Special Masters Ceremony Program Booklet - March 2022

New York County
Special Masters Program

Oath

Ceremony

Program

Tuesday,
March 22, 2022
5:30pm - 6:30pm

Rotunda at
Supreme Court,
New York County
(60 Centre Street)

New York County
Special Masters Program

Remarks

Hon. Troy K. Webber
Associate Justice, Appellate Division, First Department &
Co-Chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Hon. Richard Rivera
Supervising Judge, Albany County Family Court &
Co-Chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Vincent T. Chang
President of the New York County Lawyers Association

Hon. Adam Silvera
Administrative Judge, Supreme Court,

New York County (Civil)

Keynote Address
Hon. George Silver, Ret.
Fmr. Deputy Chief Administrative Judge (NYC)

Administration of the Oath
Hon. Deborah Kaplan

Deputy Chief Administrative Judge (NYC)

New York County Special Masters Program

Hon. Troy K. Webber
Associate Justice, Appellate Division,
First Department & Co-Chair of the
Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Hon. Troy K. Webber is a graduate of New York
University School of Law. She has served as Assistant
District Attorney in New York County; senior associate
at medium-sized law firm; Deputy Bureau Chief at New
York City Corporation Counsel; and Law Assistant to a
State Supreme Court Justice.

Justice Webber was elected to the Civil Court,
countywide in November 1993. She was thereafter
elected to Supreme Court from New York County in
November 2002 and assigned to Bronx Supreme Court,
Criminal Division. Appointed Acting Surrogate New
York County in January 2009. In February 2016, Justice
Webber was appointed to the Appellate Division First
Department.

Justice Webber is an adjunct professor at Monroe
College.

She is a member of the Metropolitan Black Bar
Association, the Association of Woman Judges, The
Judicial Friends, the New York County Lawyers
Association as well as serves as Co-Chair of the Franklin
H. Williams Judicial Commission.

She serves on the New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics, the Advisory Committee on Criminal Law and
Procedure and the National Courts and Sciences Institute Covid 19 Initiative. She also serves on the Alumni Board of
Directors for New York University School of Law.

Justice Webber mentors students who attend NYU Law School, the City University of New York, John Jay College of
Criminal Justice as well as Fordham University School of law.

She has also participated in the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Program which encourages Bronx middle and high school
students to pursue a legal career, as well as the moot court programs sponsored by New York University School of Law
and New York Law School.

New York County Special Masters Program

Hon. Richard Rivera

Supervising Family Court Judge, 3rd J.D. &

Co-Chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Honorable Richard Rivera, Acting Supreme Court Justice,
3rd J.D., Supervising Family Court Judge, 3rd J.D. Judge
Rivera is a graduate of Colgate University and Albany Law
School. His legal career began as an associate counsel for
the Law Office of Gaspar M. Castillo, Esq., where he
represented litigants in local, city and town courts,
handling criminal matters, traffic violations and appeals.
It wasn’t until he became staff counsel for the Albany Law
School Family Violence Clinic that his career in Family
Court began. As staff counsel, Judge Rivera represented
victims of domestic violence with all matters pertaining to
orders of protection, custody, and support. Judge Rivera
also served as an Attorney for Children in both Albany and
Rensselaer counties; Assistant Conflict Defender
representing litigants in family and criminal courts;
Assistant County Attorney, prosecuting Juvenile
Delinquents and PINS and as a Support Magistrate.

In November 2014, Jude Rivera was elected to a 10-year
term in Albany County Family Court, becoming the first
Person of Color elected to a Countywide Bench and the
first Latino elected to any Bench in the entire Third
Judicial District.

On February 27, 2017, Judge Rivera was appointed to preside over the newly created Domestic Violence Part at the Albany
County Family Court. Judge Rivera also presides over the Albany County Youth Part since its creation in 2018 pursuant to
the Raise the Age legislation.

On January 1, 2019, Judge Rivera was designated Acting Supreme Court Justice for the 3rd Judicial District and was named
as the first Supervising Judge for Domestic Violence Courts and Mentor Courts in the District. In 2019, Judge Rivera was also
appointed to the Board of Advisors of the National Consortium on Racial & Ethnic Fairness in the Courts. Effective January
1, 2022, Judge Rivera was appointed Supervising Family Court Judge to the 3rd Judicial District becoming the first person of
color to hold that position.

On February 22, 2022, NYS Chief Judge Janet DiFiore appointed Judge Rivera, Co-Chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial
Commission, established to develop programs to improve the perception of fairness within the Court system and to ensure
equal justice in New York State.

Judge Rivera is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Albany County Bar Association, the Capital District Black
and Hispanic Bar Association, the Puerto Rican Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Latino Judges
Association, the Judicial Friends, and the New York State Family Court Judges Association.

New York County Special Masters Program

Vincent T. Chang

President of the New York County

Lawyers Association (NYCLA)

Vincent T. Chang is a Partner at Wollmuth Maher &
Deutsch, specializing in complex litigation in bankruptcy,
mortgage securitizations, bondholder litigation, antitrust,
and securities. Mr. Chang is a graduate of Harvard
College, magna cum laude, and Harvard Law School, cum
laude. Mr. Chang clerked for the Hon. Robert B.
Krupansky, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth
Circuit, and was an associate and then counsel at Davis
Polk & Wardwell. Mr. Chang is a past President of the
Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”).
He is the President of the New York County Lawyers
Association (“NYCLA”) and serves on its Executive
Committee, Nominating Committee, and Board of
Directors. Mr. Chang co-chaired NYCLA’s Federal Court
Committee and served as NYCLA’s Treasurer, Vice
President, and President Elect. Mr. Chang has served as
the President of the Asian American Bar Association of
New York (“AABANY”). He also serves on the House of
Delegates of the New York State Bar Association and
serves on its Nominating Committee. He serves on the
Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary of the
American Bar Association and has served as Vice Chair of
two committees of the Antitrust Section of the American
Bar Association. Mr. Chang is Vice President of the Asian
American Law Fund of New York and has served on the
Board of Directors of the South Asian Bar Association of
New York. Mr. Chang served on the Board of Directors of
Legal Services NYC. Mr. Chang served on the Judiciary
Committee of the New York City Bar Association and is a
recipient of its Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award.
Mr. Chang is an adviser on the Second Circuit Judicial
Council Committee on Civic Education & Public
Engagement.

Mr. Chang was a member of the Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Department and a member of the New
York Continuing Legal Education Board. Mr. Chang is listed as a “Super Lawyer” in business litigation in New York.

New York County Special Masters Program

Hon. Adam Silvera

Administrative Judge, New York Supreme Court,

New York County (Civil Term)

Justice Silvera earned his undergraduate degree at
Queens College - CUNY in 1994 and his law degree at
Brooklyn Law School in 2001. Justice Silvera was elected
to the Civil Court in 2013, appointed an Acting Supreme
Court Justice in 2017 and was elected to the Supreme
Court in 2017. From 2002 to 2013, Justice Silvera was a
Senior Associate at the law firm of Paul B. Weitz &
Associates (formerly known as Weitz, Kleinick and
Weitz). Since 2014 Justice Silvera has presided in Kings
County Family Court, Kings County Civil Court, New
York County Civil Court, New York County Family Court,
and the Motor Vehicle Part in New York State Supreme
Court, New York County. Currently, Justice Silvera is
assigned to Part 13 as the New York City Asbestos
Litigation Coordinating Judge as well as the
Administrative Coordinating Part, Part 40, for Judicial
Mediation and Trial Assignment. Justice Silvera was
appointed to the Appellate Term in October 2021 and
has been serving on the panels since. In January 2022,
Justice Silvera became the Administrative Judge – Civil
Term of the New York State Supreme Courts in New
York County.

New York County Special Masters Program

Hon. George Silver (Ret.)
Fmr. Deputy Chief Administrative Judge, New York City

Justice Silver is a native Bronxite attending public schools from
elementary school until his graduation from Christopher
Columbus High School. After graduation, Justice Silver attended
New York University where he was conferred a M.S. in Accounting
and Management. He attended Hofstra University School of Law
where he was conferred a J.D. in 1983. Justice Silver was also
conferred a M.B.A. in Finance from New York University Stern
Graduate School of Business in 1992. At the time, he was also
working full time as in-house counsel for five private bus
companies. Thereafter, he joined Fields & Rosen, a firm
specializing in maritime law, commercial and real estate matters
and personal injury actions, in addition to handling matters for
the bus companies. After several years, Justice Silver became an
equity partner in the firm whose name was changed to Fields,
Silver & Santo, L.L.P. and ultimately Silver & Santo, L.L.P.

In 2004, Justice Silver was elected to the Civil Court of the City of
New York being initially assigned to Civil Court, Kings County until
he was re-assigned in April 2009 to Family Court, Bronx County
where he presided over juvenile delinquency matters.

In January 2010, Judge Silver was appointed a Supreme Court Judge

by designation and assigned to Supreme Court, New York County

where he presided over the approximately two thousand motor

vehicle cases pending in New York County. From April 2011 until

Credit: Rob Abruzzese October 5, 2015, Justice Silver presided over the Trial Assignment
Part in Supreme Court, New York County.

In 2012, Justice Silver was also asked to handle potential early settlement of Medical Malpractice Cases as part of a specialized grant

program. In 2012, Justice Silver was elected to the Supreme Court of the State of New York. In October 2015 Justice Silver was asked to

preside over a newly created Mediation Part called J-Med, in addition to his other assignments-the Medical Malpractice Early

Settlement Part and an IAS Part handling general matters. In 2016, Justice Silver was assigned a limited Matrimonial caseload.

As of July 2017, Justice Silver was appointed by Chief Judge DiFiore to the position of Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for New York
City Courts. He is responsible for the handling of the day-to-day court operations for the Trial Courts in New York City. In addition,
Justice Silver served as the interim Administrative Judge for New York County until December 2017. Thereafter, in addition to his role as
the Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for New York City Courts, he served as the interim Administrative Judge for Bronx County from
January 2018 until December 2018, and the interim Administrative Judge for Queens County from September 2019 until June 2020. As of
August 2019, Justice Silver was appointed by Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks to serve as the presiding judge for all
pretrial proceedings in connection with cases filed under the Child Victim’s Act in New York City. In his role as presiding judge for the
litigation, Judge Silver supervises all aspects of Child Victim’s Act cases, including applications for anonymity and dismissal as well as
constitutional challenges to the validity of the statute. On September 30, 2021, Justice Silver retired from the bench to pursue
opportunities in the private sector.

Justice Silver is involved in many community-based and Bar Associations including the NAACP and the Jewish Lawyers Guild. He is
currently co-chair of the Ethics and Professional Committee of The Torts, Insurance Compensation Law Section of the New York State
Bar Association.

New York County Special Masters Program

Hon. Deborah A. Kaplan

Deputy Chief Administrative Judge, New York City

Deborah A. Kaplan was appointed Deputy Chief
Administrative Judge of the New York City Courts on October
1, 2021. Previously, she served as the Administrative Judge in
Supreme Court, New York County, Civil Term, one of the
busiest courts in the nation. In addition to her administrative
roles, Judge Kaplan hears matrimonial and many other civil
matters.

Judge Kaplan served as the interim Administrative Judge for
Civil and Criminal Matters in Richmond County from
September 2017 to January 2018. From 2015 to 2018, Judge
Kaplan was the Statewide Coordinating Judge for Family
Violence Cases. In this position, Judge Kaplan and her office,
the Office of the Statewide Coordinating Judge for Family
Violence Cases (OFVC), worked collaboratively with the state’s
administrative judges and judges and staff who handle
domestic violence and integrated domestic violence matters
statewide, refining practices and promoting better and more
consistent outcomes in matters involving family violence,
encouraging continuing innovation and increasing the
breadth and depth of support for these courts, including the
development and implementation of the Remote Order of
Protection Program. Under Judge Kaplan’s leadership, OFVC
also worked to improve how the court system addresses
issues impacting older adults and the growing number of
cases involving the state’s older population, including
allegations of elder abuse both in the civil and criminal
context.

Before ascending to the bench 20 years ago, Judge Kaplan held
the position of Chief Management Analyst & Project Counsel
to the Honorable Joseph J. Traficanti, Jr. (Ret.) when he was
Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for the State of New York
and Director of the Office of Court Treatment Programs.

Prior to that, Judge Kaplan was Principal Court Attorney to the Honorable Juanita Bing Newton, then Deputy Chief Administrative Judge
for Justice Initiatives. Before joining the court system, Judge Kaplan was an attorney at the Legal Aid Society where she was awarded the
Orison S. Marden Award for her outstanding work.

Judge Kaplan currently co-chairs the New York State Justice Task Force, chairs of the New York State Judicial Committee on Elder Justice,
and co-chairs the New York County Supreme Court Gender Fairness Committee. Judge Kaplan served as co-chair of the New York Hague
Convention and Domestic Violence Bench Guide Consulting Committee. In addition, she was named to the NYC Mayor’s Domestic Violence
Task Force and the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)/Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) Domestic
Violence Initiative where she served as chair of the Education and Training Subcommittee. She is a member of the NYS Courts’ Family
Violence Task Force, the NYS Courts’ Advisory Committee on Court Access for People with Disabilities and the Women in the Courts
Committee. She is a past president of WBASNY and recipient of WBASNY’S Marilyn Menge Award.

Judge Kaplan frequently lectures and presents on different subject areas including matrimonial law, elder justice and alternative dispute
resolution. She received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Albany and her law degree from St. John’s University School of Law.

New York County Special Masters Program

L. Austin D'Souza

Commissioner, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

& NYCLA Special Masters Coordinator

L. Austin D’Souza (he/him) has dedicated his entire career to
public service. He currently serves as the Principal Law Clerk to
the Honorable Faviola A. Soto at the New York Court of Claims, a
court of exclusive jurisdiction over claims against the State of
New York. As a law clerk, he has drafted hundreds of judicial
decisions, mediated numerous settlements, handled countless
conferences, assisted Judge Soto with bench trials in the Court of
Claim and jury trials in Bronx County, Supreme Court, and
mentored numerous law student interns. In June of 2018, Chief
Judge Janet DiFiore of the Court of Appeals appointed Mr.
D’Souza to the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission. The
Commission leads the judiciary’s effort to promote equal
participation and equal justice for persons of color in the court
system.

In 2021, as a Commissioner of the Williams Commission, Mr.
D’Souza spearheaded the relaunch of the New York County
Special Masters Program. The relaunched Program is a
partnership between the Williams Commission, the New York
County Lawyers Association, and the New York State Unified
Court System and focuses on creating a pipeline for attorneys of
color and other underrepresented communities to volunteer in
the Supreme Court, New York County (Civil Division) and inspire
them to become judges.

Mr. D’Souza began his legal career as an Assistant Corporation
Counsel with the New York City Law Department and rose to the
rank of Senior Counsel. As a lead trial attorney, he was
responsible for litigating some of the City’s most complex, high
exposure jury trials in New York County, Supreme Court.
Mr. D’Souza also served on the Committee on Diversity Recruitment and Retention where he helped recruit diverse lawyers from
underrepresented communities to the Law Department.

Mr. D’Souza is a leader of a number of bar associations. He currently serves as President of South Asian Bar Association of New York
(SABANY), where he leads a team of executive officers and oversees the day-to-day operations of the entire bar association. He also
serves as a Director on the Board of Directors of the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA), where, among other things, he
serves as a Committee Liaison to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues Committee. Mr. D’Souza is the chairperson of the
New York City Bar Association’s Disability Law Committee’s Law School Outreach subcommittee. Mr. D’Souza also is an active member of
the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), the Metropolitan Black Bar Association of New York (MBBA), and the New
York Women’s Bar Association (NYWBA).

Before law school, Mr. D’Souza worked for the Governor of Washington State and then as a public finance consultant in California. He
earned his law degree from New York Law School, where he served as an Executive Board member of the Moot Court Association. He also
earned a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University, where he
graduated cum laude and was elected by the faculty to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

New York County Special Masters Program

Participating Justices of New York Supreme
Court, New York County (Civil Term)

Hon. Suzanne Adams




Hon. David Cohen




Hon. Lyle E. Frank




Hon. Paul Allan Goetz




Hon. Judy H. Kim




Hon. Sabrina B. Kraus




Hon. Gerald Lebovits




Hon. W. Franc Perry




Hon. Dakota D. Ramseur




Hon. Verna L. Saunders




Hon. Leslie A. Stroth




Hon. J. Machelle Sweeting

New York County Special Masters Program

2022 Class of Special Masters

Judith C. Aarons, Esq.

Judith C. Aarons, Esq., is the owner and principal of Aarons Law Office PLLC, a full-service
real estate law firm based in New York City. Judith is an experienced attorney specializing in
landlord-tenant law, real estate litigation, and transactions. She has represented buyers
and sellers in house, cooperative, and condominium apartments closings. As a litigator, she
has represented landlords and tenants at all stages of Housing Court proceedings from
drafting petitions, negotiating settlements, writing motions, and conducting trials. She has
experience in State Supreme Court defending homeowners and investors facing foreclosure
and representing clients in breach of contract cases. She has represented clients in
Surrogates Court as a Guardian Ad Litem and written reports to the Surrogate. Judith
formed her law firm in 2012 after almost eight years as an Assistant District Attorney in
Kings County in the Trial and Appellate bureaus where she gained solid experience writing,
researching and filing Appellate Division briefs, answers to Federal habeas corpus petitions,
and state post-conviction motions.

From 2012 to 2019, Judith also acted as a per-diem hearing officer for the Office of
Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH), where she adjudicated Department of Buildings
and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene cases. During that same period, she also
acted as a per diem hearing officer adjudicating cases involving the public’s conduct on the
New York City transit system for the city’s Transit Adjudication Bureau (TAB).
In both positions, Judith heard testimony from the litigants and relevant third parties, examined and evaluated evidence, and wrote
decisions.

Judith is a member of the Kings County Housing Court Bar Association and the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association.

Alyson E. Bass, Esq.

Alyson E. Bass is in private practice in Suffolk County. Her firm focuses on Real Estate
Litigation and Complex Estate Administration and Probate. For over 15 years, Ms. Bass has
worked with clients on multi-layered matters that often span the jurisdiction of several
courts and administrative agencies while being heavily intertwined with transactional
complexities. In addition, Ms. Bass often takes the initiative to remain an active Pro Bono
Counselor assisting members of the community with uncontested divorces and
representation in housing court. For several years, Ms. Bass served the under-represented
Tenant population in Kings County where she operated a Tenant Center that focused on
eviction prevention, settlement of harassment claims and the resolution of living condition
disputes between Tenants and their Landlords.

Outside of her practice, Ms. Bass serves her community as an Executive Board member of the
Parent Teacher Associations of both her local High School and Elementary School. In addition,
she is a founding member and Secretary of Queens Realtists Association, a local Chapter of
National Association of Real Estate Brokers, which focuses on housing stability and
responsible homeownership for Black Americans. Ms. Bass is also a member of the Northeast
District of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc.
Ms. Bass is the 2022 President-Elect of Amistad Long Island Bar Association.
Having earned her Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, Ms. Bass attended St. John’s University School of Law. During Law School
Ms. Bass was an active member of the Student Bar Association, earned several CALI Awards of Excellence and had the honor to receive
the graduation award from the National Association of Women Lawyers for The Woman Graduate Most Likely to Change the Practice of
Law.

New York County Special Masters Program

2022 Class of Special Masters

Onya U. Brinson, Esq.

Onya Brinson, Esq. has been a labor and employment law attorney for the past eight years.
She conducted employment discrimination investigations for government agencies such as
the New York City Department of Education and New York City Housing Authority. Since
April 2018, Ms. Brinson has been an assistant general counsel in the District Council 37,
AFSCME, AFL-CIO Office of General Counsel where she specializes in the practice of labor law
in a department that represents over 160,000 members from 63 different locals. Ms. Brinson
has also published several articles published on many different topics involving
employment discrimination law. Ms. Brinson is also a member of the New York County
Lawyers’ Association and the New York City Bar Association.

Thomas F. Cathcart, Esq.

Thomas Cathcart has served the New York State Unified Court System and Guardian and
Fiduciary Services for over a decade. Serving as Court Evaluator, Attorney for the Alleged
Incapacitated, Supplemental Needs Trustee, Foreclosure Referee, and Court Examiner. Prior
to his current role as Assistant Director of Contracts in Forensic Psychiatry at New York
Health and Hospitals, Thomas served the City of Yonkers as Assistant Corporation Counsel.
In his role with the City of Yonkers, Thomas acted as lead contract attorney and trial
counsel in actions brought for or against the City in general and federal litigation,
employment discrimination matters, union arbitrations, contractual breaches, and complex
insurance and indemnification matters. Thomas is a graduate of Pace University School of
Law and received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Rutgers University.
Thomas is admitted to practice law in New York, Connecticut, Washington D.C, and the
Southern and Eastern District Courts.

New York County Special Masters Program

2022 Class of Special Masters

Christina Chelliah, Esq.

Christina Chelliah is a multi-lingual Dual-Qualified Attorney based in New York City. Her
current area of practice is in Mergers & Acquisition Litigation and Shareholder Derivative
Litigation for an award-winning practice headquartered in New York City. She was
previously engaged in various foreign attorney consultant stints with prestigious firms and
companies including Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Paul Hastings LLP, Mayer Brown
LLP, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and 3M, where she worked on white-collar investigations
pursuant to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) 1977, regulatory compliance, internal
and government investigations, and compliance matters. Christina also volunteered with
the New York Legal Assistance Group in 2018.

Prior to her arrival in the United States, Christina began her legal career as a corporate
transactional attorney in a leading law firm in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With a primary
focus in Mergers & Acquisitions, she spearheaded numerous domestic and cross-border
transactions spanning various industries, representing both foreign and domestic clients.
As a corporate attorney, she also maintained a company secretarial portfolio and engaged
in general advisory and pro bono matters. Throughout her years of legal practice in Kuala
Lumpur, she was also a part-time lecturer at Malaysia’s largest private law school.

In addition to her work as an attorney, Christina plays a dual role of Law Tutor and Tutor
Manager with the International Center for Legal Studies (ICLS) - the only recognized
teaching center for the University of London in the United States and Canada.
She is also currently pursuing the final leg of the Qualified Lawyer Transfer Scheme (QLTS) Examination for admission to the Roll of
Solicitors in England and Wales. Christina is a former Miss Malaysia and also serves as the Malaysian Ambassador to the University of
London.

Caroline L. Y. Chen, Esq.

Caroline Chen is a Supervising Attorney in the Housing Litigation practice at Mobilization for
Justice, Inc., where she supervises attorneys who represent tenants in affirmative and
defensive litigation before New York's housing and Supreme Courts. Ms. Chen herself has
engaged in every facet of housing rights litigation on behalf of individual and group tenants
from intake to discovery and trial, prevailed in a number of harassment HP trials and
engaged in successful affirmative and defensive appellate work. Prior to joining MFJ, Ms.
Chen was a Commercial Litigation Associate at a large international law firm where she
represented multinational corporations in complex commercial and construction matters
before New York’s federal and state courts. Ms. Chen commenced her career at the Office of
the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York, where she served as lead counsel on
hundreds of civil rights, commercial, real estate and construction matters, and where she
won three federal jury trials. Ms. Chen is a 2000 graduate of McGill University and a 2006
graduate of the Elizabeth Haub School of Law with specialization in Environmental Law. She
is fluent in Spanish, Mandarin and Taiwanese.

New York County Special Masters Program

2022 Class of Special Masters

Evette C. Ennis, Esq.

Evette C. Ennis is a senior attorney with extensive advisory and leadership experience in
highly complex organizations. She is a resourceful problem solver adept in anticipating
issues and proactively formulating effective solutions. She has a smart leadership style that
generates optimum productivity and performance from staff.

Ms. Ennis’ diverse career spans over twenty-five years with eighteen years as a practicing
attorney. Her career includes serving as principal of Ennis Law Group, P.C., where she
concentrated her law practice in the areas of family and matrimonial law, litigation, real
estate, wills and probate. During this period, Ms. Ennis also served as an Administrative Law
Judge under OATH (formerly Department of Environmental Protection) where she was
responsible for conducting hearings for a myriad of agency-based violations. She also has a
significant career with the City of New York where she gained knowledge of the Americans
with Disabilities Act and impacted the lives of individuals with disabilities.

Ms. Ennis earned her undergraduate degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and
her Juris Doctorate from the prestigious, New York Law School where she served as an
Articles Editor on the New York Law School Journal of Human Rights.

Ms. Ennis serves on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association and serves as Co-Chair of the Family Law Section of
the Metropolitan Black Bar Association. She is recently certified as a Part 146 mediator and as a Part 137 Fee Dispute Arbitrator.

Ms. Ennis is actively involved in her church, the Greater Allen AME of NY and serves her community through her respective roles on the
Board of Directors of a few non-profit organizations. She partners with many organizations aimed at being of service to others.

Jennifer Frankola-Crawford, Esq.

Jennifer Frankola Crawford is currently an arbitrator for the American Arbitration
Association as appointed by the NYS Department of Finance. Prior to her appointment,
Jennifer was an associate at the law firm of Lewis Johs Avallone Aviles, LLP. She is the past
president of the Brehon Law Society of New York where she served for 4 years. In 2016,
Jennifer co-founded an international human rights fellowship in honor of Brigadier General
James P. Cullen which allows the Brehons to send an American law student to Belfast,
Northern Ireland to work on post-conflict cross community human rights issues affecting
those impacted by The Troubles. Jennifer graduated with a BA from Manhattan College, a
MA in Education from NYU and a JD from CUNY Law School where she served on Law
Review. In law school, Jennifer received a fellowship to intern in South Africa where she
worked on business and economic development. Jennifer received an Americorps grant and
taught in the Bronx prior to attending law school. For nearly two decades, she has worked
with and counseled families with children with special needs. She lives with her family in
Manhattan.

New York County Special Masters Program

2022 Class of Special Masters

Jasmine James, Esq.

Jasmine A. James is an experienced insurance claims attorney with a demonstrated history
of working for the public interest. She is skilled in commercial lines coverage litigation,
employment practices liability, legal writing, trials, insurance law, compliance and
immigration. Ms. James began her legal career in the insurance industry managing
executive liability and employment practices liability for private corporations. During this
time, she also served her community through pro bono representation in general litigation
including matrimonial law, landlord tenant, and immigration. Ms. James sat on the New
York City Bar Chorus’ Board of Directors, which serves the community through music and
song. She is also intently engaged in activism and professional development as an executive
board member of the African American Employee Networking Group for CNA Financial. Ms.
James earned her law degree from New York Law School, where she was awarded a public
service certificate. She earned her bachelor’s degree from State University of New York at
Albany, magma cum laude, where she was inducted into the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society,
and interned for the New York State Assembly.

Kerry S. Jamieson, Esq.

Kerry Jamieson is an Assistant General Counsel at the Civilian Complaint Review Board. In
that capacity, she handles various matters including local law compliance, contract drafting
and review, employment issues, and litigation. She also serves as the agency’s Privacy
Officer and Records Access Appeals Officer.

For the majority of her legal career, Kerry worked as an appellate-level public defender
representing indigent clients convicted of felonies. She worked at the Office of the
Appellate Defender (“OAD”), rising from Staff Attorney to Senior Staff Attorney, and finally
Supervising Attorney. During her time at OAD, Kerry argued numerous cases in the
Appellate Division and three cases before the New York State Court of Appeals. She served
as lead attorney in exonerating a woman who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to
40 years in prison.

Kerry also worked as a Staff Attorney at Legal Services for the Elderly in Queens where she
represented indigent victims of elder abuse and mortgage fraud.

Kerry received her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law in 2006 and her B.A. in
Journalism from New York University in 2002.

New York County Special Masters Program

2022 Class of Special Masters

Grace E. Lee, Esq.

Honorable Grace E. Lee has dedicated her career to public service and currently serves as an
Administrative Law Judge for New York State. In her judicial role, Judge Lee adjudicates
proceedings involving federal, state and local public benefits.

Prior to her appointment, Judge Lee facilitated the development of laws and policies
impacting the welfare of children and communities in New York State and managed child
care enforcement matters as an attorney in the Division of Legal Affairs for the New York
State Office of Children and Family Services. Judge Lee also previously served at the New
York State Governor's Office as a Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs, identifying
pertinent legal and legislative issues impacting New York State.

Judge Lee is passionate about diversity on the bench and the protection of due process
rights and speaks on the topics in various forums. Judge Lee received a B.A. from Boston
College and J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, graduating with honors, and is an
active member of several volunteer organizations and bar associations including the Asian
American Bar Association of New York and Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association. Judge Lee
also serves as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair of Fordham Law School’s Alumni
Association Recent Graduates Committee and has previously served on the New York State
Bar Association's President's Committee on Access to Justice.

Judge Lee is on the National Advisory Council for Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to
advancing civil rights and promoting racial justice and equity.

May T. Li, Esq.

May Li is currently a Senior Underwriting Product Counsel with Zurich North America where
she provides legal counsel, contract drafting and negotiation support to the underwriters
with respect to management liability insurance products such as D&O, Employment
Practices Liability, Fiduciary, Crime, and Financial Institutions Errors or Omissions.

Prior to Zurich, May was an associate attorney for five years with the Coverage Counsel and
Professional Liability Group at Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP where she
represented management liability and professional liability insurers. May managed a large
caseload of claims where she issued coverage opinions, negotiated numerous settlements,
collaborated with local defense counsel in litigation and resolution strategy, and attended
numerous mediations in the U.S. In August 2020, May was selected to be included in the
inaugural edition of Best Lawyers Ones to Watch and recognized in the area of insurance
law. May was also a former associate attorney at Shaub, Ahmuty, Citrin & Spratt, LLP where
she practiced medical malpractice defense.
Prior to law school, May was a Directors & Officers Claim Adjuster with AIG for three years where she managed 200 to 250 matters and
received the 2009 4th Quarter Recognition Award.

In March 2021, May was approved to be a FINRA Arbitrator and to be on the NYCLA’s Part 137 neutral roster. Recently, May joined the ABA
Torts, Insurance & Trial Practice Law Journal’s Editorial Board as an editor. In February 2022, May started serving as the Vice-Chair of the
newly formed ADR Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of New York.

May received her B.A. from Boston College and J.D. from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. May enjoys serving in the
community through volunteer work, mentoring students, and as the Secretary on the IU McKinney School of Law's Alumni Board of
Directors and as a board member for Love Guatemala, a non-profit organization involved with providing vocational skills to the
Guatemalan community.

New York County Special Masters Program

2022 Class of Special Masters

Tyear Middleton, Esq.

Tyear Middleton serves as the Chief Diversity/Equal Employment Opportunity Officer
for the Queens County District Attorney’s Office (NY). She has committed the entirety of her
career to public interest work. She began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in the
Kings County District Attorney’s office (Brooklyn, NY). She then served as a Principal Court
Attorney in Brooklyn Supreme Court, Criminal Term assisting an Acting Supreme Court
Justice. She joined the New York City Police Department where, among other things, she
trained police on the constitutionality of stop, question, and frisk and worked to eradicate
unlawful discriminatory practices within the Department. She has worked with many bar
associations to assist them in their diversity and inclusion efforts within the profession.

Joyce Campbell Priveterre, Esq.

Joyce (Joy) Campbell Priveterre was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens and attended New
York University, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in History. She graduated
from Boston College Law School and worked as a litigator for several boutique firms before
joining the New York City Law Department where she defended civil rights lawsuits in
federal court. In 2015, she formed Campbell Priveterre Dispute Resolution, PLLC, a M/WBE
certified practice delivering arbitration, mediation, guardianship and referee services. Joy is
qualified as a NYS Part 36 Guardian ad Litem and Referee and as a NYS Part 146 Mediator.
She has been an Administrative Law Judge for the last seven years, most recently for the
Department of Motor Vehicles. Joy serves as Treasurer for Bronx Community Board 8 and
also as a Board of Director for the Bronx Arts Ensemble and Alliance Français Westchester.

New York County Special Masters Program

2022 Class of Special Masters

Joshua David Riegel, Esq.

Joshua David Riegel (he/him/his) is an associate at Katsky Korins LLP in the firm’s litigation
department, where he represents clients in complex commercial matters at the trial and
appellate levels in state and federal courts. Joshua gained invaluable experience through
his judicial clerkships for Judge Jenny Rivera of the New York State Court of Appeals and,
before that, for District Court Judge Victor A. Bolden of the U.S. District Court for the District
of Connecticut, as well as through his work as a Marvin M. Karpatkin Fellow at the American
Civil Liberties Union and an Excelsior Service Fellow at the New York State Industrial Board
of Appeals. He was also a summer law clerk while in law school at the NAACP Legal Defense
and Education Fund, Inc., and the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice. Joshua
graduated from New York University School of Law where he was a Root-Tilden-Kern
Scholar, served as the Senior Articles Editor of the New York University Law Review, and
awarded the Vanderbilt Medal for his outstanding contribution to the School of Law. He also
earned a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College.

Diana Lozada Ruiz, Esq.

Diana Lozada Ruiz, Esq. is a member of the Attorneys for Children Panel for the Appellate
Division, Second Department, in the Nassau County Family Court, as well as the Nassau
County Assigned Counsel Defender Plan for Family Court matters. She works with families,
children, attorneys, and the court in matters of custody, visitation, paternity, neglect, and
abuse. Ms. Lozada Ruiz earned her Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude, from Touro College, Jacob D.
Fuchsberg Law Center, where she served as the President of the Latin American Law
Students Association.

New York County Special Masters Program

2022 Class of Special Masters

Richard P. Swanson, Esq.

Richard retired as a Managing Director and the Chief Legal Officer of York Capital
Management effective January 2022. Richard was a member of the Firm’s Executive,
Business Leadership, Operating, Valuation and Information Security Committees. Prior to
joining York, Richard was a Partner with Arnold & Porter LLP in its Securities Litigation and
Enforcement practice group where he served as co-head. He handled securities and
financial litigation as well as securities enforcement and white collar defense matters.
Richard is also Vice President of the New York County Lawyer’s Association and a member
of the House of Delegates and Nominating Committee of the New York State Bar
Association, as well as the past chair of NYCLA’s Committee on the Supreme Court. He is a
member of the City Bar’s Private Funds Committee, and a past member of the City Bar’s
Financial Accounting and Reporting and Litigation Committees. He is also involved in
several committees of the Managed Funds Association, an industry group representing the
investment and asset management industry, and has co-chaired its annual Legal and
Compliance Conference. He is a past co-chair of ALI-ABA’s Accountants’ Liability, Sarbanes-
Oxley and Corporate Governance programs and a past chair of the NYSBA’s Committees on
Securities and Federal Legislation. He also regularly writes, teaches and lectures on topics
related to his legal practice, and currently blogs for NYCLA.

Richard is also a past chair of the Wesleyan Alumni Fund, where he still assists in fundraising, and is on the board of BRC, Bowery
Residents’ Committee, a homeless services organization in New York City. At BRC, Richard chaired the Fundraising and Communications
Committee, currently chairs the Audit Committee and serves on the Executive Committee. Richard received his B.A. from Wesleyan
University in 1977 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1980.

Sabrina M. Tann, Esq.

Sabrina Tann is a seasoned litigator having successfully represented clients in New York
State Court actions that involve allegations of child neglect and abuse, paternity, custody,
family offenses, termination of parental rights, judicial surrender of parental rights,
adoptions, matrimony, appeals and in administrative proceedings brought before the NYS
Office of Children and Family services. At the Center for Family Representation, Ms. Tann
supervised attorney and social work staff on client intake, second seated attorneys at
hearings and trained new staff attorneys on a variety of substantive and practice
management issues. Currently, Ms. Tann is Of Counsel at District Council 37 Municipal
Employees Legal Services where she continues her family court advocacy on behalf of union
clients and specializes in divorce actions. Ms. Tann is a graduate of New York University
School of Law.

New York County Special Masters Program

2022 Class of Special Masters

Crystal R. Villaseñor, Esq.

Crystal R. Villaseñor is the Principal Attorney at The Law Office of Crystal R. Villaseñor, PLLC,
a boutique law firm practicing in the areas of Matrimonial Law, Family Law, Landlord &
Tenant Law, Guardianship and Civil Litigation. Crystal has represented a diverse clientele
throughout various New York City & State Courts. Crystal currently serves as a Director on
the Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the Civil Courts Committee of the New York Women’s
Bar Association (NYWBA). Crystal has been an active volunteer at the Village Independent
Democrats Tenant Rights Legal Clinic, providing legal assistance to tenants regarding
housing court issues. Crystal has contributed several pro bono hours to the Safe Passage
Project, a program that provides free attorneys to immigrant & refugee children who are at
risk of being deported. In January of 2020, Crystal volunteered at the South Texas Family
Residential Facility in Dilley, Texas with the Dilley Pro Bono Project serving as a legal
volunteer to the women & children seeking asylum in the United States. Crystal also serves
as a committee member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, the
Guardianship Diversity Initiative and the Judiciary Committee of the NYWBA and as the
2022 Convention Co-Chair of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York.

Crystal began her law career as an Associate Attorney at the Law Office of Glasser & McGuire, LLC. Before law school, Crystal was the
Operations Coordinator for Ret. Lt. Col. Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, a motivational speaker whose mission was to empower the next
generation of leaders through servant leadership. Crystal earned her law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law, where she
served as the President of the Women’s Law Student Association and received the National Association of Women’s Lawyer’s
Outstanding Female Law Student Award in 2010. Crystal graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a Bachelor of Science,
Summa Cum Laude.

New York County Special Masters Program

Special Thanks

Special Masters Committee Members Special Masters Training Program Instructors Special Masters Screening Panel
of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission
Hon. Shahabuddeen (Shah) A. Ally Hon. Shahabuddeen (Shah) A. Ally
Hon. Shahabuddeen (Shah) A. Ally Supervising Judge, New York County Civil Court Supervising Judge, New York County Civil Court
Supervising Judge, New York County Civil Court

Kelechi Acholonu, Esq.

ADR Coordinator,
Hon. Margaret A. Chan
Dr. Betty L. Campbell Supreme Court Justice, Supreme Court, Kings County (Civil)
Commissioner of Jurors, Westchester County New York County (Civil - Commercial Division)
Dr. Betty L. Campbell


Commissioner of Jurors, Westchester County

Paul Kenny, Esq. David Paul Horowitz, Esq. Hon. Ariel Chesler
Chief Clerk, Appellate Term, Second Department Managing Partner, Acting Supreme Court Justice,


McNamara & Horowitz, LLP New York County (Civil)

Porter L. Kirkwood, Esq.
Hon. Hilary Gingold
District Executive, Sixth Judicial District – Binghamton Judge, New York City Civil Court,
Rena Malik, Esq.

Principal Law Clerk to Hon. Alexander M. Tisch New York County

Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan Supreme Court, New York County (Civil) Jamie Y. Gold, Esq.
Associate Justice Appellate Term, Principal Law Clerk to Hon. Barbara R. Kapnick


First Department (ret.) Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Hon. Ilana J. Marcus First Department

Judge, New York City Civil Court,
Hon. Paul Goetz
Hon. Troy K. Webber New York County Acting Supreme Court Justice,
Associate Justice, Appellate Division,
First Department & Co-Chair of the
New York County (Civil)
Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission
Anar Rathod Patel, Esq. Paul Kenny, Esq.
The Staff of the Fr
anklin H. Williams Counsel, Chief Clerk, Appellate Term, Second Department
Judicial Co
mmission
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Porter L. Kirkwood, Esq.
Mary Lynn Nicolas-Brewster, Esq. District Executive, Sixth Judicial District
Executive Director

Binghamton

Mirna Martinez Santiago, Esq.
President & CEO, Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan
Karlene Dennis, Esq. Girls Rule the Law Associate Justice Appellate Term,
Assistant Deputy Counsel

First Department (ret.)


Rosemary Garland-Scott, Esq. Rena Malik, Esq.
Kim Stephens Statewide Special Counsel for Ethics, Principal Law Clerk to Hon. Alexander M. Tisch
Analyst
New York Unified Court System Supreme Court, New York County (Civil)
New York County Lawyers Association

Hon. Ilana J. Marcus
Anthe Maria Bova, Esq. Judge, New York City Civil Court,
General Counsel & Director of Pro Bono Programs Elan Weinreb, Esq.
Managing Member, New York County

The Weinreb Law Firm, PLLC
Hon. Lisa Sokoloff
Bari Chase New York State Unified Court System Acting Supreme Court Justice,
Directors, CLE Institute and Programs
Lisa M. Courtney, Esq. New York County (Civil)

Statewide ADR Coordinator
Richard A. Williamson, Esq.
Daler Radjabov Linda Dunlap-Miller, Esq. Partner, Tarter Krinsky & Drogin
Legal Technology Operations Manager, Chief of Staff to to Hon. Deborah A. Kaplan
Deputy Chief Administrative Judge (New York City)
CLE Institute
Joan Levenson, Esq.

Principal Law Clerk to Hon. Deborah A. Kaplan
Deputy Chief Administrative Judge (New York City)
Asha Smith, Esq.
Board of Directors Hon. Andrea Masley
Supreme Court Justice,
New York County (Civil - Commercial Division)

Jean Norton, Esq.
ADR Coordinator
Supreme Court, New York County (Civil)

Denis Reo, Esq.
Chief Clerk,

Supreme Court, New York County
Civil Term

New York County Special Masters Program

Contact Us

The Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Executive Director – Mary Lynn Nicolas-Brewster, Esq.
Deputy Counsel – Karlene Dennis, Esq.

Senior Counsel – Brinet Rutherford, Esq.; Alyson Clark, Esq.
Senior Assistant Counsel – Eric Sun, Esq.

Commission Administrative Staff: Kim Stephens and Loriany Gil
Address: 25 Beaver Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Phone: 212-428-2790
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nycourts.gov/FHW

New York County Lawyers Association

L. Austin D'Souza, Esq.
Special Masters Program Coordinator

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nycla.org