoti, Of Counsel |
|
FRANK LIVOTI, of Counsel, was admitted to practice in 1979 in New York State, as well as the Eastern and Southern District Federal Courts of New York. Mr. Livoti is a former Queens County ADA. His practice consists of civil work as well as trials and appeals with emphasis on commercial litigation. Top |
| Bonnie S. Halbridge, Of Counsel |
|
BONNIE S. HALBRIDGE is a graduate of Hofstra University and Hofstra Law School is admitted to practice in the State of New York. From 1986 to 1991, she worked in State Farm's suit unit where she gained extensive experience in the evaluation and negotiation of bodily injury cases, and rose to became the attorney of record and managing attorney for State Farm. From 1991-1993, she worked for an insurance defense firm. From 1996 on, she has been practicing exclusively in the area of Plaintiff's personal injury representing people who have been injured in automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, construction accidents, and cases involving wrongful death. Top |
| Mark I. Plaine, Of Counsel |
|
MARK I. PLAINE has been practicing matrimonial law for 25 years, and regularly appears before courts in New York City and Long Island. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Queens County Bar Association, New York County Lawyer's Association and Nassau County Bar Association (and is a committee member for the matrimonial and/or family law sections for each of these organizations). He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as amongst the top matrimonial lawyers in the New York Metro region. He has conducted numerous trials, hearings and appeals in the field of divorce litigation over financial and custodial matters. Top |
| Joshua R. Katz, Of Counsel |
|
JOSHUA R. KATZ regularly appears before matrimonial courts in New York City and Long Island. He has been practicing matrimonial and family law in New York State for 20 years, handling complex matrimonial cases and trials. Mr. Katz is an active a member of the Queens County Bar Association Family Law section, and of the New York State Bar Association. He was appointed by the Appellate Division-Second Department to the Queens County Attorneys for Children/Assigned Counsel Trial and Appellate Panels. Top |
|
| |
| Riva Gaft Schwartz, Office Manager |
|
Riva Gaft Schwartz serves as the Firm’s Office Manager, IT
Manager and is also trained as a paralegal specializing in
residential real estate transactions, representing sellers,
purchasers and lenders. Ms. Schwartz brings a marketing and
financial management background to the Law Offices of Alan J.
Schwartz, having retired as Vice President/General Manager of
Robertson-Shipmate, Inc., an international marine electronics
conglomerate. During that time, she was responsible for all phases
of operation with particular concentration in marketing, and managed
three locations in the United States and was a member of the Board
of Directors. Ms Schwartz has also lectured internationally and
published numerous articles a variety of trade publications.
Subsequently, Ms. Schwartz was extremely active with the Half Hollow
Hills PTA and REACH/CYA, having coordinated parenting programs for
the Half Hollow Hills School District, lobbied legislators on behalf
of the district. Ms. Schwartz also serves as Park Steward for the
Otsego Park in Dix Hills. Ms. Schwartz attended Syracuse University
and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra University in
February, 1975. |
| Brianna DeMilia |
|
BRIANNA DEMILIA joins our offices as a Legal Assistant, with a Bachelor’s of Science in Legal Studies and Criminal Justice from Grand Valley State University. She comes to us as a recent college graduate with one year of legal intern experience in criminal defense, in Michigan.
Top |
| Emily Serrano |
|
EMILY SERRANO joins our offices as a legal assistant with a Bachelor's of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Psychology from Hofstra University. She comes to us as a recent college graduate with intern experience at a tax firm and participation in the New York State Mock Trial Tournament.
|