Catherine Grantier Cooley

Catherine regularly defends fiduciaries of health and welfare benefit plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), including plan sponsors, administrators and third-party administrators, against claims brought by plan participants, either individually or as a class action.  She also represents securities firms, investment advisors, broker-dealers and brokers in Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitrations and litigations, including class actions in both federal and state courts, and in proceedings before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  Catherine has also represented parties in contested Surrogate’s Court matters and Article 81 proceedings, and is regularly appointed by the Surrogate’s Court as a Guardian ad Litem. 

Catherine is a member of the board of arbitrators of FINRA, where she hears and decides issues relating to customer and intra-company disputes.  She has also mediated customer disputes involving investment advisors, broker-dealers, and brokers. Catherine also sits on the New York Surrogate Decision-Making Committee as an attorney panel member, where she hears and decides issues relating to consent for major medical procedures for incapacitated individuals.  Catherine is a former adjunct professor at the University at Buffalo School of Law, where she taught a course on New York civil practice. 

• Listed, Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation) 2024

• New York State Bar Association: Commercial and Federal Litigation Section
• Bar Association of Erie County

• New York State Surrogate Decision-Making Committee, attorney panel member

• Qualified Guardian ad Litem

• Former Chair, Board of Trustees, Executive Committee and Governance Committee for Villa Maria College

• Former Adjunct Professor (court title “Problems in New York Practice”):  University at Buffalo School of Law