Bar/Professional Activity:

• Managing Partner of Litigation Department
• Mr. Buss sits as an Arbitrator for the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of N.Y. Mr. Buss has been a member of the Federal Bar Council, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the New York State Bar Association, and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association as well as the Association of Corporate Counsel. Mr. Buss began his legal career as a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow and as staff counsel for the Public Utility Law Project (PULP). He served as the Governor’s appointee and Chair of the New York State Low Income Energy Assistance Block Grant Advisory Committee, and a Board Member of the NYS Weatherization Program Advisory Council and the Title XX Block Grant Advisory Council; performed a legal compliance audit of a regulated New York utility on behalf of the NYS Attorney General; was a member of the NY Attorney General’s Martin Act Task Force; served on the NYS Bar Association SubCommittee recommending changes to the Mitchell-Lama Housing program; and is active in numerous community, charitable, educational and public organizations.

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Mr. Buss served as a member of the Pro Bono Discretionary Appeal Panel for the U.S. 2d Circuit Court of Appeals  and for the Pro Bono Panel for the U.S. District of the Southern District of N.Y.

Verdicts and Settlements:

• Interesting cases handled by Mr. Buss include: Weissman v. Hassett, 47 B.R. 462, (judicial immunity for bankruptcy trustee); In re OPM Leasing Services, 35 B.R. 854 & 48 B.R. 824, (right to a jury trial in fraudulent transfer litigation); Manti v. NYCTA, 165 A.D.2d 373 & 568 N.Y.S.2d 16, (right of private business to recover damages under the civil rights laws for competitive injury caused by governmental agency); Robinson v. Olivarez, 659 F.2d 1061, (right of tenants to participate in federal energy assistance program); Seidman v. Merchants Bank, 214 A.D.2d 109 & 631 N.Y.S.2d 309, (bank liability for improper set off against corporate pension fund); Nadler v. FDIC, 899 F.Supp. 158 & 92 F.3d 93, (scope of the financial and trade secret exemption to the Freedom of Information Act); Gold v. Feinberg, 1996 WL 743354 (E.D.N.Y.) & 97 F.3d 680, (1983 action challenging state judicial primary requires willfull or knowing conduct and state law provides adequate remedy; Nicolai v McKay, Nicolai v Kelleher, 2007 WL 5826072 (N.Y. Supp.), and Nicolai v Kelleher II, 45 A.D.3d 964 & 844 N.Y.S.2d 508, (standing of judicial candidates to challenge nominating convention); Farrell v Sunderland, 173 Misc.2d 787 & 662 N.Y.S.2d 381, (NYS ballot access law);  DaSilva v Kinsho International Corp, 229 F.3d 358, (supplemental jurisdiction of federal courts to determine state discrimination claim); Annabi v the City of Yonkers, 47 A.D.3d 856, (failure of municipality to refer ordinance to county planning board is jurisdictional defect precluding land use development); the Congregation Yetev Lev d’Satmar cases; 31 A.D.3d 480;  820 N.Y.S.2d 69;  9 N.Y.3d 297; 879 N.E.2d 731;  849 N.Y.S.2d 192; 308 A.D.2d 446; 764 N.Y.S.2d 204; 9N.Y.3d 282; 879 N.E.2d 1282; 849 N.Y.S.2d463; 308 A.D.2d 447; & 764 N.Y.S.2d 140, (5 trial court, 4 Appellate Division and 2 Court of Appeal decisions establishing New York law on the non-justiciability of internal religious controversies and the separation of church and state); HSBC v. Sofer (2010)(improper assignment and lack of standing defeat mortgage foreclosure); First National Bank of Chicago v Silver, 73 AD3d 172 (2010) (failure to follow notice requirements under NY Home Equity Theft Protection Act defeats residential mortgage foreclosure); Cylich v Riverbay, 74 AD3d 646 (2010) (failure to join necessary parties to board election dispute defeats challenge); and Brodsky v Board of Managers of Dag Hammerskold Plaza, 1 Misc.3d 591 & 765 N.Y.S.2d 227, (use of proxies to defeat quorum in corporate election), .

Transactions:

• During the last year, Mr. Buss represented an affordable housing complex in the refinancing of a $555 Million dollar mortgage, believed to be the largest single residential coopertive refinancing in the City of New York. Presently, Mr. Buss is negotiating an estimated $600 Million dollar residential refinancing with HUD, the City of New York, and the State of New York.  

Representative Clients:

• Mr. Buss is currently General Counsel for the Riverbay Corporation, commonly known as Coop City, the largest affordable housing complex in the United States, and for the Vostecs Corporation, a multi-national energy services and technology firm.