Town Attorney

The Town Attorney’s Office represents the municipal corporation known as the Town of Orangetown (“Town”) and counsels the Town on all official matters of a civil nature involving the Town, which precludes the Office from giving advice or opinions to private citizens.
The Town Attorney is a Public Officer appointed by the Town Board of the Town of Orangetown, who is appointed for a two-year term. Pursuant to Section 20 of the Town Law of the State of New York, the Town of Orangetown may appoint Deputies in the Office of the Town Attorney and fix the salaries therefore. The terms of such Deputy Town Attorneys shall be indefinite, and the appointees thereto serve at the pleasure of the Town Board.
The Office of the Town Attorney acts as attorney for, represents, counsels and advises the Town Board, and all other Town boards and commissions, and also Town officers and officials functioning in their official Town capacity on legal matters.
In the Town of Orangetown, there are seven attorneys: one Town Attorney, one First Deputy Town Attorney, and five Deputy Town Attorneys, all of whom provide services to the Town on a part-time basis. The attorneys are each assigned to represent and counsel particular Boards, Commissions, Town Departments and Bureaus with respect to legal matters. The Town Attorney and First Deputy Town Attorney provide legal counsel the Supervisor and the Town Board.
Some of the legal services provided by the Town Attorney’s Office include:
· Initiate lawsuits on behalf of the Town and defend the Town against lawsuits in all levels of court – state, federal and local;
· Prosecute violations of Town laws on behalf of Town Departments;
· Prepare local laws and amendments to the Town Code;
· Defend the Town in tax certiorari and SCAR proceedings;
· Negotiate, prepare and review all legal documents for the Town of Orangetown, including, but not limited to, Town Board Resolutions, inter-municipal agreements, contracts leases, deeds and easements;
· Negotiate labor agreements with the unions representing Town employees; and
· Review personnel matters and personnel contracts, and prosecute disciplinary proceedings against employees.
John S. Edwards, Esq. Town Attorney

Years in Office: February 10, 2004 - present
Education: Union University, Albany Law School, J.D. 1978; State University, College at Oneonta, B.A. 1974
Organizations and Associations: New York State Bar Association; Rockland County Bar Association Board of Directors
Admitted to Practice Before: State of New York, 1979; United States District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts, 1979; United States Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit; United States Supreme Court
Additional Information: Partner, Tracy & Edwards, New City, NY 1989 - Present; Village Attorney, Village of West Haverstraw, 1994 - Present; Executive Assistant and Senior Assistant District Attorney, 1980 -1987.

Deputy Town Attorneys:

Teresa M. Kenny, Esq., First Deputy Town Attorney
Years in Office & Term: September 1996 - February 2004, Deputy Town Attorney; February 2004 -January 2008, Town Attorney; January 2008 - present, First Deputy Town Attorney
Education: St. John's University School of Law, J.D., 1990; Iona College, B.A., 1987
Organizations and Associations: Rockland County Bar Association; Rockland County Woman's Bar Association; Rockland Road Runners
Admitted to Practice Before: State of New York; State of New Jersey; United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Additional Information: Private Practice, Nanuet, New York; September 1990 - August 1996, Staff Counsel, Consolidated Edison Co. of New York
 
Dennis D. Michaels, Esq.
Years in Office: 1996 - present
Education: St. John's University School of Law, J.D. 1991; State University of New York at Stony Brook, B.S. and B.A., 1988
Organizations and Associations: New York State Bar Association; American Bar Association
Admitted to Practice Before: State of New York, State of New Jersey, United States District Court for the Southern and Northern Districts of New York, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Additional Information: Deputy Village Attorney, Village of Piermont; private practice in Nyack, New York
 
Robert V. Magrino, Esq.
Years in Office: March 1, 2004 - Present
Education: Siena College, B.S. Finance 1988, Pace University School of Law, J.D. 1992
Organizations and Associations:
Admitted to Practice Before: State of New York; State of New Jersey; United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Additional Information: Private practice in New City, New York, 2002 - present; Law Office of Vincent Crisci, New York, New York, 2000 - 2002; Supervising and Senior Assistant District Attorney, Rockland County, 1993 -2000
 
Denise A. Sullivan, Esq.
Years in Office: April 1, 2001 to February 29, 2004; April 29, 2008 - present
Education: Widener University, J.D. 1996; State University of New York at Binghamton, B.A., 1988
Admitted to Practice Before: State of New York
Organizations and Associations: New York State Bar Association; American Bar Association; Rockland County Bar Association; Rockland County Women's Bar Association; American Association for Justice (formerly the American Trial Lawyers' Association
Additional Information: Associate, O'Connell & Riley, Esqs., Pearl River, New York
 
Barbara L. Gionta, Esq.
Years in Office: June 5, 2007
Education: Pace University, J.D., 1994; St. John's University, 1990
Organizations and Associations: New York State Bar Association; Rockland County Bar Association; Rockland County Women's Bar Association
Admitted to Practice Before: State of New York; State of New Jersey; United States District Court of New Jersey
Additional Information: Private Practice, New City, NY; Former Rockland County Court Judge, 2006; Assistant Public Defender, 2000 - 2006; Senior Assistant District Attorney, Rockland County, 1995 -1998
 
Richard S. Pakola, Esq.
Years in Office: May 6, 2008 - Present
Education: George Washington University School of Law, LL.M. (Environmental Law), 2004; Fordham University School of Law, J.D., 1994; University of Pennsylvania, B.A., 1989
Organizations & Associations: New York State Bar Association, Rockland County Bar Association
Admitted to Practice Before: States of New York and Pennsylvania, United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
Additional Information: Associate, Gribetz & Loewenberg, PLLC, New City, NY, 2007 - present. Attorney, United States Air Force; stationed in California, Japan and Washington, D. C. Areas of practice; prosecution of criminal cases, criminal defense, international law and environmental law