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All the latest firm news and industry updates from Whiteman Osterman & Hanna.
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Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP, the Capital Region’s largest law firm, has announced that John M. Czajka has joined the firm as partner and John F. Wirenius has joined as of counsel.Czajka, who spent the last 15 years in New York State government service, most recently serving as General Counsel to the New York State Police, will join the Litigation and Government Relations practice groups. Wirenius is the immediate past Chair of the New York State Public Employment Relations Board and [...]
Read More ›WHITEMAN OSTERMAN & HANNA LLP ANNOUNCES NEW OF COUNSEL
- Category: Featured Firm News Litigation and Appeals
Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP, the Capital Region’s largest law firm, has announced that Peter R. Bryce has joined the firm as Of Counsel in the firm’s Litigation and Appeals Practice Group. In his new role, Mr. Bryce will represent clients in matters concerning securities law, federal investigations, and general commercial litigation. Prior to joining Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, Mr. Bryce maintained a solo practice working with major law firms, tech startups, and [...]
Read More ›Booze by Mail? Hochul Legalizes Direct-to-Consumer Shipping for Most New York Producers
- Posted By: Alexandra Becker
- Category: Featured
Governor Hochul continues to take action to prioritize the New York craft beverage industry. She recently signed legislation allowing NY-based producers of mead (a fermented beverage made with honey, water and yeast, often called “Honey Wine”), cider, and spirits to ship directly to consumers within and outside of New York State. This new legislation, along with the recent enactment of to-go alcohol sales, is another legalization by Governor Hochul of temporary measures which [...]
Read More ›Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna is proud to have 19 lawyers recognized in the 2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. The firm also has one partner awarded the Best Lawyer® 2025 Elder Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Albany, and one senior counsel awarded the Best Lawyer® 2025 Environmental Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Albany. Only one lawyer in a specific practice area and geographical region is honored with a [...]
Read More ›Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP, the Capital Region’s largest law firm, has announced that Catherine A. Graziose has joined the firm as an associate in the Education Practice Group. In her new role, Graziose will be responsible for counseling primary and higher education clients in matters relating to Titles IV and IX of the Higher Education Act, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act, conducting policy review, and assisting clients to comply with state and federal regulatory [...]
Read More ›Why Employee Handbooks Are Crucial for Craft Brewers (and Other Small Businesses)
- Category: Articles Alcoholic Beverages
As a craft brewer, your focus is on making the best beer possible. However, being a craft brewer means you are also a small business owner, which means that you also have to focus on managing a successful business. As your brewery grows, it will inevitably lead to hiring employees. Being an employer can be incredibly rewarding, as the right employees can become valuable assets to your business.However, becoming an employer can also be scary at times because having employees [...]
Read More ›With immigration matters figuring so prominently in the news, one might wonder, how did we get here? Many of us might think that things were always difficult, that legal entry always involved a formalized process, and that our own ancestors surely did things “the right way” after the formation of the sovereign United States of America.There were no bars to U.S. immigration until 1875, when the first exclusionary law barred convicts and prostitutes from entry. In the decades that [...]
Read More ›USCIS Issues New “Notice to Appear” Policy, With Significant Impacts on Applicants for Immigration Benefits
- Category: Articles Immigration
On July 5, 2018, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) published new guidance regarding its procedures and policies for issuing Notices to Appear (NTA). An NTA is a charging document that is issued to foreign nationals, placing them in removal proceedings and directing them to appear before an immigration judge. The Department of Homeland Security has long relied upon its enforcement arm, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to handle the issuance of NTAs in most cases. [...]
Read More ›USCIS Updates Procedures on Issuance of Requests for Evidence and Notices of Intent to Deny
- Category: Articles Immigration
On July 13, 2018, USCIS issued a policy memorandum, providing guidance to adjudicators regarding the discretion to deny an application, petition, or other benefit request without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) if required evidence is not submitted with the initial petition/application package, or if the evidence in the record does not establish eligibility for the benefit sought. This guidance is effective September 11, 2018.This policy memo [...]
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