WWBA November 2019 Newsletter - M

Westchester Women’s Bar Association 

NOVEMBER 2019 

WWBA 

Wellness and a Healthy Heart 

Angela Morcone Giannini 

T 

he American Heart Association (AHA) is a 

non-profit organization that funds cardiovascular 

disease medical research and educates 

the community about healthy living and cardiac 

care. In 2004, the AHA recognized that cardiovascular 

diseases claimed the lives of too many 

women each year in the United States, yet women 

were not paying attention. To raise awareness of heart 

disease and stroke as one of the leading killers of 

women, the AHA created Go Red For Women, an 

initiative designed to empower women to take charge 

of their own heart heath. 

On October 2, 2019, Jennifer Miller, Senior Director, 

Westchester Country AHA and AHA colleague, 

Megan Lucas along with Guest speaker Dr. Patrick 

Thomas addressed our members in a heart healthy wellness program coordinated by our 

Health & Wellness Committee entitled Wellness and A Healthy Heart – A discussion 

about what you need to know for you and your loved ones. 

Dr. Thomas is a board-certified cardiologist affiliated with hospitals in the metropolitan 

area including New York Columbia Presbyterian and the Westchester Medical Center. 

He received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Medicine and 

fellowship at University of Chicago Hospitals. He practices at the Columbia Presbyterian 

locations in Cortlandt Manor, Yorktown and Putnam Valley locations. He graciously 

continued on page 4 ➥ 

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 


Raise the Age Raises 

Issues 

(page 5) 

JALBCA Breast Cancer 

Alert Lunch & Learn 

(page 6) 

An Interview with 

Amy Puerto 

(page 7) 

Upcoming Events 

(page 10) 

Westchester Women’s Bar Association News 

news 

www.wwbany.org 

SAVE THE DATE 

WWBA HOLIDAY PARTY 

SPONSORSHIP ENDS 

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 

CLE: HOW TO AVOID 

MALPRACTICE WHEN 

DIVIDING THE 

RETIREMENT BENEFITS 

December 3, 2019 

White Plains, New York 

WESTCHESTER 

WOMEN’S BAR 

HOLIDAY PARTY 

December 11, 2019 


PRESIDENT’S 

MESSAGE 

Thanksgiving. Can 

you think of a more 

meaningful word? It 

dates back to the 

1530s and contains 

the noun meaning 

“grateful thought” 

and the verb “to 

give.” Most of us try 

to have a grateful 

heart each day, but 

Angela Morcone 

Giannini 

this holiday reminds us all to pause, 

reflect and be thankful. 

My family celebrates the Thanksgiving 

holiday with the traditional 

Thanksgiving dinner (and by traditional, 

there is a salute to our Italian 

heritage with a pasta course!) hosted 

by myself and my husband in our home 

for about 30 relatives and friends. Each 

year it is indeed a day of mixed emotions. 

We give thanks for our many 

blessings, remember those no longer 

with us and are thankful for the many 

years we shared with them, rejoice in 

any new additions to the family who 

bring joy and promise for the years 

ahead, remember those who serve our 

country and sacrifice each day for our 

freedom and enjoy those that gather 

around our table and share a bountiful 

meal, conversation and laughter. While 

the celebration indeed requires preparation, 

the result is a relaxing day with 

family and friends, football and we have 

incorporated a family movie in our celebration 

which has become a tradition. 

Much heartfelt thanks to our fabulous 

Executive Director Elisabeth Campos. 

Elisabeth is an organizational woncontinued 

on page 3 ➥ 

Page 1 

The Westchester Women’s Bar Association is a Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York

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WWBA Member Newsletter 


Published Monthly by the 

Westchester Women’s 

Bar Association, a Chapter of 

the Women’s Bar Association 

of the State of New York 

~ 2019/2020 Officers and Directors ~ 

President ANGELA MORCONE GIANNINI 

President-Elect HON. LISA M. SMITH 

Vice Presidents 

AMANDA C. FRIED JENNIFER GRAY JACQUELINE HATTAR 

Treasurer 

NATANYA L. BRIENDEL Recording Secretary ELIZABETH Z. MARCUS 

Corresponding Secretary JENNIFER ROBINSON 

Immediate Past ast President 

KIM BERG 

Elected Directors Westchester Board 

KIM BERG LISA M. BLUESTEIN LUCIA CHIOCCHIO 

LISA M. DENIG LONYA A. GILBERT 

State Directors Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York 

ROBIN D. CARTON DEBORAH FARBER-KAISER MARIAN GENIO 

SHARI GORDON ANN M. McNULTY 

SUSAN MILLS RICHMOND KRISTEN MOTEL 

Executive Director ELISABETH CAMPOS 

© Copyright 2019 Westchester Women’s Bar Association. All rights reserved. 

The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) only and do not reflect the official position of the Association. 

Editor-in-Chief: Jennifer Robinson • Designed and Printed by IPM Media Group, Inc. (516) 809-0501 

2019-2020 WWBA Committee Chairs 

S T A N D I N G C O M M I T T E E S 

By-Laws .................................................................. Anna L. Georgiou 

Corporate & Commercial ................ Lisa M. Bluestein, Virginia Trunkes 

Criminal Law ........... Lisa M. Denig, Hon. Sandra A. Forster, Amy Puerto 

Families, Children & the Courts ........... Joy S. Joseph, Lauren Morrissey 

Amanda Rieben 

Grievance/Ethics ................................................... Deborah A. Scalise 

Judicial Screening ................ Hon. Sandra A. Forster, Kimberly Sheehan 

Judiciary ........................................................ Hon. Linda S. Jamieson 

Lawyering & Parenting .......................... Joelle M. Burton, Jennifer Gray 

Legislation ...................................... Natanya L. Briendel, Kitley Covill, 

Angela Morcone Giannini 

Matrimonial ...... Robin D. Carton, Dolores Gebhardt, Lonya A. Gilbert 

Membership ....................... Sherry Bishko, Marian Genio, Kristen Motel 

Networking ...................... Jennifer Robinson, Alison Sloto, Erica Sattler 

New Lawyers ....................................... Elizabeth Marcus, Katie Wendle 

Professional Development/Placement ............... Susan Edwards Colson, 

Stephanie Melowsky 

Programs .................................. Natanya L. Briendel, Amanda C. Fried 

Public Relations ............................... Joelle M. Burton, Jennifer L. Gray 

Real Property ...................................... Allyson Lanahan, Michele Luzio 

Sponsorship ......................... Susan Edwards Colson, Lucia Chiocchio, 

Deborah Farber-Kaiser, Marian Genio 

Taxation ........................................................... Patricia Rusch Bellucci 

Trusts & Estates ........ Gail M. Boggio, Nancy J. Rudolph, Karen J. Walsh 

Annual Dinner .................... Kim Berg, Robin D. Carton, Lisa M. Denig 

Amanda Fried, Andrea B. Friedman, Angela Morcone Giannini, 

Jennifer L. Gray, Jennifer N. Netrosio, Katie Wendle 

Annual Dinner Souvenir Journal .... Andrea B. Friedmanm Allison Sloto 

Appellate Practice ......................... Lisa M. Denig, Hon. Mark C. Dillon, 

Hon. Sondra M. Miller 

Archive & Historian ...................................................... Susan L. Pollet 

Awards .............................. Elizabeth Barnhard, Deborah Farber-Kaiser 

Bankruptcy .................... Susan Mills Richmond, Wendy Marie Weathers 

Breast Cancer Awareness ....................................... Adrienne J. Orbach 

Collaborative Law ............................ Kathleen Donelli, Michelle Lewis, 

Lynn J. Maier, Hon. Sondra M. Miller 

Community Outreach ... Deborah A. Scalise, Hon. Lisa Margaret Smith 

Construction Law ........................................................... Aisling Brady 

Continuing Legal Education ..................................... Ann M. McNulty 

Cyber Law .............................................................. Georgea Mancuso 

Diversity and Inclusion ............ Jacqueline Hattar, Stephanie Melowsky, 

Janeen Thomas 

Domestic Violence ............ Lydia S. Antoncic, Beth Levy, Amanda Zane 

Education ............................... Adrienne J. Arkontaky, Julie P. Passman, 

Susan Mills Richmond 

Elder & Health Law & Reproductive Rights ....... Elizabeth A. Cumming, 

Moira Laidlaw 

Employment Law .................................................. Kim Berg, Sara Kula 

Environmental & Land Use .......... Lucia Chiocchio, Anna L. Georgiou, 

Jennifer L. Gray, Katherine Zalantis 

Gender Dynamics ....................................... Hon. Terry Jane Ruderman 

A D H O C C O M M I T T E E S 

Holiday Party and Boutique ...... Dolores Gebhardt, Jennifer N. Netrosio 

Immigration ..................................................................... Nicole Feit 

Intellectual Property .......................................... Elizabeth M. Barnhard 

Theresa O’Rourke Nugent 

Judgment Enforcement & Collections ...................... Daniel F. Florio, Jr. 

Litigation ....................... Angela Morcone Giannini, Jacqueline Hattar 

Long Range Planning ............... Susan Edwards Colson, Lisa M. Denig 

Linda Markowitz 

Mediation ........................... Hon. Sondra M. Miller, Lauren S. Morrissey 

Donna Erez Navot, Abby Rosmarin 

Mentor .......................... Kim Berg, Sherry Bishko, Hon. Christine Sproat 

Past Presidents ............ Jane Bilus Gould, Mary F. Kelly, Linda Markowitz 

Practice Management ......... Jamieson L. Keiser, Wendy Marie Weathers 

Pro Bono ........................................... Marian Genio, Natalie Sobchak 

Social Media .................................. Kristen Motel, Jennifer N. Netrosio 

Technology/Website .......... Donna E. Frosco, Theresa O’Rourke Nugent 

Wellness ................................ Jennifer Netrosio, Susan Mills Richmond 

Women in Leadership Delegate ............................. Adrienne Arkontaky 

Network of Bar Leaders Delegate ................................................... TBD 

Pace Board of Visitors Delegate ......... Gail M. Boggio, Lonya A. Gilbert 

WBASNY Judicial Screening Committee Delegates . Gail M. Boggio, 

Lisa M. Bluestein 

WBASNY Nominations Committee Delegates .............. Gail M. Boggio 

Lisa M. Bluestein 

WBASNY Health Law/Reproductive Rights Committee ..... Shari Gordin 

WWBA Foundation President ...................................... Susan S. Brown 

WWBA Representative Director to the WCBA Board .. Dolores Gebhardt 

Page 2 

Westchester Women’s Bar Association News

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- Brene Brown 

President’s Message 

from page 1 

“Most of us try to 

have a grateful heart 

each day, but 

[Thanksgiving] reminds 

us all to pause, reflect 

and be thankful.” 

der! She manages to run our association 

in an efficient manner with a smile on her 

face while keeping sight of our mission and 

goals. You are just terrific! I am also so 

thankful for my Executive Board – Hon. 

Lisa Margaret Smith, Amanda Fried, Jennifer 

Gray, Jacqueline Hattar, Elizabeth 

Marcus, Natanya Briendel and Jennifer 

Robinson. Each of these women contribute 

so much of their time and efforts in 

their executive roles and consistently take 

on new projects to help our membership 

and our community. My thanks to our 

WBASNY Directors Robin Carton, Marian 

Genio, Shari Gordon, Annette Hasapidis, 

Ann McNulty, Susan Mills Richmond and 

Kristin Motel who ensure that our chapter 

voice is heard at WBASNY. Thank you to 

our Board of Directors and Committee 

Chairs and Co-Chairs. You continue to 

share your talents and expertise with our 

membership; you educate, guide and promote 

our association’s mission and we are 

all better attorneys because of your efforts. 

I wish to also thank all our WWBA members 

who contribute to our association each 

and every day, most especially, our immediate 

past president, Kim Berg, and past 

presidents Lisa M. Denig, Susan Edwards 

Colson, Robin D. Carton, Lucia Chiocchio, 

Lisa M. Bluestein, Lonya A. Gilbert, Dolores 

Gebhardt, Deborah A. Scalise, Dawn 

Arnold, Jody Fay, Kathleen Donelli, Kathy 

N. Rosenthal, Linda Markowitz, Carla D. 

Glassman and Susan L. Pollet and past 

WBASNY President, Donna Frosco who 

have been so supportive and generous with 

their time in assisting me in my role as President. 

Thank you! Mille Grazie! Muchas 

Gracias! Merci Beaucoup! Vielen Dank! 

Xie xie! Arigatou! I wish you all an enjoyable 

Thanksgiving holiday! ◗ 

Editor’s Note 

“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness, it’s right in front 

of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude” 

~ Brene Brown 

Making Dates and Getting Published 

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS 

❑ Deadline for newsletter submissions is the 12th of the month prior to publication (submissions 

received after the deadline are subject to the discretion of the editor). 

❑ Send submissions as email attachments to Jennifer Robinson at secretary@wwbany.org. 

❑ Articles should be 1,000 words or fewer. Remove all pagination, headers, footers or other 

formatting, other than bold, underline or italics. Authors are encouraged to submit photographs 

for publication with their submissions and include a short biographical statement with 

their submissions. 

❑ Materials submitted allow the WWBA a limited copyright and full permission to reprint the 

material in any WWBA publication or on its website without additional consent. 

❑ Photographs must be high-resolution (150 dpi or more) and the subject and all persons in 

each photograph must be fully identified. 

PROGRAM SCHEDULING 

❑ First visit the WWBA website: www.wwbany.org and click on the calendar at the home page to 

view scheduled programs. Conflicts in scheduling will be assessed on a case by case basis, with 

priority for early submissions. 

❑ Contact Jennifer Robinson at secretary@wwbany.org to schedule a WWBA sponsored or cosponsored 

program, including committee meetings, CLE programs, etc. 

❑ Once you have reserved the date with Jennifer Robinson, proceed with planning your program 

and creating your flyer. 

❑ Flyers must be approved by the Programs Committee. In advance of the 12th of the month, 

please send your flyer to the Program Committee Co-chairs for review and copy the Executive 

Director. Once approved, please send your final flyer to the Executive Director, Elisabeth Campos 

and the President for publication on the website calendar and the newsletter calendar. The 

final flyer will also be emailed to the membership. 

❑ We will also consider publicizing programs from outside organizations that may be of interest 

to our members. 

❑ Post-event: You may report on the success of your program and provide photographs of the 

speakers and participants that can be included in an upcoming newsletter. Send your submission 

to Jennifer Robinson, following the guidelines above. 

A d v e r t i s i n g R a t e s 

Full Page Display Ad 

5-10 Issues - $525.00 per issue 


Half Page Display Ad 



Contacts 

Jennifer Robinson, Corresponding Secretary and Newsletter Editor-in-Chief: secretary@wwbany.org 

Natanya L. Briendel, Programs Committee Co-Chair: tanyabriendel@gmail.com 

Amanda C. Fried, Programs Committee Co-Chair: afried@cartonrosoff.com 

Angela Morcone Giannini, President: president@wwbany.org 

Ann M. McNulty, CLE Chair: ann.m.mcnulty@morganstanley.com 

Elisabeth Campos, Executive Director: executivedirector@wwbany.org 

Quarter Page Display Ad 



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Classified – office space, furniture/equipment, employment & situation wanted (up to 5 lines) 

Members - $50.00 first issue; $25.00 each succeeding issue; Non-Members - $75.00 per issue 

Back Cover (3/4 page) 

5-10 Issues - $650.00 per issue; 1-4 Issues - $700.00 per issue 

Deadline for all ads is the 12th of the month prior to publication. Ads are subject to space limitations. 

Contact Jennifer Robinson at secretary@wwbany.org for any questions regarding advertising. 


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Wellness and a Healthy Heart 

from page 1 

donates his time as a speaker for the AHA. 

His presentation included both lecture and 

video presentation, an informative discussion 

and a question and answer session. 

Dr. Thomas is an energetic presenter 

and engaged the group in a lively discussion 

which included cardiac symptoms and 

complaints not to be ignored, the differences 

between stroke and heart attack, healthy diet 

and nutrition and the importance of exercise. 

He shared with us the advances being 

made in cardiac care through research 

funded by donations and that more research 

needs to be done as cardiac disease is one 

of the leading causes of death of women. 

He instructed that women are often caretakers 

of children or elderly parents and tend 

to ignore their own symptoms. He encouraged 

women to take control of their health 

and not feel embarrassed to seek medical 

attention for symptoms that may appear minor 

because time is of the essence in treating 

a cardiac complaint. He also reminded 

us to reject fad diets as there are no quick 

fixes and encouraged us all to partake in 

the Mediterranean diet and some form of 

exercise. The basic premise being to eat well 

and nutritious and burn off the calories with 

exercise. Something we all need to keep in 

mind with the upcoming holidays. 

I thank the AHA for providing this educational 

program to our members and encourage 

our members to consider donating 

to this worthy cause and promoting heart 

health awareness in our own families and 

communities. ◗ 

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 

Kayla Conti 

On October 20, 2019, 

Team Orbach and the 

WWBA once again took to 

the streets of Purchase to help 

finish the fight against breast 

cancer at the Making Strides 

Against Breast Cancer walk, 

hosted at Manhattanville 

College. WWBA member 

Adrienne Orbach led another 

tremendously successful 

fundraiser. Year after year her 

team has proven to be one 

of the top fundraisers, and this 

year was no different. Team 

Orbach’s 40 registered walkers 

raised a whopping $21,725 

which landed the team in third 

place overall. The WWBA is 

grateful for the opportunity to 

come together and support 

those who have been affected 

by breast cancer and is especially 

grateful for Adrienne’s 

consistent leadership and to all 

those who donated and 

walked. ◗ 

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Team Orbach 

Page 4 


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Raise the Age Raises Issues 

Lisa M. Denig 

Roughly one year ago, 

legislation went into effect to 

raise the age of criminal liability 

for certain crimes. The legislation 

was divided into two years 

with the first year raising the 

age from 16 years told to 17 

years old and the second year 

(which officially went into effect 

October 1, 2019) from 17 

years told to 18 years old. New 

York was one of the last states 

that criminally prosecuted 16 

and 17 years olds as adults 

and the legislation had broad 

support during passage. 

What is did not have was 

funding attached to these new 

mandates or a clear description 

of some of the key details. 

This was evident from the presentation 

by a panel of experts 

at a CLE entitled “Perspective 

on the First Year of Implementation 

of Raise The Age.” The 

CLE was sponsored by the 

WWBA’s Criminal Law and 

Family, Children and the 

Courts Committees as well as 

the Pace Women’s Justice Center 

and Professional Liability 

Consulting Services, Inc. It was 

held on October 3, 2019, at 

Pace Law School and drew 

more than 50 attendees. 

The panel consisted of five 

attorneys who have been working 

diligently to implement 

Raise The Age this past year: 

Amy Puerto, Esq., Principal 

Law Clerk to the Honorable 

Helen Blackwood, A.J.S.C.; 

Ted Livingston, Esq., ADA, 

Westchester County DA’s Office, 

Coordinator of Violent 

Felonies and Head of Youth 

Court; Peter Jackson, Esq., 

ACA, Westchester County 

Attorney’s Office, Family Court 

Bureau; Yvonne Borkowski, 

Esq., Legal Aid Society of 

Westchester County, Youth Part 

Region Chief; and Eve Bunting 

Smith, Esq., Attorney for the 

Child. 

Ms. Puerto spoke about 

her role as Law Clerk in the 

new Youth Court and some of 

the challenges she and Judge 

Blackwood face, such as being 

unable to access information 

that the Family Court has 

access to and basic tasks such 

as determining what law enforcement 

agency would transport 

defendants to and from 

Youth Court. Mr. Livingston 

bemoaned the lack of clarity 

in the law, including the omission 

of any definition of “significant 

physical injury” and 

“exceptional circumstances,” 

two phrases that appear in the 

law without further detail. Mr. 

Jackson spoke about the 

dearth of service providers for 

the many new defendants that 

have now landed in Family 

continued on page 9 ➥ 

PUBLIC NOTICE 

VACANCY FOR MAGISTRATE JUDGE 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEWYORK 

WHITE PLAINS, NY 

The United States District Court for the Southern District 

of New York is accepting applications for the position of 

one full-time Magistrate Judge at White Plains, NY. The duties 

of the position are demanding and wide ranging and will 

include: (1) conduct of preliminary proceedings in criminal 

cases; (2) trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; (3) 

conduct of various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings 

on delegation from the judges of the district court; (4) 

trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants; 

and (5) assignment of additional duties not inconsistent 

with the Constitution and laws of the United States. 

The basic jurisdiction of the United States Magistrate 

Judge is specified in 28 U.S.C., Section 636. To be qualified 

for appointment, an applicant must: (a) be a member in good 

standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, the District 

of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the U.S. 

Virgin Islands for at least five years; (b) have been engaged 

in the active practice of law for a period of at least five years 

(with some substitutions authorized); (c) be competent to 

perform all the duties of the office, of good moral character, 

emotionally stable and mature, committed to equal justice 

under the law, in good health, patient and courteous, and 

capable of deliberation and decisiveness; (d) be less than 70 

years old; and (e) not be related to a judge of the district 

court. 

A Merit Selection Panel composed of attorneys and other 

members of the community will review all applications and 

recommend in confidence to the judges of the district court 

the five persons whom it considers best qualified. The Court 

will make the appointment following an FBI and IRS investigation 

of the appointee. The individual selected must comply 

with the financial disclosure requirements pursuant to 

the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 as implemented by the 

Judicial Conference of the United States. The Court is interested 

in a diverse applicant pool and encourages all qualified 

candidates to submit their applications, including women and 

members of minority groups. The current salary of the position 

is $194,028 per annum (effective 01/01/2019). 

Candidates should submit applications to: 

Edward A. Friedland District Court Executive 

United States Courthouse 

500 Pearl Street, Room 820 

New York, NY 10007-1312 

Tel: 212-805-0500 

An original plus fifteen (15) copies of a cover letter, resume and 

application must be received by January 10, 2020. Application 

forms are available on the Court’s web site: 

www.nysd.uscourts.gov. 


Page 5

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WWBA AND JALBCA HOLD JOINT PROGRAM 

Hon. Sandra A. Forster 

WWBA and JALBCA 

(Judges and Lawyers Breast 

Cancer Alert) held a joint program 

on October 30, 2019 at 

the Westchester County Courthouse 

in White Plains. This was 

the third year in a row that the 

program was held. 

The program was introduced 

by Judge Sondra Miller 

who had established the 

JALBCA with Judge Judith Kaye 

in 1992. Judge Miller explained 

how the need for breast 

health created a desire to set 

up an organization to help 

women. 

Dr. Alisan B. Goldfarb is 

a breast cancer doctor who lectures 

at the Icahn School of 

Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. 

Dr. Goldfarb discussed 

the statistics for getting breast 

cancer. She highlighted what 

factors can increase the risk of 

breast cancer, namely smoking, 

estrogen intake and obesity. 

Other risk factors include genetic 

inheritance, certain foods, 

alcohol, too much exposure to 

the sun, living in the metropolitan 

area and viruses. In sum, 

she stated that no one is 0% or 

100 % at risk. She did emphasize 

that on should have mammographies 

on a regular basis. 

Dr. Randy Stevens is the 

Director of the Department of 

Radiation Oncology at the 

White Plains Hospital Center for 

Cancer Care. She discussed 

the importance of having breast 

exams, mammographies, 3D 

mammographies, ultrasound 

and breast MRIs. She analyzed 

the pros and cons of each test, 

but stressed the importance of 

early detection. She stated that 

not taking a test because a 

woman states that she had the 

test last year is insufficient to 

Caption: (left to right) Hon. Sandra Forster, Angela Morcone Giannini, 

Hon. Sondra Miller, Dr. Randy Stevens, Dr. Alisan B. Goldfarb 

protect her from risks. Dr. 

Stevens said that women with 

dense breasts are at a higher 

risk for breast cancer and require 

an ultrasound to analyze 

the thick white mass that is part 

of the breast. She discussed 

the age recommendations for 

tests which should begin at age 

40 and should continue every 

year, despite New York State’s 

recommendation for a test every 

two years. 

Both doctors were very 

gracious and took time to answer 

everyone’s question. Their 

presentations were informative 

and provided insight into current 

testing changes and requirements. 

◗ 

Jamie O’Connell 

Wealth Director 

701 Westchester Avenue 

White Plains, NY 10604 

T 914 299 3050 F 955 498 2839 

jamie.o’connell@bnymellon.com 

www.bnymellonwealth.com 

A Leader in Serving the 

Legal Services Community. 

That’s Sterling. 

Expect the highest caliber of personal service and 

banking expertise. 

Expect extraordinary. 

Contact banking professionals experienced in 

serving your unique needs at 914-367-9000, 

or email team556@snb.com 

Larry McElroen, Senior Managing Director 

Michael Henderson, Senior Managing Director 

Anthony Forgione, Managing Director 

Moira Kiernan, Managing Director 

Luis Rivera, Associate Managing Director 

To learn about Sterling’s full suite 

of services, visit snb.com. 

Member 

FDIC 

Page 6 


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○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

An Interview with Amy Puerto 

Susan L. Pollet 

Chair of the Archive and 

Historian Committee 

Q: When did you join the 

WWBA, and why did you join 

it? 

A: I occasionally attended 

events hosted by the WWBA 

in the past, but officially 

joined a little over a year ago. 

It was important to me to network 

with other women similarly 

situated and to share my 

experiences and knowledge 

with women starting their legal 

careers. 

Q: Which WWBA activities 

have you been involved in? 

A: I am the co-chair of the 

criminal law committee. 

Q: Please tell our members 

about your legal career. 

A: I began my career in the 

Westchester County District 

Attorney’s Office right out of 

law school. When I started, I 

worked in the Appeals and 

Special Litigation Division 

writing motions, as most 

ADA’s do. Next, I worked in 

the Grand Jury and Local 

Courts Division in branches 

in Mount Vernon, Yonkers, 

and Northern Westchester. 

After that, I worked in the 

Career Criminal Bureau of the 

Superior Court Trial Division 

prosecuting felony cases. In 

2007, I became the Deputy 

Chief of the Domestic Violence 

Bureau in the Special 

Prosecutions Division where I 

prosecuted domestic violence 

and child abuse cases, and 

supervised other attorneys 

doing the same. After several 

years, I began to explore 

other professional opportunities 

and in January of 2016, 

joined Westchester County 

Court Judge Helen M. 

“It pleases me to see that for the 

most part, the legal community of 

Westchester County offers more 

professional opportunities to women 

than ever before.” 

Blackwood as her Principal 

Court Attorney. Since 2018, 

Judge Blackwood has been 

designated as an Acting Supreme 

Court Justice handling 

civil matters, and in 2019, Acting 

Surrogate Judge. Additionally, 

she is one of the two Youth 

Part judges in Westchester 

County under the recent Raise 

the Age legislation, so I’ve really 

learned so much more than 

I ever expected to in this role. 

Q: In your experience, how 

has the landscape changed 

over the course of your legal 

career, if at all, for women law 

students and women lawyers 

in Westchester County. 

A: While in law school, I interned 

at a personal injury law 

firm, the DA’s Office, and for a 

Kings County Court Judge. 

During that time, as well as in 

the early part of my career, I felt 

like I was surrounded by men 

everywhere I went. About half 

way through my career, that 

seemed to change. I started 

noticing the moments when 

there were more females in the 

courtroom than men – the 

judge was a woman, the prosecutor 

(me) was a woman, and 

the defense attorney was a 

woman. Those were memorable 

moments for me and now 

they occur quite frequently. I’m 

proud to say that today, there 

are more women on the 

Westchester County Court 

bench than men – this was not 

the case when I began my le- 

gal career. It pleases me to see 

that for the most part, the legal 

community of Westchester 

County offers more professional 

opportunities to women than 

ever before. Of course, there’s 

always progress to be made, 

and I think the existence of the 

WWBA is instrumental in attaining 

that equality. 

Q: What are your other community 

activities when you are 

not practicing law or contributing 

to the WWBA? 

A: I have been every active in 

the PTA at my children’s schools 

and volunteer in their extracurricular 

activities as much as 

possible. I’m also a member 

of my town’s Democratic Committee, 

as well as the Democratic 

Club. 

Q: How have you balanced 

your legal career with your 

family responsibilities over the 

years. 

A: Balancing work and familylife 

has been the biggest challenge 

of my career, and frankly, 

I’m still working on it. I am extremely 

fortunate to have my 

parents close by and have relied 

on them for help with my 

children throughout the years. 

Also, I have been very lucky to 

find excellent care-givers for my 

children. I believe that a supportive 

partner and good, reliable 

help are the keys to making 

it all work. Surprisingly, as 

my children got older, they 

needed me more, not less, 

Amy Puerto 

which is not what I expected. 

As they say, little children, 

little problems, big children, 

big problems, and that is definitely 

true! One of the reasons 

why I left the DA’s Office 

when I did was because I was 

struggling with balancing my 

job, particularly trying cases, 

and handling all of my family 

responsibilities. My current 

position allows me to balance 

my career and my family much 

better and still offers me the 

professional fulfillment I need. 

Q: What advice would you 

like to give to women lawyers 

entering the legal profession. 

A: A very dear friend and colleague 

of mine once advised 

me that you can have it all, 

just not at the same time and 

I’ve never forgotten those 

words. If you choose to have 

a family, don’t be afraid to take 

a step back from your career 

or make a change in your 

career to simplify things. 

There’s absolutely no shame 

in making that choice, despite 

what you may be feeling. 

Opportunities will be 

waiting for you when you’re 

ready to find them. ◗ 


Page 7

WESTCHESTER WOMEN’S BAR ASSOCIATION 

cordially invites its 

Membership and Guests 

to our 

HOLIDAY PARTY 

THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF WHITE PLAINS 

GRAND BALLROOM 

305 Ridgeway 


December 1, 201 

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. 

$20 per person* (payable at the door) 

*no charge for sitting Judges 

Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the 

Westchester Women’s Bar Association Foundation, Inc. 

(Weather cancellation information will be announced by 4:00 PM on the day 

of the event, via recorded message on WWBA phone line at 914-505-6045) 

VISIT OUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING BOUTIQUE 

TO BE HELD DURING THE PARTY! 

GIVING BACK: 

Please bring a new, inexpensive and unwrapped gift 

to be donated to an underserved teenager, and/or 

non-perishable boxed and canned foods to feed the hungry. 

Thank you! 

Gift boxes will be located near the sign-in table to 

collect your contributions. 

Page 8 


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○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

WWBA New Members 

The Westchester Women’s Bar Association 

proudly welcomes our newest members: 

MARIBEL CHACHA 

Student 

KAYLA CONTI 

Student 

ARIADNE GREEN, , ESQ. 

United States District Court for the 

Southern District of New York 

New York, NY 

HEATHER R. GUSHUE, , ESQ. 

Shapiro Gettinger Waldinger 

Monteleone, LLP 

118 North Bedford Road 

Suite 300 

Mount Kisco, NY 10549 

hgushue@kiscolaw.com 

RISA KASS, ESQ. 

Law office of Risa K. Kass, PC 

220 White Plains Road 

5th Floor 

Tarrytown, NY 10591 

risa@knlawny.com 

MEREDITH JEANNE 

KENYON 

ON, , ESQ. 

Ressler & Associates 

222 Bloomingdale Road 

Suite 302 


mkenyon@westchestermatrimonial.com 

JULIANA PALMIERI 

Student 

MARY STEPHANIE PASQUALETT 

ALETTO 

Student 

BRIANNA PRYCE 

Student 

GABRIELLE SCIBETTA 

Student 

JANEEN M. THOMAS, ESQ. 

Wilson Elser Moskowitz 

Edelman & Dicker LLP 



Become a New 

Member Today 

RENEW YOUR 

WWBA MEMBERSHIP TODAY 

FOR THE PERIOD 

JUNE 1, 2019 TO MAY 31, 2020. 

RENEW NOW! DON’T WAIT! 

WWBA Membership includes 

membership to the Women’s Bar 

Association of the State of New York 

(WBASNY). 

January 31, 2020 is the closing date in 

order to count the WWBA members 

towards our certification to WBASNY and 

assure our number of delegates. 

Renewing before this date will allow our 

Westchester Chapter (WWBA) to continue 

to be a strong presence in our statewide 

organization (WBASNY) while you will 

enjoy its many benefits, events, 

newsletter and CLE programming. 

Office Space for Rent 

Windowed office in full-service congenial office. Located mid-Westchester. Free 

parking; safe lot. Rent includes: receptionist; library/conference room; networked 

printers; shredder; fax machine; and a full kitchen. Would prefer someone who does 

trusts and estates work who might be interested in some overflow work. For details, call 

Linda Markowitz at 914.347.1292 or email to Linda@RoseMarkLaw.com. ◗ 

Raise the Age Raises Issues 

from page 5 

Court as well as the lack of appropriate housing for these newly labeled “youths.” 

Both Ms. Borkowski and Ms. Bunting Smith expounded on the difficulties of having 

to accommodate weekend arraignments at juvenile detention facilities and the obstacles 

that they must overcome in order to simply talk to their clients before they 

enter court. All of the panelists agreed that these issues - as well as new ones yet to 

be identified - would be multiplied ten-fold once the second year of the legislation 

goes into effect and 17 year olds are now included. 

The Criminal Law and Family, Children, and the Courts Committees would like 

to thank the sponsor of this event, Dennis Supraner of Professional Liability Consulting 

Services, Inc., who generously donated to support this event. We would also like 

to thank the Pace Women’s Justice Center for helping to organize the program and 

providing the venue. ◗ 


Hélène Côté, Sherry A. Bishko, 

Elisabeth Campos 

It is easy to renew by going to the 

WWBA Website at www.WWBANY.org. 

You can use a credit card or 

PayPal to make payment. 

Page 9

WWBA Schedule of Upcoming Events 

COMMITTEE DATE/TIME PLACE TOPIC RSVP (also online at www.wwbany.org) 

WWBA 

Pace Women’s Justice 

Center 

Last day for 

Holiday Party 

Sponsorship 

11/24/19 

12/3/19 

5:30-8:00 PM 

WWBA 12/4/19 

5:30 PM 

WWBA 12/11/19 

5:30-7:30 PM 

Tudor Room, Elisabeth 

Haub School of Law at 

Pace University 

BNY Mellon Wealth 

Management 



The Woman’s Club of 

White Plains 

305 Ridgeway 

White Plains, NY 

Each year the WWBA 

counts on the generosity 

of sponsors to help 

make the Holiday Party 

a success. Sponsors 

receive recognition in 

the December/January 

issue of the WWBA 

Newsletter, in addition 

to signage at the event. 

CLE How to Avoid 

Malpractice 

When Dividing the 

Retirement Benefits 

WWBA Board of 

Directors Meeting 

WWBA Holiday Party 

Register online at 

www.wwbany.org 

Or contact dolores Gebhardt at 

dgebhardt@mccarthyfingar.com 

Jennifer Netrosio at 

jennifernetrosio@gmail.com 

with any questions 

By November 18, 2019 on-line at 

https://wwbany.org/event-3605232 

or email 

executivedirector@wwbany.org 

For questions or if you are not able 

to attend contact: 

Angela Morcone Giannini at 

agiannini@fgnylaw.com 

RSVP online at www.wwbany.org 

$20 per person* 

(Payable at the door) 

*No charge sitting Judges 

Please consider making a tax 

deductible donation to the WWBA 

Foundation, Inc. 

Please bring a new, inexpensive 

and unwrapped gift 

to be donated to an underserved 

teenager, and/or non-perishable 

boxed and canned foods to feed the 

hungry. Thank you! 

Unless otherwise indicated, events are for WWBA members and invited guests only. 

The opinions expressed by any program presenter are the presenter’s own, and do not reflect 

the official position of the WWBA. 

WWBA is a chapter of WBASNY, which is an approved provider of CLE credit. Full and partial scholarships for CLE programs based 

on financial need are available. For information on the guidelines and procedures for applying, please contact the person running 

the program. All requests are strictly confidential. All programs are for transitional credit unless the program states otherwise. 

REMEMBER, YOU CAN FIND THE WBASNY WEB PAGE 

AT WWW.WBASNY.ORG. 

PLEASE REMEMBER TO RECYCLE 

Connect 

with 

us 

THE WWBA MEMBERSHIP PERIOD FOR 

2019-2020 BEGINS ON JUNE 1, 2019. 

PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TOD 

ODAY AT 

WWW.WWBANY 

.WWBANY.ORG 

.ORG

WWBA November 2019 Newsletter - M

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