Brooklyn Bar Association ready for July 29 Cyclones game

Chuck Otey's Pro Bono Barrister

July 13, 2015 By Charles F. Otey, Esq. Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Brooklyn Bar Association President Arthur Aidala.

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Scores — maybe hundreds — of Brooklyn Bar Association (BBA) lawyers and guests will be on hand July 29 at MCU Park on Coney Island to root on the hometown Brooklyn Cyclones as they take on the traveling Hudson Valley Renegades.

Since this will be his first big assignment after assuming the presidency, it seems only fitting that new BBA President Arthur Aidala have the honor of throwing out the first pitch.

As a proven performer in contested courtroom forays who is also reputed to be a fairly decent athlete, kicking off the game with a high, hard one should not even be a minor challenge for Aidala. He’s used to playing under pressure.

Though he may not cut quite the notable figure on the mound as did his predecessor, Rebecca Woodland, he will be aided and abetted by his own very capable slate of officers, including President-Elect Hon. Frank Seddio, First Vice President Aimee Richter, Second Vice President Dave Chidekel, Secretary Hon. Frank Carone and Treasurer Anthony Lamberti.

If this directive is to be heeded, of course, the job and details will immediately fall into the capable hands of BBA Executive Director Avery Okin. Should any legal advice be required, Aidala and Okin can always call upon Justice Arthur Schack, who, before his ascension to the bench, was an attorney for Major League Baseball. (Aside: As we told Justice Schack years ago, “Why anyone would leave a position as a lawyer for the major leagues for any other job outside baseball is a true puzzlement!” His singular performance since then indicates a win for the judicial system.)

As of this writing, the Cyclones have a 13-5 record and are fresh off a 5-2 win over the Renegades, played up in Hudson Valley.

The $25 ticket involves not only admission, but a free baseball hat and an official BBA T-shirt or polo shirt. While sizes cannot be guaranteed at this late date, those interested should go the BBA website and fill out the form required.

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Bay Ridge Lawyers’ Battle to Maintain Closers’ Pickup Fees Helps Score a Victory for Lawyers, Clients in Albany

“Pro Bono” readers will hopefully recall the recent report here detailing the well-organized effort by the Bay Ridge Lawyers Association (BRLA) to defeat a troublesome and unnecessary proposed state regulation that would cause problems for lawyers and clients at real estate closings.

The timely Albany initiative of the BRLA, carried out during the term of immediate past president Lisa Becker, was a campaign to thwart a change in regulations that would eliminate a longtime practice: the awarding of closers’ pickup fees at real estate closings, a procedure that has worked smoothly and effectively for decades.

Over the decades, the closers — who play key roles at each transaction — have relied on these pickup fees to sustain their income. And, as one barrister confided, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

After consulting with her board, Becker immediately directed a thoughtful and urgent message to select local state legislators, including Sen. Marty Golden and Assemblymembers Nicole Malliotakis and Alec Brook-Krasny, who recently resigned from his post.

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Becker’s Appeal Was Heard, Heeded in Albany

Here’s some of what Becker wrote to Golden, Malliotakis and Brook-Krasny:

“The Bay Ridge Lawyers Assoc-iation is a bar association formed in 1954. Most of the association’s approximately 225 members live or work in the Bay Ridge area (i.e.your [political] district). Its primary goal is to educate members of the bar and elevate the standards and integrity of the legal profession. Many of our members are familiar with real estate transactions. I am writing to call your attention to Regulation 208 of 11 NYCRR 227, recently proposed by the NYS Department of Financial Services.

“Our group is asking you to contact [the State Insurance Superintendent] … and the governor’s Deputy Secretary George Haggerty and urge them NOT to enact this regulation as it is [currently] written. I would also appreciate if you would contact the chairman of the insurance committee and your leadership to seek their help preventing this unworkable and disruptive regulation from being adopted.

“Regulation 208, as proposed, will increase costs to our clients and interfere with our attorney-client relationship. In addition, Regulation 208 contains several technical errors that obscure options to title insurance applicants and create ambiguity in the relationships and duties of the transacting parties.”

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Troublesome Rule Is Now Down and Probably Out!

“As a result of the numerous letters of opposition, implementation of Reg. 208 has been delayed and we were told that a revised set of regulations will be issued,” a spokesperson for the BRLA told us this week. “When the revised set will be published and opened up to the public for comment is anybody’s guess.”

In Albany, such a positive result is regarded as an overwhelming victory. Well done, BRLA!

Since then, a new slate of officers, under President Grace Borrino has taken command. Officers moving up in the chairs, so to speak, are Steve Spinelli, Margaret Stanton and Joseph Vasile.

Serving on the BRLA board are Hon. Elizabeth Bonina, Anna Tepedino, Helen Galette, Aileen Fox, Stephen Chiaino, Lorenzo Lugara and Mary Ann Stathopoulos. Honorary directors are Vincent Caccese and Carl Tavolacci.

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Katy Tur Interview Shows Donald Trump as Ultimate Bully

Whoever doubted that Donald Trump is a poorly informed, thoughtless bully should go online to view the full half-hour one-on-one interview conducted by NBC’s Katy Tur.

While Tur — who just a few years back could be seen scurrying around Brooklyn carrying her own camera for Channel 12 to get stories — was polite, smiling, patient and, in truth, a bit flummoxed by the “Bully-In-Chief,” she held her ground despite the ravings, interruptions and (often repeated) misstatements of this intellectually challenged, self-proclaimed billionaire.

In truth, Trump never answered one question fully. He would rant, often at Tur and the media, at Hillary Clinton, the Chinese and even the Mexicans. (He still can’t let up on that, no matter how grossly miserable his infamous words were and still are being contradicted and stirring ire among Hispanics in particular and intelligent, sentient beings in general.)

Trump always claims he started out with practically nothing, willfully ignoring that he was trained and financed by a real estate mogul millionaire — his dad!

His rise in almost meaningless polls — which are driven by name recognition much more than acceptance of his ridiculous self-promotion and racist utterings — is cited and accepted, piecemeal, by the 24/7 cable television world, which fills its cycle largely with cheap talk. And Trump is the standard-bearer for cheap and usually misconceived talk.

What Trump is really doing is distracting voters, while Republican candidates want to focus on the likely Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton. In this writer’s opinion, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush should have emulated the late, great Harry Truman, who publicly threatened to “punch in the face” a critic who panned his daughter’s piano playing skills.

Trump is also baring an ugly reality about modern-day politics: instead of speaking openly and honestly on critical issues, candidates play to various blocs at various times, which is why they all seem so mealy-mouthed when called upon to speak out clearly on a vital issue or to inveigh against demogogues like Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz.