Jeff is the Environmental Practice Leader and focuses his practice on business and environmental litigation. He has experience in a wide range of civil litigation matters, including federal and state court litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. Jeff represents large and small companies, as well as individuals, in shareholder, accounting, health care, software and complex contract matters. Jeff also represents clients in various environmental matters, including litigation under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); Clean Water Act; Clean Air Act; and New York’s Navigation Law. He also represents clients in PRP groups, advises clients on various environmental compliance matters including waste management and landfills, and regularly interacts with state and federal agencies. Jeff successfully worked with the U.S. attorney to obtain a several-million-dollar settlement for the government and his clients in False Claims Act (qui tam) litigation. Jeff also serves as local counsel for out-of-town clients, and has extensive experience representing clients in mediations and arbitrations, including before the American Arbitration Association under both the Commercial Rules and the International Rules. Jeff has also served as a mediator and successfully resolved lawsuits pending in state and federal courts.
Jeff is a member of Hodgson Russ's board of directors.
Jeff exclusively practices U.S. law and is admitted to practice in New York.
Services
Clerkships
- Senior U.S. District Judge John T. Curtin, 1997-99
Education
Harvard College, B.A., cum laude
University at Buffalo, M.B.A., with high honors
University at Buffalo School of Law, J.D., cum laude
Admissions
- New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
Representative Work
Recognitions
- Listed, Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation) 2014 - 2025
- Listed, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, (Environment) 2020 - 2024
- Listed, Upstate New York Super Lawyers (Environmental Litigation) 2012 - 2024
- Buffalo Business First/Buffalo Law Journal's Legal Elite of Western New York, 2014
- Buffalo Business First's 40 Under 40 Award
- Laidlaw Law Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Commercial Law
- Former executive editor and associate editor, Buffalo Law Review
News & Insights
Civic
- Past President, UB Law Alumni Association
- Regional Director, Harvard Alumni Association
- Vice President, Harvard Club of WNY
- Founding Member, Hull House Foundation
- Board of Directors, The Buffalo History Museum
In addition to serving on the firm’s Board of Directors, Jeff is the President of the University at Buffalo Law Alumni Association. He also currently serves as the Regional Director for Upstate New York and Western Pennsylvania for the Harvard Alumni Association.
Jeff also currently serves as vice president of the Harvard Club of Western New York, for which he previously served as president for five years; is a member of the club's board of directors; interviews applicants seeking club membership; and formerly served as chairperson of the club's Schools Committee.
Previously, Jeff was one of the five founding trustees and was the secretary of the Hull House Foundation. The Hull House is a historic stone residence and landmark built in Lancaster, New York circa 1810 that survived the devastation of the War of 1812. Jeff was instrumental in obtaining nonprofit status for the foundation, and worked in other ways to get the project off of the ground.
Jeff also founded and was the head coach of the Grand Island Royals travel baseball team, and served as a manager for various youth hockey teams for the Niagara Junior Purple Eagles (where he was also a Board member for several years) and the Buffalo Bisons.
He is also former secretary and a former member of the board of trustees of the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier, now called Preservation Buffalo Niagara.
Professional
- New York State Bar Association
- Bar Association of Erie County Federal Practice and Environmental Law Committees
- Chair, Environmental Law Committee 2013-2016
- Ontario Bar Association
