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Aimee Richter installed as president of the Brooklyn Bar Association

June 16, 2017 By Rob Abruzzese, Legal Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Aimee Richter being sworn in as president of the Brooklyn Bar Association by past President Hon. Jeffrey Sunshine. Eagle photos by Rob Abruzzese
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The Brooklyn Bar Association held an induction ceremony for its officers and newly elected trustees where Aimee Richter was sworn in as its newest president at Borough Hall on Wednesday. 

“Aimee is going to be an amazing leader for our organization,” said Andrea Bonina, a past president of the Brooklyn Bar Association (BBA). “She embodies everything that is best about the BBA. She’s kind, loving, loyal and unbelievably brilliant. She’s one of the smartest people I know.” 

Richter is a very well-respected member of the legal community who handles appeals dealing with family matrimonial law for the Appellate Division, First Department, and sits on the Character and Fitness Committee for the Appellate Division, Second Department. She also serves as a partner of and chair of the family law and matrimonial law practice area at Lee, Anav, Chung, White, Kim, Ruger & Richter LLP. 

“Those of us who train young attorneys are very happy when those attorneys come into their own and even surpass us,” said Susan L. Bender, one of Richter’s early mentors. “But in Aimee’s case — girlfriend, did you really have to pass me so fast?” 

Nearly 250 people packed into the ceremonial courtroom at Borough Hall for the event. Hon. Frank Seddio, outgoing president of the BBA, served as master of ceremonies for the event. In addition to Bonina and Bender, Hon. Barry Kamins, Steven D. Cohn and Judith White also gave brief speeches. 

“Aimee is astute, brilliant and fearless, but it wasn’t always that way,” Cohn joked. “Nieve, obscure, frightened … Aggressive, relentless, respected, but it wasn’t always that way. Agreeable, yielding Aimee who?” 

Richter was installed by Hon. Jeffrey Sunshine, a past president of the BBA. The other officers installed included David Chidekel, as president-elect; Frank V. Carone, first vice president; Anthony J. Lamberti, second vice president; Armena D. Gayle, secretary; and Richard Klass, treasurer.

New trustees sworn in included Jason L. Friedman, Marianne Bertuna, Stefano Filippazzo, Christina Golkin, Steve J. Harkavy, Gregory LaSpina, Jeffrey Miller and Hemalee J. Patel.

Richter thanked Domenick Napoletano for initially installing her as treasurer, her mentors and her family. She made a special point to thank her husband Charles “Chuck” Matusiak, whom she referred to as her best friend and love of her life. Then she held a moment of silence for the first female president of the BBA, Vivian H. Agress. 

“Vivian was our first female president back in 1987, 30 years ago,” Richter said. “In honor of Vivian this year, at our annual dinner, I’ll be presenting the first BBA Trailblazer’s Award given to deserving women and men who are pioneers innovators and trendsetters.”

Richter also talked about some of her goals for the presidency that included improving the BBA’s auditorium and integrating more youth into the organization. 

“As a young attorney, I grew up in this bar association,” Richter said. “My earliest memories are of sitting in [executive director Avery Okin’s] office in my 20s crying about some problem that I thought was the end of the world, but he never laughed and was always there for me. That’s the kind of thing a family like the bar association does.”

 

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