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 East End practice.
As chair of CMM’s highly respected Municipal Liability and Personal Injury groups, 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, and the Village of North Haven 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 representing clients in transportation accident matters, construction accident, general litigation, and general liability cases as well as defending municipalities and police in civil rights cases.
Scott is a recognized supporter of the arts on Long Island, particularly on the East End, serving as Past 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
- 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
- Past Member, Judicial Screening Committee, Suffolk County Bar Association
- Chair, East End Lawyers 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 (2013–2025)
- Best Lawyers in America – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (2014–2026)
- 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)
In the News
- Middleton Advocates for Private Helicopter Charter in East Hampton Airport Dispute
- CMM’s Scott Middleton Featured in The Best Lawyers in America® for the 12th Year in a Row
- CMM Secures Win for East End Homeowner Association
- CMM Secures Win for Town of Smithtown
- 6 CMM Attorneys Recognized as 2024 Super Lawyers® and 4 Named Rising Stars
- CMM’s Scott Middleton Featured in The Best Lawyers in America® for the 11th Year in a Row
- CMM Secures a Win for Town of Riverhead
- Middleton Prevails at Trial for Town of Smithtown
- CMM’s Scott Middleton Quoted in Newsday on the 23 Plaintiffs Sickened by Long Island Restaurant
- CMM Litigation Team Prevails at Trial
- More...
- CMM Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary of Middleton’s AV Preeminent® Rating
- CMM’s Litigation Team Prevails for Nassau County Public Authority
- CMM Secures Dismissal of Malicious Prosecution Claim Against Suffolk County Town
- CMM’s Litigation Team Wins a Complex Construction Site Case for Our Client
- Scott Middleton Obtains Unanimous Verdict at Trial for Town of Smithtown in Slip and Fall Case
- CMM Secures Dismissal of Engineering-Related Lawsuit Against Suffolk County Town
- Middleton and Malafi Named to Judicial Screening Committee of Suffolk County Bar Association
- CMM Prevails on Behalf of Suffolk County Town in First Amendment Lawsuit
- CMM’s Municipal Liability Team Saves Smithtown Millions in Potential Exposure
- Middleton Elected President of East End Arts Board of Directors
- CMM Prevails for East End Village in Zoning Appeal
- CMM Cares Donation Supports Stony Brook Student-Athletes Impacted by COVID-19
- CMM Prevails on Behalf of Riverhead’s Finest
- LIBN Features CMM’s New Riverhead Office and Rapid Growth
- CMM Continues Meteoric Growth with Opening of Riverhead Office
- CMM Named a Forbes “Top Corporate Law Firm”
- CMM Secures Yet Another Dismissal of Lawsuit Against Town of Riverhead
- CMM’s Municipal Liability Team Secures Dismissal of Lawsuit Filed Against our Client, the Town of Riverhead
- Lawsuit Against Town of Smithtown Dismissed Thanks to CMM’s Municipal Liability Team
- Insurance Executive Turns to CMM to Handle His Own Insurance Dispute
- CMM Municipal Team Defeats Court Challenge Filed Against East End Village and its Planning Board
- CMM Celebrates Grand Opening of Westbury Office with Ribbon-Cutting Attended by Long Island Leaders
- CMM Successfully Obtains a Critical Restraining Order for Client in Hostile Shareholder Dispute
- CMM’s Municipal Litigation Team Prevails in Land Use Case
- Case Dismissed! CMM Successfully Moves for Dismissal of Negligence Action in Federal Court
- CMM Commits $450,000 to Support Cultural Arts and Scholarships at Stony Brook University
- CMM’s Creative Lawyering Results in Significant Settlement for Family in Wrongful Death Case
- CMM Secures Dismissal of Case in a Victory for Limo Company and Insurance Carrier
- CMM Represents Town of Smithtown in Successful Effort to Replace Leadership at Animal Shelter Due to Safety Concerns
- In a Victory for the Election Process, CMM Secures Certification of Election Results as Special Counsel to Village of Poquott
- CMM Successfully Moves for Pre-Judgment Attachment in Personal Injury Case
- Middleton Elected to East End Arts Board of Directors
- Middleton Named to Judicial Screening Committee of Suffolk County Bar Association
- CMM Partners All Achieve AV Preeminent® Ratings
- CMM Expands Ronkonkoma Headquarters
- CMM Relocates Offices to Accommodate its Growth
Articles
- What to Do After a Long Island Car Accident
- OPINION: How Municipalities Can Expand Public Engagement by Going Hybrid
- Can a City or Town be Held Responsible for the Actions of its Snowplow Drivers?
- Mediation Is Having Its Moment
- Waves, Waivers, and More: A Guide to Summer Recreation
Lectures & Presentations
New York State Bar Association, “Alternative Dispute Resolution in Construction Litigation” (Albany)
CMM CLE Series, “Ethics in Legal Billing”
Suffolk County Bar Association, “Trial Practicum: Summation”
Stony Brook Athletics Career Panel
CMM CLE Series, “Civil Practice Update 2017”

