Posted: May 9th, 2025
Joe Campolo moderated the HIA-LI Gold Event on Friday, May 9, 2025, where panelists discussed how forward-thinking leaders are harnessing AI to drive innovation, improve decision-making, and streamline operations. They emphasized that AI will enhance the way we communicate and conduct business. The panel featured business leaders Nicholas Pasquarosa, Founder & CEO of Bookkeeper360, and Kevin Deutsch, GM & SVP of Commercial Cloud at Softheon.
Posted: May 9th, 2025
Governor Kathy Hochul met with senior business leaders from HIA-LI, including Joe Campolo, during her visit to Long Island to address key challenges facing the region’s business community. During that meeting they discussed tariffs, infrastructure, energy and housing. The HIA-LI looks forward to continued collaboration with the Governor’s office to drive meaningful solutions that support Long Island’s growth and development.
Posted: May 5th, 2025
CMM is pleased to announce the successful closing of a commercial real estate transaction involving the sale of a building that is home to a synagogue, accompanied by a lease back of a portion of the property to the religious institution.
The CMM team worked closely with the synagogue’s leadership to navigate the approval process required by the New York State Attorney General. Senior Partner Christine Malafi led the deal team and was pleased to support an organization that plays an important role in the community.
For more information on our commercial real estate services, please contact us.
Posted: April 25th, 2025
Posted: April 23rd, 2025
Campolo, Middleton & McCormick is delighted to announce the successful acquisition of our client, a New York based architecture firm, by a leading architecture and engineering conglomerate.
Our client has been in business for over four decades and is recognized for building notable commercial and residential projects throughout the region. The strategic buyer has a distinguished portfolio of well-established architecture and engineering brands.
CMM Partner Vincent Costa led the deal team with assistance from Alex Tomaro. Through the negotiations, CMM worked closely with multi-family office Strata Alliance and M&A advisory firm Protegrity Advisors.
Congratulations to our client and we wish them continued success on this exciting new chapter!
Posted: April 16th, 2025
Event Date: April 22nd, 2025
CMM Partner and Suffolk County Bar Association President Patrick McCormick will join a panel to address the new, topical, and frequently occurring practical issues of how to identify, address, introduce, and/or object to potentially A.I. generated/altered evidence and will consist of 3 segments to be conducted by our panelists: (1) An A.I. demonstration of generating/altering A.I. evidence; (2) Pre-trial and ethical considerations related to such A.I. evidence; and (3) An Interactive ‘mock trial’ where such evidence will be introduced/objected to and ‘ruled’ on.
Details:
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Suffolk County Bar Association, 560 Wheeler Road, Hauppauge, NY 11788
This program will provide 2.5 CLE credits in Professional Practice and .5 in Ethics
Posted: April 16th, 2025
By: David Green, Esq. email, Alex Tomaro, Esq. email
Tags: corporate
A partnership is a simple business entity setup for two or more business owners, which allows for certain limitations on individual liability. A partnership agreement is a legally binding document that outlines how a partnership will operate. It serves as the foundation for business management and decision-making, providing a clear framework for roles, responsibilities, and expectations among partners.
This agreement typically details key aspects such as each partner’s ownership percentage, capital contributions, profit and loss allocation, decision-making authority, dispute resolution mechanisms, and procedures for adding or removing partners. Perhaps the most important element of a partnership agreement relates to limitations on individual liability, which should be explicitly identified in the agreement. By establishing these guidelines upfront, a well-drafted partnership agreement helps prevent misunderstandings, mitigate conflicts, and protect the business from potential legal complications. It also ensures that partners have a structured process for handling changes in ownership, business operations, or unforeseen circumstances, ultimately promoting long-term stability and success.
Without a formal agreement, state partnership laws will control, which provide default rules for managing partnerships. However, these laws are not tailored to any specific business needs and may lead to unintended consequences. Additionally, federal and state laws governing partnerships can change over time, but an up-to-date partnership agreement can avoid any negative or unintended consequences of these changes. A customized agreement ensures that all partners have a clear understanding of their rights and obligations, reducing the likelihood of conflicts.
A partnership agreement is not a static document—it must evolve with a businesses growth, structural, or operational changes. Regularly reviewing and updating a partnership agreement ensures that all partners remain aligned on key aspects such as profit distribution, decision-making authority, dispute resolution mechanisms, and exit strategies. Failing to revise the agreement can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, or even legal complications if the terms no longer align with the partnership’s structure or goals.
As legal professionals often say, Ignorantia juris non excusat—ignorance of the law is no excuse. Regularly reviewing and revising your partnership agreement ensures compliance and protects your business’s long-term success.
By proactively maintaining a well-structured partnership agreement, you safeguard your business interests and create a strong foundation for future growth.
At CMM, we recommend annual business checkups to avoid unnecessary disputes. Learn more:
For more input and guidance on business divorce, reach out to David Green at 631-738-9100.
Thank you to Alex Tomaro for his research and writing assistance.
Posted: April 11th, 2025
Senior Partner Scott Middleton and Senior Associate Rich DeMaio have obtained a favorable decision for their client, a homeowners association surrounding a horse farm in Bridgehampton.
On behalf of the plaintiffs, Two Trees Homeowners Association, CMM sought a preliminary injunction from the Court that would prevent the defendant, Hayground Road Development LLC, from continuing construction that would violate longstanding easements, covenants, and restrictions on the property. The Court granted the relief CMM sought, noting that the plaintiffs satisfied their burden to show clear evidence of their entitlement to the preliminary injunction. This decision brings the Two Trees Homeowners Association one step closer to permanently enjoining the horse farm from expanding their operation and encroaching on the rights of the HOA.
For assistance with East End matters call us at (631) 738-9100.
Posted: April 7th, 2025
By Ed Moltzen, Contributing Writer, LIBN
The construction and contracting trades have been among the most vibrant on Long Island for the past several years, as new housing and related projects have unfolded amid a run of economic expansion.
But new rounds of tariffs from Washington, D.C., are proving vexing for firms whose work relies on stable pricing of supplies ranging from Canadian lumber to aluminum to steel.
The result: General contractors and subcontractors may be searching for remedies to protect them from unanticipated price surges as suppliers pass the cost of new tariffs down the supply chain.
Long Island legal experts say the key to navigating choppy tariff waters will be to address them, where possible, upfront in contracts with provisions specific to wild, tariff-driven price fluctuations.
For bigger construction-related firms, that could be the difference between profit and loss on a project. For smaller construction firms, a sudden price hike from tariffs could put them out of business.
“The challenge you have is…contracts that are signed today; the work doesn’t start for another month or two,” said Donald Rassiger, a partner at Campolo Middleton & McCormick, LLP. And in that time, tariffs could be enacted, pulled back or even increased.
That’s why price flexibility in contracts—to account for that uncertainty—can save a contractor big bucks down the road.
Customers may otherwise say, “You put a lump sum price in for this…I’m holding you to your price,” Rassiger added.
Other issues include the potential for significant product shortages, as demand for domestically produced items overwhelms the supply. During the pandemic, a similar crunch happened four and five years ago, and some remember well the crunch to obtain goods to meet contractual obligations.
However, at that time, courts were also closed due to the pandemic, so the number of breach-of-contract lawsuits was minimal, meaning contractors and customers had to work it out as best as they could in many situations. Now, courts are open for business, so negotiating contracts in advance to take the uncertainty of tariffs into account is essential.
“Yes, there are some cases that get litigated,” Rassiger said. “I’ve had my fair share of them over the years. I would say, for the most part, these issues do eventually get worked out between the contractors and the owners. But there are instances where they proceed, and I’ve had my fair share of arbitrations over the years over these issues.”
