ATTORNEYS:

DAVID S. SHAW:
Partner
Cornell University, B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations; Albany Law School of Union University, J.D.; Mr. Shaw is a Past President of the New York State Association of School Attorneys, Inc.  He serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the State University of New York at New Paltz, instructing in School Law, School Finance Law and Labor Relations for Administrators.  For the past 35 years he has represented more than 50 Hudson Valley region school districts as General Counsel and Labor Relations Counsel.  He also represents several Hudson Valley region municipalities as Labor Relations Counsel.  He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, including Charter Member of Labor Law Section, New York State Association of School Attorneys, Inc., New York State Advocates for Labor and Hudson Valley Industrial Relations Research Association.  He is a past-President and Director, and currently a member of the New York State Association of School Attorneys.  He lectures for the New York State School Boards Association, Labor Law Section of New York State Bar Association, New York State Association of School Business Officials, New York State Association of Management Advocates for School Affairs (MASLA), Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association and Mid-Hudson School Study Council.

MARGO L. MAY:
Partner
Vassar College, A.B.; Albany Law School of Union University, J.D.;  She served as a Senior Associate Counsel and Program Coordinator to the Speaker of the New York State Assembly for more than 11 years, in the areas of public and private sector labor law, local governments, governmental operations and consumer affairs.  She has provided general counsel services, municipal finance services (TAN's, RAN's, SIB's, BAN's), real property services and real property tax related services for school districts for the past 25 years.  She is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Municipal Law Section, the New York State Association of School Attorneys and National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys.  She lectures for the New York State School Boards Association, New York State Association of Business Officials in the District Clerk strand, the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association and the Mid-Hudson School Study Council.

MICHAEL K. LAMBERT:
Partner
State University of New York at Plattsburgh, B.A.; Western New England Law School, J.D.; Pace University, L.L.M. in Environmental Law; After serving in the Marine Corps, he practiced for five years in the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office in the General Trial Bureau, then served as House Counsel to the Wappingers Central School District for five years, representing the school district in all aspects of general counsel and labor relations services, including special education impartial hearings, negotiations, arbitrations, PERB proceedings, Section 3020-a Education Law proceedings, Section 75 Civil Service Law proceedings, Section 3214 Education Law student disciplinary proceedings and litigation.  For the past 14 years, he has been a member of Shaw, Perelson, May & Lambert, during which time he has continued his extensive involvment in all aspects of public school district representation.  He is a Director of the New York State Association of School Attorneys, and a member of the New York State Bar Association and the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys.  He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve.  He is a frequent lecturer for the New York State School Boards Association, New York State Council of School Superintendents and National Business Institute.

MARC E. SHARFF:  
Partner
Clark University, B.A.; Pace University M.A. in Educational Administration & Supervision, Permanent New York State certification as School Administrator and Supervisor; Pace University School of Law, J.D.; Mr. Sharff represents school districts as general counsel, labor relations, all aspects of litigation, including tax certiorari proceedings, special education impartial hearings, administrative proceedings, §3020-a Education Law hearings, §75 Civil Service Law hearings, grievances and appeals to the Commissioner.  He is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association; Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association; New York State Bar Association; New York State Association of School Attorneys, Inc.; Westchester County Bar Association; White Plains Bar Association; Former Elected Member and Vice-President, White Plains Board of Education.  He lectures for the New York State School Boards Association and the New York State Bar Association.

LISA S. RUSK:
Partner
Ursinus College, B.A.; Albany Law School of Union University, J.D.  She has more than 17 years of experience providing general counsel services.  She specializes in representing school districts in special education impartial hearings and appeals to the State Review Officer, special education federal litigations, Section 3214 Education Law student disciplinary proceedings, appeals to the Commissioner of Education and discrimination claims before the U. S. Office for Civil Rights and State Division of Human Rights.  She has also served as chief negotiations spokesperson for non-instructional units.  She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and New York State Association of School Attorneys and National Boards Association.  She lectures for the New York State School Boards Association on special education and general counsel issues.

BETH L. SIMS: 
Partner
Cornell University, B.S. Fordham University School of Law, J.D.  Mrs. Sims has over ten years of experience providing general counsel services to school districts.  Mrs. Sims represents school district clients in federal and State litigation matters, special education matters, including impartial hearings and appeals to the State Review Officer, negotiations, labor arbitrations, Education Law Section 3020-a proceedings, Section 75 Civil Service law proceedings, PINS proceedings, State Division of Human Rights/EEOC proceedings, Section 3214 student discipline hearings and appeals before the Commissioner of Education. She serves as Director of the New York State Association of School Attorneys and is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Dutchess County Bar Association, New York State School Boards Association, the National School Boards Association and lectures for the New York State School Boards Association.

STEVEN M. LATINO:
Partner
State University of New York at New Paltz, B.A.; New England School of Law, J.D.  Mr. Latino has sixteen years of experience representing public and private sector employers in labor and employment matters and is a past President and current Advisory Board Member of the New York City Chapter of the Industrial Relations Research Association.  He regularly advises clients in many aspects of the employment relationship, including employee termination and discrimination, sexual harassment, labor relations, and compliance with federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws. Mr. Latino represents school districts in New York State Education Law 3020-a disciplinary proceedings, and New York State Civil Service Law, Section 75 disciplinary proceedings. He advises school districts regarding compliance with the New York State Civil Service Law and local personnel rules. Mr. Latino has extensive experience defending employers in actions brought pursuant to federal and state discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the New York State Human Rights Law.  He regularly defends employers in labor arbitration matters, matters before the New York State Division of Human Rights, Westchester County Commission on Human Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, New York State Public Employment Relations Board, and the New York State Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board.

GARRETT L. SILVEIRA:
Senior Associate
Skidmore College, B.A., Case Western Reserve University Law School, J.D. Mr. Silveira has more than 25 years of experience providing general counsel services to school districts, with emphasis in special education representation, and  student discipline.  Mr. Silveira is frequently requested to give presentations to administrators, teachers and support staff on legal issues. 

JULIE M. SHAW:
Senior Associate
Cornell University, B.S.; Brooklyn Law School, J.D.  Ms. Shaw worked for the Mayor's Office of Labor Relations of the City of New York until September of 2008, where she defended New York City Agencies at arbitration, in representation and improper practice proceedings before the New York City Office of Collective Bargaining.  She specializes in representing school districts and municipalities in labor arbitration proceedings, negotiations, and improper practice proceedings, employee discipline matters and unemployment insurance proceedings.  Ms. Shaw is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section and Young Lawyers' Section, as well as the New York State Association of School Attorneys and the New York State Association of Management Advocates for School Labor Affairs.  She lectures for the New York State Association of School Business Officials in the District Clerk strand and the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association.

MARK C. RUSHFIELD:
Of Counsel
State University of New York at Stony Brook, B.A.; New York University School of Law, J.D.  Mr. Rushfield has been actively engaged in the practice of law in both the private and public sectors for over 30 years.  Mr. Rushfield's expertise extends to all facets of public and private sector labor relations and employment issues, as well as to addressing the myriad constitutional and statutory issues faced by public entities.  Mr. Rushfield has extensive experience in proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, the New York Public Employment Relations Board, the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission, the New York State Division of Human Rights and grievance and interest arbitrators.  Mr. Rushfield's practice is heavily involved in representing public-sector entities and other litigants in the litigation of federal and state court actions involving discrimination claims under Title VI, VII and IX of the Civil Rights Act and other federal anti-discrimination laws (e.g., the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act), claims under the New York Human Rights Law, claims of deprivation of constitutional rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, claims under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act and proceedings under Article 78 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules.  Mr. Rushfield also represents clients in construction litigation, employment litigation and other litigation in the federal and state courts on behalf of the firm.