By MATT CHANDLER
Buffalo Law Journal

Two Buffalo attorneys were honored in New York City late last month, singled out as "Young Lawyer" honorees who've made significant professional and community contributions.

Joseph Hanna, a partner in Goldberg Segalla LLP, was named the New York State Bar Association's Young Lawyer of the Year, and Hurwitz & Fine PC member Audrey Seeley received the Sheldon Hurwitz Young Lawyer of the Year Award - named after a founder of her firm - from the association's Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section.

Hanna, 29, was honored not only for his legal work but for his efforts in founding Bunkers in Baghdad, a nonprofit that collects and distributes golf equipment to U.S. military service members and veterans. Hanna is also a co-founder of Success in the City, which holds a diversity-themed networking event each fall.

At 33, Seeley is the fourth Hurwitz lawyer to take home the Sheldon Hurwitz honor in the 27-year history of the award. The first was firm partner Dan Kohane, who won the inaugural award in 1983.

Kohane, who was one of Seeley's professors at the University at Buffalo Law School, remembers Seeley as a quiet student who didn't actively participate in class discussions but was a star in the making. "In my class, the exams were graded anonymously," Kohane said. "When I finished grading the exams, she had like 99 out of 101 - which was unheard of, a remarkable score. I was so impressed by this anonymous test score that I tracked her down and met her." At the time, Kohane had no idea that the two would soon be colleagues at Hurwitz.

Today he sees in Seeley an accomplished attorney well-deserving of this award.

"In her young career, she has developed a national reputation as a superb coverage lawyer as well as a wonderful mentor for clients and younger lawyers throughout the country," Kohane said. "She sets the example of what a professional should be."

We sat down with both honorees to discuss their statewide recognition.

Joseph Hanna
Goldberg Segalla LLP

Age: 29

Practice areas: Construction law; entertainment and sports law

Award: New York State Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year Award

What he enjoys: "Helping people."

On his law practice: "Practicing in Western New York is always very interesting. There are a lot of very good attorneys, and it is such a small community you get to know the people on the other side. The cases that I have in New York City are so different than they are here. There are a lot more attorneys involved, and there is a very harsh back-and-forth. You don't have the same negotiation and openness that there is here. It's not nearly as congenial to deal downstate as it is here."

On bringing a statewide award to Buffalo: "That's one of the things I'm most proud of from winning this award. There are only two winners that I know of, in the history of this award, from Buffalo. With the majority of the winners being from New York City, it's great to bring it home. It's great for people to see that good things are happening in Western New York, and for the spotlight to shine on this wonderful legal community we have is great."

On his law firm: "Goldberg Segalla, from my first interview out of law school, has been extremely supportive of everything I've done. For a young associate growing into a young partner, that support means a great deal to me. I'm thankful and have a great deal of loyalty to the firm, and this is where my heart is."

On his inspirations: "When I gave the speech in New York City accepting this award, I dedicated it to my father and mother. If they didn't instill in me the core values that they did, I wouldn't be here today. I am very fortunate that they went out of their way to stress to me how to be a good person and how to be generous and loving. Without their support and their watchful eye, I would not have become the lawyer that I am or the person that I am.

"The award is sitting at my mother's house right now in a very prominent place so when people come in she can tell everybody her son Joey won this award."

 

Audrey Seeley
Hurwitz & Fine PC

Age: 33

Practice area: Insurance law

Award: Sheldon Hurwitz Young Lawyer of the Year Award, NYSBA torts section

What she enjoys: "Advocating for others."

On choosing law as a career: "I grew up in a rural town out in ski country, and I knew since high school that I wanted to be a lawyer."

On career highlights: "I was provided with the opportunity, and took it, to help grow Hurwitz & Fine's no-fault practice. Now, for the last few years, I have been the team leader of the no-fault practice group. We had some no-fault files, but it is something I have really been able to grow. I have also been the village attorney for the Village of Springville for the last three years.

On community involvement: "What I have chosen to do is give back through education to youth that live in rural communities. I have really focused on Junior Achievement, working with them through the Springville-Griffith Institute, where I work with students on programs that help them succeed in their career choices and make them think about their career choices. I can offer them some advice from someone who is from the same community that they are in.

"The other group I am involved with is the HITS (Helping Individuals to Smile) Foundation. I was asked to serve on the board, and the foundation was started by Buffalo Sabre Patrick Kaleta. It is really just getting off the ground, but it is going to be a great asset to Western New York by helping underprivileged individuals and give them a chance to participate in events they either couldn't afford to do or that just aren't provided in their community. The hope is that you can eliminate the barriers not just for the child, but for the parent."

On the award: "I really can't stress how special this award is to me and how proud I am. It is so rich with Hurwitz & Fine history, and I think it shows that we can continue to produce lawyers that embody Shelly Hurwitz's zeal for insurance coverage and giving back to the community."

Hanna and Seeley weren't the only Buffalo lawyers cited at the New York State Bar Association's annual meeting in New York City a few weeks ago. Attorneys Diane Bosse and Vincent Doyle III and a Bar Association of Erie County committee also earned statewide distinctions.
Doyle, a partner in the Buffalo firm Connors & Vilardo LLP, was named president-elect of the 77,000-member association. He takes office as president on June 1, 2011.
An Elma resident, Doyle is a trial and appellate lawyer whose practice includes civil and white-collar criminal litigation and professional-discipline matters. He received his undergraduate degree from Canisius College and his law degree from the University at Buffalo Law School, magna cum laude. He is president of the BAEC's Aid to Indigent Prisoners Society and serves on the board of trustees of Villa Maria College.
Bosse, who chairs the New York State Board of Law Examiners and is an attorney with Bender & Bender LLP, was honored with the Excellence in Public Service Award.
The committee honored Bosse for her dedication and leadership as chair of the Board of Law Examiners, a position she has held since 2001. From 1999 through 2008, she served on the board of trustees of the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
The Bar Association of Erie County received the Award of Merit from an NYSBA affiliate, the New York State Conference of Bar Leaders, in recognition of the work of its Committee on Veterans' and Service Members' Legal Issues. The committee, formed in 2009, coordinates communication with various local resources and offers pro bono representation for veterans.