Business Attorney

Business law is divided into two broad categories: transactional and litigation.  I handle transactions (planning for problems before they arise), but the majority of my experience has been in litigation (dealing with problems after they happen).  These two areas work together well, and I've found that the litigation experience is extremely helpful in transactional work.

What I offer clients is quality work, professional service, and personal attention.  There are two extremes among business attorneys, and I fall somewhere in the middle.  On the one end, there are firms that churn out boilerplate work quickly and efficiently, but may have a limited capacity to go beyond that.  For example, actually lawyering a case does not fit into some firms' business models, and they have trouble reacting when there are legitimate (or even arguable) defenses to their clients claims in a litigation context, or where a transaction develops in a way that does not quite fit their pre-drafted documents.  On the other end of the spectrum are firms that over-lawyer every case, and spend unfathomable amounts of their clients' time and money on nonsense.  For example, I've seen numerous instances where firms will take very simple things and make them unnecessarily complicated, or have multiple attorneys and staff spend considerable time with multiple conferences and meetings to schedule tasks that can be completed by a single attorney in only a few minutes.

I'm in the middle of these extremes.  I try to handle things as efficiently as possible, with an eye towards always moving forward towards the clients' goals, and at the same time I address each matter as a lawyer (not merely a paper-pusher).  I focus on execution -- getting things done, rather than just talking about getting things done -- but at the same time give each issue the time and attention that is required to ensure that things are done properly.  

Constitutional Case Covered by Smithtown News

One of my cases was reported on in the Smithtown News last week:

"A Smithtown lawyer has taken on a pro bono case to help defend a Port Jefferson Station resident in his effort to fight an alleged red light camera violation, with evidence that the yellow interval at that intersection was malfunctioning at the time of the alleged violation.... Mr. Kreppein will argue that Mr. Buttaro was deprived of due process of law and should have been permitted to present a defense at the hearing rather than being told he had to wait for a later appeal hearing. 'In this case, Appellant was not permitted to present a defense. Appellant was, essentially, taken into a room and told that he was guilty, no matter what, with no opportunity to present evidence, cross-examine a witness, or even have the merits of his defense considered by the Court.'"

(Read More: "Smithtown lawyer challenges red-light-camera ticket," by Corey Adwar, The Smithtown News, 9/14/2012).

Smithtown News - Due Process and Red Light Cameras

 Smithtown News, 9/14/2012 -- Smithtown lawyer challenges red-light-camera ticket," by Corey Adwar

Judge Humor

Sometimes, judges will incorporate a tongue-in-cheek remarks into a decision, or make other attempts at humor.  Sometimes, these attempts are even successful.

I just came across a random unpublished Order from Judge Kaplan in the Southern District.  The Order, in its entirety, reads:

ORDER, The action is dismissed on the grounds that the complt. is delusional and that pltff failed to comply with an order of this Court...SO ORDERED...