Craig R. Bucki
Partner
Buffalo
(716) 847-5495
cbucki@phillipslytle.com
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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.
Admitted to Practice
- New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Honors and Awards
- Selected for the Upstate New York Super Lawyers® list, 2013-2022
- 40 Under 40, Buffalo Business First, 2021
- Bar Association of Erie County Liberty Bell Award, 2017
- American Bar Association On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers Award, 2016
- Town of Amherst Conservative Party, Chairman’s Award, 2015
- Am-Pol Eagle, 2014 Citizen of the Year, Legal Field
- Jefferson B. Fordham Award for Advocacy, American Bar Association’s State and Local Government Law Section, 2013
- Columbia Law School, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
- Lawrence S. Greenbaum Prize for Best Oralist in the Harlan Fiske Stone Moot Court Competition at Columbia Law School, Winner
- Jerome Michael Jury Trial Competition at Columbia Law School, Finalist
- Induction into Phi Beta Kappa
- Induction into Pi Sigma Alpha (national political science honor society)
- Ellsworth Prize for Best Senior Essay in the Social Sciences in Jonathan Edwards College at Yale University, Winner
- All-American Witness, 2003 American Mock Trial Association National Tournament
- 2000 New York State Forensic League Champion in Extemporaneous Speaking
- National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), Brother/Sisterhood Youth Award
- Youth Leadership Erie County, Graduate
- Honoree of the New York State Bar Association 2011 Empire State Counsel® Program for Pro Bono Work
Education
- Columbia University School of Law, J.D., 2006
- Yale University, B.A., magna cum laude, 2003
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association
- Litigation Section
- Section of State & Local Government Law
- Executive Committee
- Government Law News, Co-editor
- American Bar Foundation, Fellow
- American Law Institute
- Bar Association of Erie County
- Professional Ethics Committee, Chair
- Treasurer, 2019-2020
- Deputy Treasurer, 2018-2019
- High School Mock Trial, Former Chair
- New York State Bar Association, Sustaining Member
- Municipal Law Section
- Trial Lawyers Section
- Committee on Law, Youth and Citizenship, Member and Former Chair
- Mock Trial Subcommittee, Former Member and Chair
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association
PUBLICATIONS
- Author, “The Appellate Division’s Adjudication of Challenges to Political Party Nominations in 2018, and Its Meaning for Ballot Access in New York,” Albany Law Review, Vol. 82, pp. 1101-1120, 2019
- Author, “Downsizing Done Right: Cutting the Cost of Government Through Intermunicipal Collaboration,” The Urban Lawyer, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 689-703, 2012
- Author, “Regionalism Revisited: The Effort to Streamline Governance in Buffalo and Erie County, New York,” Albany Law Review, Vol. 71, pp. 117-163, 2008
- Author, “Cracking the Code: The Legal Authority Behind Extrastatutory Debtor-in-Possession Financing Mechanisms and Their Prospects for Survival,” Columbia Business Law Review, Vol. 2005, No. 2, 2005
Representative Cases
- Matter of McHugh, 2020 WL 3478223 (Sur. Ct. Erie County June 24, 2020)
- N.Y. State Workers’ Comp. Bd. v. Episcopal Church Home & Affiliates, Inc., 64 Misc. 3d 176 (Sup. Ct. Albany County 2019)
- Matter of Town of Cheektowaga v. Rogowski, 61 Misc. 3d 587 (Sup. Ct. Erie County 2018)
- Gustke v. Nickerson, 159 A.D.3d 1573 (4th Dep’t 2018)
- Accredited Aides Plus, Inc. v. Program Risk Mgmt., Inc., 147 A.D.3d 122 (3d Dep’t 2017)
- State of New York Workers’ Comp. Bd. v. Wang, 147 A.D.3d 104 (3d Dep’t 2017)
- The Gerry Homes v. Town of Ellicott, 145 A.D.3d 1652 (4th Dep’t 2016)
- Buffamante Whipple Buttafaro, Certified Pub. Accountants, P.C. v. Dawson, 118 A.D.3d 1283 (4th Dep’t 2014)
- Birdsong Estates Homeowners Ass’n, Inc. v. D.P.S. Sw. Corp., 101 A.D.3d 1735 (4th Dep’t 2012)
- Robida v. Ziemba, 92 A.D.3d 1247 (4th Dep’t 2012)
- Spaulding Lake Club, Inc. v. Jiang, 78 A.D.3d 1668 (4th Dep’t 2010)
- Nuara v. State Workers’ Comp. Bd., 43 Misc. 3d 425 (Sup. Ct. Albany Cnty. 2010)
- Held v. State Workers’ Comp. Bd., No. 2957-08, 2008 WL 9743139 (Sup. Ct. Albany Cnty. July 7, 2008), appeal dismissed, 58 A.D.3d 971 (3d Dep’t 2009)
Present Activities
- Amherst Town Democratic Committee, Executive Committee Member, Election Inspector Coordinator
- Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc., First Vice-President, Board of Directors
- Local Rules Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, Member
- St. Gregory the Great Church, Finance Council
Past Activities
- New York State Democratic Committee, Member, 2010-2018
- Executive Committee, Member, 2014-2018
- Deborah Bruch Bucki for Amherst Town Board, Campaign Manager
- Columbia Business Law Review, Survey Editor, 2005 – 2006, Staff Member, 2004-2005
- Columbia Law School Trial Team, President, 2004 – 2005
- Columbia Law School Chapter of the American Constitution Society (ACS), Secretary, 2004-2005
- Harlem Legal Outreach Mock Trial Coach
- Yale University Department of Political Science Student Advisory Committee, Member
- Yale Debate Association, Member
- Yale Student Academic Competitions, Member
- Yale Mock Trial Association, Executive Board Member
- Buffalo Office of United States Senator Charles E. Schumer, Intern
- St. Gregory the Great School Board, Secretary
- Scripps National Spelling Bee, Former Press Desk Official
- Kosciuszko Foundation, Western New York Chapter
