We recently celebrated our second anniversary with the firm and are proud to tell you about our continued growth and success in 2026. 

 

We welcomed partner Matthew J. Mehnert to our team on a full-time basis. Matt has been with the firm for several years and brings over twenty years of experience in municipal litigation, non-profit matters, labor and employment matters, and in the private sector. Matt has helped round out our team and handles some of our most complex cases. 

 

Kirstin Schlecht and Christine Coleman also joined our team. Kirstin worked for our group as a summer intern a year ago and we are pleased to see her back on a full-time basis. She is a graduate of Touro Law School and served as an editor of the Touro Law Review. Christine is a graduate of Hofstra Law School and served as an editor of the Hofstra Labor and Employment Journal. We are thrilled to have both of them join us. 

 

Here are some successful outcomes we achieved in 2026 in the public and private sectors:

 

• We successfully represented a Westchester County school district with regard to a family seeking a preliminary injunction and exemption to state-mandated vaccination requirements. The family challenged the denial of a religious-based exemption and asserted a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The District Court and Second Circuit Court of Appeals found in our favor in denying the injunction. The family unsuccessfully sought review from the U.S. Supreme Court. Adam I. Kleinberg and John J. “Jack” Horn handled the matter at all stages including the submission made to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

• We successfully represented the County of Suffolk in a matter seeking review under Article 78 of the CPLR and challenging the termination of a municipal services contract. The court found that the petitioner could not assert the claim based on the record submitted to the court and assertion of a contract-based claim. Matt Mehnert represented the County from the inception of the matter. 

• We prevailed on a pre-answer motion to dismiss a negligence case against a Nassau County municipality. We were able to eliminate the costs of discovery by showing the Nassau County Supreme Court that the municipality did not own, operate, or repair the area at issue and that plaintiff's speculative allegations did not warrant discovery. Connor Mulry and Samantha Wade prepared the successful motion.

• We obtained a complete dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a bus company against a Nassau County school district alleging unpaid contract amounts. The Nassau County Supreme Court agreed that plaintiff's claims were procedurally barred and rejected the detrimental reliance theory offered by plaintiff. Adam I. Kleinberg and Devin Reilly successfully represented the District. 

• We obtained a complete dismissal of a NYS Division of Human Rights complaint brought against our Ulster County school client asserting sex and pregnancy discrimination. The case was dismissed following the submission of a comprehensive position statement on our client's behalf. Connor Mulry handled the matter from its inception.

• We obtained a voluntary dismissal of a federal lawsuit brought in the Eastern District of New York against a Suffolk County school administrator. Plaintiff withdrew the action rather than attempt to fend off our summary judgment motion. Adam I. Kleinberg and Jack Horn represented the school administrator. 

• We obtained a complete dismissal of a complaint made against a Westchester County municipal official to the New York State Education Department. The Office of Professions dismissed the allegation of misconduct in its entirety. Adam I. Kleinberg and Samantha Wade represented the municipal official. 

• We prevailed before the Appellate Division, Second Department and secured the dismissal of an appeal filed by an unsuccessful applicant for a position with our Suffolk County municipal client. Connor Mulry argued the appeal. 

• We prevailed before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and obtained the dismissal of an appeal filed by a former Nassau County school administrator alleging various claims in connection with the termination of his employment. Adam I. Kleinberg represented the school district and its officials and board of education in the action.

• We obtained a dismissal of an NYS Division of Human Rights discrimination complaint against our Nassau County school client. We demonstrated that our client had nothing to do with the allegations at issue and obtained a complete dismissal. Adam Kleinberg and Samantha Wade successfully handled the matter. 

• We obtained a dismissal of a petition to the New York State Education Department seeking the removal of a board of education trustee of a Nassau County school district. Adam I. Kleinberg and David Berris successfully fended off the complaint. 

• We successfully prosecuted disciplinary charges against municipal employees for misconduct and incompetence. Following the hearings, our recommended disciplinary penalties were imposed on the employees and successful outcomes and resolutions were achieved. 

• We obtained a voluntary dismissal against our construction client who was named in a personal injury case but did not own or operate the property at issue. 

• We successfully tendered a property damage claim to a contractor's insurer and obtained a voluntary discontinuance of the action against our client. 

• We resolved wage and hour investigations and litigation against private sector clients in the hospitality and construction industries. 

• We worked with our private clients on risk management, insurance coverage, policies, and human resources issues all to try to avoid them becoming featured bullet points in future updates.

• We joined a group of insurance professionals and attorneys to present a lecture on the topic of “Lawsuits Triggered by Changing Views on Remote Work & Industry Shifts” before insurance professionals and defense attorneys. 

We continue to serve our public and private sector clients in all types of litigation and corporate counseling. These include Constitutional claims, land use disputes, labor and employment matters, and various other types of claims brought before federal courts, state courts, arbitrators, and administrative agencies. 

 

Please do not hesitate to contact our team of Adam I. Kleinberg, Matthew J. Mehnert, John Bradley, Connor Mulry, David Berris, Samantha Wade, Jack Horn, Kirstin Schlecht, Christine Coleman, and Megan Zagorski with any questions or concerns.