Phillips Lytle LLP Elects Three Attorneys from Its Buffalo Office to the Firm’s Partnership

PHILLIPS LYTLE LLP ELECTS THREE ATTORNEYS FROM ITS BUFFALO OFFICE TO THE FIRM’S PARTNERSHIP 

Craig R. Bucki, Kelly E. Marks and Jennifer A. Shah were elected to partnership, effective January 1, 2015

Buffalo, N.Y. – Phillips Lytle LLP, a premier regional law firm that is recognized nationally for its legal excellence, elected three attorneys from its Buffalo office to the firm’s partnership, effective January 1, 2015.

The firm extended the offer of partnership to six attorneys, from four of its offices, as a reflection of their hard work, dedication, firm citizenship and many accomplishments.

Mr. Bucki focuses his practice on litigation involving state and municipal government, public authorities, and other quasi-governmental entities. In this practice area, Mr. Bucki has experience in prosecuting disciplinary hearings against public employees, representing political candidates in election law disputes, challenging the constitutionality of state statutes and municipal ordinances, obtaining review of the decisions of state and municipal agencies in special proceedings pursuant to Article 78 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules, and advising governmental clients concerning issues of governance and compliance with state law. Mr. Bucki also devotes a portion of his practice to representing business entities in commercial disputes and homeowners’ associations in enforcing real property covenants

He received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University.

Mr. Bucki selected for the Upstate New York Super Lawyers® list, 2013-2014 and was also presented with the American Bar Association’s State and Local Government Law Section’s 2013 Jefferson B. Fordham Award for Advocacy.

Mr. Bucki presently serves as an executive committee member and election inspection coordinator for the Amherst Town Democratic Committee. He also serves as secretary of the Western New York Chapter of the Kosciuszko Foundation, and the St. Gregory the Great School Board.

Ms. Marks is a tax attorney practicing in the areas of partnership and corporate tax; real estate investment trust tax; and the taxation of exempt organizations, mergers and acquisitions, private equity deals, joint ventures, equity compensation, and litigation settlements. She has expertise in New York State tax law, including sales and use tax.

Ms. Marks has experience in providing tax advice to exempt organizations, including hospitals, educational organizations, scientific research institutions, and health maintenance organizations, regarding joint ventures, tax-exempt financings, formation and application for exempt status, and general tax regulatory compliance. She has also advised exempt organizations on not-for-profit governance issues.

Ms. Marks has provided tax advice in connection with asset, stock and equity sales; stock offerings and private placements; and executive compensation, including deferred and equity compensation.

Ms. Marks earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Albany Law School of Union University and also earned an Advanced Corporate Tax Certificate from New York University School of Law. She earned an M.B.A. and a B.S. cum laude, from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

She has been listed in Business First of Buffalo and Buffalo Law Journal’s Who’s Who In Law.

Ms. Marks serves a chair of Buffalo Irish Classical Theatre Company’s Endowment Committee. Ms. Marks has served as a member of the theatre’s 22-member Board of Trustees since 2010. She is also a member of the Greater Buffalo Chapter of the American Red Cross board of directors.

Ms. Shah focuses her practice on complex federal and state litigation, including products liability and commercial matters. She served as a trial attorney in the Torts Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division, where she defended the United States Government in a wide range of tort cases.

In November, Ms. Shah received the Volunteer Lawyers Project’s 2014 Litigation Award. She was also among a group of 12 Phillips Lytle LLP attorneys honored by the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) for their pro bono work under the auspices of the Empire State Counsel® Program for 2013.

She earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law, where she served as managing editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. She earned her B.A., cum laude, from Williams College.

Ms. Shah serves as secretary of the Explore & More Children’s Museum. She previously served as co-chair of the International Rett Syndrome Foundation’s Hustle for a Cure for several years.