Scott Middleton is an accomplished litigator, particularly in the areas of municipal liability and personal injury, as well as a go-to land use attorney for municipalities and applicants alike. He also heads the firm’s Riverhead office.
As chair of CMM’s highly respected Municipal Liability and Personal Injury groups and head of the firm’s Catastrophic Loss Team, Scott handles all types of complex negligence litigation, representing individuals and defending large and small businesses and municipalities in a wide array of matters including transportation (auto, commercial truck, school bus, and motor coach), personal injury, premises liability, labor law (construction accidents and employment issues), civil rights, wrongful death, road design, and general litigation matters, including matters that have received extensive local and national media coverage.
Scott also focuses his practice in the areas of land use and zoning, representing both municipalities and applicants (including real estate developers, property owners, and private individuals). He counsels zoning and planning boards, which includes evaluating applications and drafting decisions. This experience, coupled with his roles as Trustee, Mayor and Village Justice, as well as Village Attorney/Prosecutor for the Incorporated Village of Lake Grove, Village of North Haven and Town of Southampton place him in the unique position of being able to view matters from the standpoint of the public official.
Scott has also tried countless cases to verdict in state and federal court, including the defense of municipalities in civil rights cases involving allegations of excessive force, false arrest, and false imprisonment, as well as transportation, general litigation, and general liability cases.
Scott is a recognized supporter of the arts on Long Island, particularly on the East End, serving as President of the Board of Directors of East End Arts and supporting the Parrish Art Museum. East End Arts recently recognized him with a Community Impact Award, and his leadership with the Stony Brook University Alumni Association helped drive CMM’s $450,000 gift commitment to the Staller Center for the Arts based at the university. Scott is an active member of the Stony Brook University Intercollegiate Athletic Board and established the Middleton Family Student Athletic Alumni Award to support talented student athletes. He is also a Past President of the Stony Brook Alumni Association.
Education
Stony Brook University, B.A.
Brooklyn Law School, J.D.
Admissions
New York
Connecticut
United States District Court, Southern District of New York
United States District Court, Eastern District of New York
Boards, Associations, and Leadership
Member, Stony Brook University Intercollegiate Athletic Board
Advisory Board, Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook University
Village Justice, Incorporated Village of Lake Grove
Village Attorney, Incorporated Village of North Haven
General Counsel, The 1957 Club (Stony Brook Athletics NIL Collective)
Counsel, Sayville Yacht Club
Member, Nassau/Suffolk Trial Lawyers Association
Member, Judicial Screening Committee, Suffolk County Bar Association
Past General Counsel, Freeport Housing Authority
Past Member of Board of Directors, Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency
Past Member, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital Task Force
Past Adjunct Professor/Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Stony Brook University
Past President, Stony Brook University Alumni Association
Past Co-Chair, Supreme Court Committee, Suffolk County Bar Association
Past President, East End Arts
Past Village Prosecutor, Incorporated Village of Lake Grove
Past Mayor, Incorporated Village of Lake Grove, 2001 – 2006
Past Trustee, Incorporated Village of Lake Grove, 1995-2001
Recognitions
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating®
Community Impact Award, East End Arts (2018)
Super Lawyers (2013-2024)
Best Lawyers in America – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (2014-2025)
Leadership in Law Award, Long Island Business News (2014)
Legal Eagle recognition, Long Island Pulse (2012)
Distinguished Alumni Award in Political Science, Stony Brook University (2007)
