Two Damon Morey LLP partners, Thomas Drury and William Savino, were among the top 50 attorneys on the 2009 New York Super Lawyers list, Upstate edition, having earned some of the highest point totals in the nomination and review process.

Drury, named in the area of personal-injury litigation, is chair of the firm's general litigation department. Savino, cited in the commercial litigation and bankruptcy/creditor-debtor rights law areas, chairs the business litigation and insolvency department.

Richard Griffin, a lawyer who serves of counsel to Kavinoky Cook LLP, was named to both the New York Super Lawyers 2009, Upstate edition, and the Best Lawyers in America 2010 lists. A mediator and arbitrator, Griffin was cited for his work in the field of alternative dispute resolution.

Several other firms also had lawyers named to the New York Super Lawyers Upstate publication.

Chelus Herdzik Speyer & Monte PC saw five attorneys named to the list: Michael Chelus, for general litigation; Arthur Herdzik, personal-injury defense; Thomas Speyer, civil-litigation defense; Rebecca Monte, estate planning and probate; and Thomas Kawalec, civil-litigation defense.

Five lawyers from Harter Secrest & Emery LLP's Buffalo office were included on the Super Lawyers list: Craig Slater, for environmental, energy and natural-resources practice; Robert Weissflach, for defense employment litigation, employment and labor practice and civil-litigation defense; Samuel Palisano, employee benefits/ERISA; Anthony Mancinelli, business/corporate and mergers and acquisitions; and Thomas Hurley, employee benefits/ERISA.

Gross Shuman Brizdle & Gilfillan PC saw six of its attorneys on Upstate Super Lawyers 2009: David Alexander, Howard Cohen, Robert Feldman, Peter Gilfillan, Leslie Mark Greenbaum and Jeffrey Human.

Nixon has new head of litigation

Nixon Peabody LLP named Frank Ryan, a partner in the firm's New York City office, chair of its litigation department, which includes about 300 attorneys firmwide.

Ryan is a trial lawyer who has been with Nixon Peabody for more than 15 years. His practice covers industries including technology, media, sports and entertainment.

He serves as outside intellectual property counsel to ESPN. He has also represented American Broadcasting Company, TomTom, Caché and the Walt Disney Company.

UB Law faculty to speak on campaign rhetoric

Three members of the University at Buffalo Law School faculty will give the presentation "What are Campaigns For? The Role of Persuasion in Electoral Law and Politics" Oct. 27 as part of the 43rd annual Jewish Community Bookfair and Cultural Arts Festival.

The speakers are James Gardner, vice dean for academic affairs, and Joseph Belluck and Laura Aswad, associate professors of civil justice at UB Law.

The presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 50 Alberta Drive, Amherst.

Cohen's Murray talks on business mistakes

Terrie Benson Murray, an associate at Cohen & Lombardo, will speak at the seminar "Business Killers: A Discussion on the Six Mistakes That Can Destroy a Business" Oct. 15 at Passport Wine & Spirits, 8855 Main St., Clarence.

Topics to be discussed include estate planning for business owners, planning for the illness of an owner and preparing for disagreements between co-owners of a business.

Beiter moderating panel on HR issues

Sean Beiter, a partner in Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel LLP, will moderate an Oct. 21 panel discussion focused on workforce issues that business owners and management face.

The panel for the seminar, "Managing Human Capital," will include Laura Bowen, director of human resources at Graphic Controls Inc.; Jordan Levy, managing partner of SoftBank Capital; and Scott Stenclik, president of The Superior Group.

The free seminar will take place from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. at the Larkin Building, 726 Exchange St. For more information, see www.businessleadershipforum.com.

- Compiled by Matt Chandler