Six Members Appointed to the Land Use & Sustainable Development Law Advisory Board
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Six Members Appointed to the Land Use & Sustainable Development Law Advisory Board
October 17, 2013Touro Law Center is pleased to announce that six members have joined the newly formed Land Use & Sustainable Development Law Advisory Board including: the Honorable Merik Aaron ’92, Nassau County Family Court; Daniel Baker ’92 and John Farrell ’00 of Sahn Ward Coschignano & Baker, PLLC; Keith Brown ’94 of Brown & Altman, LLP; Pamela Greene ’98, Attorney at Law; and student representative Michael Spinelli, class of 2017.
“This advisory board is comprised of leading land use attorneys on Long Island and we are fortunate to have their support and interest,” stated Dean Salkin. “I am confident that their guidance will ensure the growth and development of this Institute.”
The Honorable Merik Aaron ’92 is a family court judge in Nassau County Courts. He stated, “Having been a prosecutor for the Town of Hempstead, Village Attorney for the Village of Hewlett Harbor, and private attorney dealing with land use issues, I look forward to working with the other members of the advisory board. I am pleased to be working with the board and Touro Law students to ensure that future lawyers will gain a practical and theoretical insight into land use and zoning issues.”
Dan Baker commented, “As practicing land use attorneys throughout the myriad of Long Island municipalities, and as Touro Law Center alumni, John and I are excited to be a part of the new Institute and look forward to contributing to its mission of providing a better understanding of land use law to Touro Law’s students and alumni, as well as, the overall Long Island community.”
Daniel J. Baker ’92 is a member and partner of the firm Sahn Ward Coschignano & Baker, PLLC. His practice concentrates in the areas of real estate transactions, zoning and land use planning, corporate law and transactions, tax certiorari and condemnation/property valuation, civil litigation and criminal defense.
John Farrell ’00 is an associate with the firm Sahn Ward Coschignano & Baker, PLLC who concentrates his practice in the areas of zoning and land use planning, municipal and environmental law and litigation. He currently serves as vice chairman of the Town of Babylon Zoning Board of Appeals.
Keith Brown ’94 is a founding partner of Brown & Altman, LLP. His practice concentrates on corporate representation in a wide range of real estate matters, from complex commercial disputes to issues related to zoning and land use regulations. He counsels many corporations on liability avoidance, real estate development, and compliance with federal and state environmental laws, regulations and litigation.
Mr. Brown stated, “As a Touro Law alum, I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with my law school on this project and serve on the Land Use Institute Advisory Council. There is a great need for a clearinghouse of information on zoning and land use policies on Long Island, such as this, that deeply effect our lives and our economy. This project will serve as a platform to help us understand the issues that face our communities and improve the sustainability of the Island as a whole. I am truly honored.”
Pamela Greene ’98 has her own practice focusing in the areas of real estate and zoning and land use. She is the former Islip Town Councilwoman, and most recently was the Director of the Suffolk County Real Estate Office.
Michael Spinelli is a first year student in the five-year part-time program at Touro Law. He is also a Registered Architect and a founding partner of the Surety Consulting and Construction Management firm of Cashin Spinelli & Ferretti, LLC, the President of Nassau Suffolk Engineering & Architecture, PLLC, the Past-President of the Long Island Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and the Past Vice-President of Government Affairs for the New York State Association of Architects. Mr. Spinelli currently serves as a Member of the Town of Oyster Bay Planning Advisory Board, the Town of Oyster Bay Landmark Preservation Commission, and the Facilities and Real Estate Committee for the Diocese of Rockville Center.
Mr. Spinelli commented, “I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Institute. I hope that my prior experience as an architect and planner, together with my new experience as a student at the Touro Law Center, will result in a synergy that helps serve the Institute.”
The newly launched institute at Touro Law Center, headed by Professor Sarah Adams-Schoen, will offer practical land use and sustainability resources that are unique to Long Island. A number of research projects are underway to provide practical land use and sustainability resources to Long Island lawyers, planners, developers, and government officials, as well as the wider community. The Institute has received generous funding from well-known Long Island developer Frank Castagna of Castagna Realty, and from the CAMBR Foundation, a long-time supporter of the Law Center.
“This advisory board is comprised of leading land use attorneys on Long Island and we are fortunate to have their support and interest,” stated Dean Salkin. “I am confident that their guidance will ensure the growth and development of this Institute.”
The Honorable Merik Aaron ’92 is a family court judge in Nassau County Courts. He stated, “Having been a prosecutor for the Town of Hempstead, Village Attorney for the Village of Hewlett Harbor, and private attorney dealing with land use issues, I look forward to working with the other members of the advisory board. I am pleased to be working with the board and Touro Law students to ensure that future lawyers will gain a practical and theoretical insight into land use and zoning issues.”
Dan Baker commented, “As practicing land use attorneys throughout the myriad of Long Island municipalities, and as Touro Law Center alumni, John and I are excited to be a part of the new Institute and look forward to contributing to its mission of providing a better understanding of land use law to Touro Law’s students and alumni, as well as, the overall Long Island community.”
Daniel J. Baker ’92 is a member and partner of the firm Sahn Ward Coschignano & Baker, PLLC. His practice concentrates in the areas of real estate transactions, zoning and land use planning, corporate law and transactions, tax certiorari and condemnation/property valuation, civil litigation and criminal defense.
John Farrell ’00 is an associate with the firm Sahn Ward Coschignano & Baker, PLLC who concentrates his practice in the areas of zoning and land use planning, municipal and environmental law and litigation. He currently serves as vice chairman of the Town of Babylon Zoning Board of Appeals.
Keith Brown ’94 is a founding partner of Brown & Altman, LLP. His practice concentrates on corporate representation in a wide range of real estate matters, from complex commercial disputes to issues related to zoning and land use regulations. He counsels many corporations on liability avoidance, real estate development, and compliance with federal and state environmental laws, regulations and litigation.
Mr. Brown stated, “As a Touro Law alum, I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with my law school on this project and serve on the Land Use Institute Advisory Council. There is a great need for a clearinghouse of information on zoning and land use policies on Long Island, such as this, that deeply effect our lives and our economy. This project will serve as a platform to help us understand the issues that face our communities and improve the sustainability of the Island as a whole. I am truly honored.”
Pamela Greene ’98 has her own practice focusing in the areas of real estate and zoning and land use. She is the former Islip Town Councilwoman, and most recently was the Director of the Suffolk County Real Estate Office.
Michael Spinelli is a first year student in the five-year part-time program at Touro Law. He is also a Registered Architect and a founding partner of the Surety Consulting and Construction Management firm of Cashin Spinelli & Ferretti, LLC, the President of Nassau Suffolk Engineering & Architecture, PLLC, the Past-President of the Long Island Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and the Past Vice-President of Government Affairs for the New York State Association of Architects. Mr. Spinelli currently serves as a Member of the Town of Oyster Bay Planning Advisory Board, the Town of Oyster Bay Landmark Preservation Commission, and the Facilities and Real Estate Committee for the Diocese of Rockville Center.
Mr. Spinelli commented, “I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Institute. I hope that my prior experience as an architect and planner, together with my new experience as a student at the Touro Law Center, will result in a synergy that helps serve the Institute.”
The newly launched institute at Touro Law Center, headed by Professor Sarah Adams-Schoen, will offer practical land use and sustainability resources that are unique to Long Island. A number of research projects are underway to provide practical land use and sustainability resources to Long Island lawyers, planners, developers, and government officials, as well as the wider community. The Institute has received generous funding from well-known Long Island developer Frank Castagna of Castagna Realty, and from the CAMBR Foundation, a long-time supporter of the Law Center.
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