Gerald N. Jacobowitz, Senior Partner

Mr. Jacobowitz is the founder of Jacobowitz and Gubits, LLP. He has been village and town attorney for municipalities throughout the Hudson Valley. On behalf of private clients, he has helped bring to fruition numerous successful projects, including Rural Ridge subdivision, Harriman Business Park, Wind Ridge Village, Harriman Hills, Thruway Shopping Center, Walden View Apartments, and Millpond Condominium. He represented the first commercial use cooperative and first industrial use condominium in Orange County, and has represented clients in a myriad of applications and hearings before local, county, and state administrative boards.

Areas of Practice:
-Environmental/Land Use
-Administrative Law
-Banking & Finance Law
-Business and Commercial Law
-Estate Planning
-Municipal Law
-Probate and Estate Administration
-Real Estate Law/Construction Law

To contact the J&G law firm call 845-764-9656 today.

David B. Gubits, Of Counsel

Mr. Gubits is a partner and his primary practice has been devoted to real estate, banking, municipal and corporate law. He has a wealth of experience in the representation of local governments and municipal officials in Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, and Putnam counties since 1973 in municipal, bond counsel, land use and environmental matters. He is one of the only attorneys that can handle municipal financing.

Howard Protter, Partner

Mr. Protter is a partner and leads the firm's Business and Consumer Law practice areas, in addition to practicing municipal law, employment law and general litigation law.

Mr. Protter is a seasoned negotiator, having represented management in labor negotiations for many years. He brings those same skills to his commercial clients' benefit in dispute resolution and deal making.

He has frequently been designated as a court appointed receiver and has handled some of the larger receiverships in the Valley.

Howard has been actively involved in land preservation in the Hudson Valley throughout his legal career, working with property owners and land trusts to preserve farmland and significant habitat in Communities throughout Orange County.

J. Benjamin Gailey, Partner

Mr. Gailey is in charge of the firm's Property-Government Practice Group. He also represents private clients in zoning, land use and environmental permitting and litigation. This area of his practice includes all local, state and federal government permits and approvals, environmental compliance and due diligence, condemnation law, clean water act, constitutional law, and state and federal court litigation.

He has developed a Library Law practice, and represents numerous libraries in the Hudson Valley in all aspects of building construction projects and employment law.

John C. Cappello, Partner

Mr. Cappello is a partner with the firm and his primary areas of practice have been land use and municipal law since 1988. Mr. Cappello has represented private developers in multi-phase and large-scale commercial, residential, educational and mixed-use land use applications. He has also served as attorney for planning boards and zoning boards of appeals throughout Orange and Ulster counties. John is the lead partner in Jacobowitz and Gubits' "Green Team," which focuses on advising a wide array of clients (municipalities, developers, manufacturers and businesses both small and large) on the opportunities available in this emerging field of law. Mr. Cappello has presented programs in the Hudson Valley focused on steps local governments can take to encourage "green development" and create "green jobs." John has also made a number of presentations on zoning and land use issues throughout the state, focusing on providing workforce housing, encouraging transportation orientated development, overcoming obstacles in the land use approval process, and the impacts of the Landmaster v. Town of Montgomery Appellate Court exclusionary zoning decision successfully litigated by Jacobowitz and Gubits on land use practice in New York State.

George W. Lithco, Partner

Mr. Lithco represents private clients before municipal planning and zoning boards of appeal, as well as state and county regulatory agencies. He has also served as counsel to municipal planning boards and zoning boards of appeal in communities represented by the firm.

Michele L. Babcock, Managing Partner

Michele has served as the Managing Partner since 2015. She primarily practices Municipal, Land Use and Environmental Law and has represented local governments and private applicants in zoning, land use and environmental permitting and in litigation.

Michele received the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award by the Women's Bar Association of Orange and Sullivan Counties and the Orange County Rising Star Award in 2009. She was recognized as one of Sullivan County's Business and Professional Women of the Year in 2017 and was inducted into the Leadership Orange Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2019, Michele received the Distinguished Attorney Award from the Women's Bar Association of Orange and Sullivan Counties and was recognized as an Outstanding Women in Law by Hofstra University which recognizes and celebrates women who have made meaningful and inspiring contributions to the legal community.

Marcia A. Jacobowitz, Partner

As Partner her practice includes commercial and residential real estate, business, land use development and municipal law.

As the result of her prior business interests owning real estate investment, development and management companies she has gained extensive legal experience with complex residential and commercial real estate transactions and land use development.

A niche area of law Marcia has focused on is equine law. Marcia has developed an equine law practice honed by regular attendance at the National Equine Law Conference in Lexington, Kentucky. Her practice has included representation of many area clients in establishing equine farms from the original purchase of the facility to the creation of profitable boarding and training facilities. Additionally, she handles issues related to limiting equine liability, stallion breeding, disputes over sire breeding funds, sale and purchase agreements, entity formation, boarding contracts, establishing and enforcing liens, among other issues.

Gary M. Schuster, Partner

Mr. Schusters' practice focuses on formation, transactions and counseling for corporations, LLCs, partnerships and nonprofits; purchases and sales of businesses; commercial and residential real estate transactions and leasing; franchising; estate planning, administration and litigation; guardianship proceedings; and media, copyright and trademark.

Gary has assisted in the formation, purchase and sale of all kinds of businesses including medical and veterinary practices, printers and publishers, tech companies, franchises, restaurants, bus companies, liquor stores and beer distributors, gas stations, hair salons, tattoo parlors, and a theater, funeral home, bicycle store, and more.

Kara J. Cavallo, Partner

Kara J. Cavallo is a partner concentrating in civil litigation and appellate practice.

Kara published her Note, while serving on the Arizona Law Review, and has lectured on various topics at seminars and continuing legal education presentations, including on the topics of appellate practice, real property taxation and assessment, not-for-profit governance and compliance, and sexual harassment prevention training.

Kelly A. Pressler, Partner

Kelly A. Pressler focuses her practice on general civil litigation and complex commercial litigation, including contract litigation, municipal litigation and probate litigation.

Ms. Pressler is the recipient of the 2016 Outstanding New Lawyer Award, as presented by the Women's Bar Association of Orange and Sullivan Counties, and was named a 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 Upstate New York Rising Star by Super Lawyers.

William E. Duquette, Jr., Senior Counsel

Bill Duquette is a Partner with the firm. His primary practice is devoted to real estate, condominium/HOA, tax certiorari, and banking. His real estate experience varies from representing purchasers and sellers of raw land and single family homes to a commercial transaction with a value over $200 million. Representation includes drafting and negotiating lease and purchase and sale contracts, reviewing title reports, surveys, and due diligence inspection reports, clearing title objections and advising clients regarding potential legal issues disclosed by various due diligence inspections and the title report. He has also drafted and negotiated conservation easements with local municipalities and with Scenic Hudson.

He assists in evaluating and negotiating real property assessment reductions (tax certiorari) and consulting regarding real property related litigation.

Bill supervises title clearance and the closings of loans closings for various lenders. This includes reviewing title reports, advising regarding the potential legal issues disclosed therein, and working with title companies to resolve the issues.

Robert M. Lefland, Senior Counsel

Mr. Lefland began practicing in New York City litigating personal injury and property damage cases.

Mr. Lefland handles a variety of litigation and works to do what is best for each client, whether it is settlement or trial.

Mr. Lefland has been involved in all aspects of personal injury litigation from the initial intake and evaluation of a potential claim through pre-trial discovery. Once discovery is complete, he has conducted settlement negotiations with the recognition that most cases resolve before trial. He has, however, when necessary taken the matter to trial presenting the best case possible to the jury. If the result is not satisfactory, he has written appeals to the higher courts and has orally argued two appeals in the highest court in New York State.

Litigation Percentage--50% of Practice Devoted to Litigation; 50% of Practice Devoted to Personal Injury.

Recent Win--Robert Lefland was able to assist one of our clients after she sustained serious injuries in a car accident. With the personal injury team in the firm, we were able to obtain the full insurance policy available to compensate her for her injuries. Ask Robert about his recent successes including $500,000 slip and fall; $175,000 breach of contract; $120,000 wrongful death; and more.

Michael Wagner, Senior Counsel

Michael Wagner focuses his practice in Elder Law and Estate Planning. He strives for a transparent approach that values each client and keeps them well-informed. He enjoys getting to know clients and their families and helping them design the most effective plans. Michael concentrates in planning for estate taxes, Medicaid divestiture, and estate administration. He has spent his entire legal career practicing elder law and estate planning, designing hundreds of trust-based plans for clients with varying objectives and net worth.

Martin Butcher, Senior Counsel

Martin S. Butcher is Senior Counsel concentrating in matrimonial and family law including divorce and child custody. He is detail oriented and focuses on the information required to receive a fair and equitable resolution for his clients, whether through settlement or trial.

Marissa G. Weiss, Associate

Marissa G. Weiss has been licensed for 3 years and is an associate attorney practicing municipal law, land use law, and environmental law, along with Cannabis and Hemp Law.

Prior to joining the firm of Jacobowitz and Gubits, Marissa worked for Whitbeck, Benedict, & Smith, LLP in Hudson, New York as a land use and litigation associate. She also worked as a legal intern at both Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic in White Plains, New York and Harris Beach, PLLC, also in White Plains, New York.

AREAS OF PRACTICE
-25% Municipal
-25% Land Use
-25% Environmental
-25% Cannabis and Hemp Law

Samuel D. Bergsohn, Associate

Samuel C. Bergsohn, licensed for 7 years, is an Associate Attorney practicing land use law, municipal law, and civil litigation. Prior to joining the firm of Jacobowitz and Gubits, Samuel worked as an Associate Attorney at Rogers, Habas, & Eisen, P.C., in Orangeburg, New York where he was responsible for handling commercial, construction and civil litigation, foreclosure matters, real estate transactions, commercial collections.

Larry Wolinsky, Of Counsel

He practices principally in the areas of land use, environmental, municipal and real estate law. Larry has helped to implement some of the HudsonValley's most notable development projects and is well known for his expertise in stewarding complex, multi-use developments through the permits and entitlements process. He is also well known for his experience in environmental compliance and particularly compliance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQRA").

Donald G. Nichol, Of Counsel

Don Nichol was a partner experienced in all aspects of local government, having practiced as general counsel and special counsel on behalf, or before, numerous boards and agencies of federal, state, and local government. He now serves in an of counsel capacity.

Don's primary practice has been devoted to municipal law, environmental, and land use issues since 1982, providing legal expertise the many varying fields of local government practice, including zoning and planning; public works construction, wastewater, public water supply, infrastructure, and MS4 issues; procurement and bidding; environmental review (SEQRA) and permitting; labor relations, elections, and governmental ethics.

Don is also skilled in religious land use and property law. He had incorporated, and provided organizational advice to, numerous churches and other religious organizations.