Lecturer Bios
Sanford Cohen, Esq.
NYC Dept. of Consumer Affairs
Robert Silversmith, Esq.
Robert Silversmith is a founding partner of Silversmith & Associates Law Firm, PLLC originally formed in 1995 by partners from several of New York City's most prominent real estate law firms.
Over the years, Silversmith & Associates Law Firm, PLLC has expanded and now provides legal services in commercial and residential real estate litigation, real estate transactions, administrative proceedings and appellate practice.
The firm emphasizes attention to detail and communication with its clients so that client needs can be met.
Robert Silversmith is a graduate of Kenyon College and holds Juris Doctor and MBA degrees from Tulane University. In 1982, he received a Master of Law degree from New York University School of Law.
Bob's background includes Chairing the Advisory Council of the Housing Part of the Civil Court of the City of New York, as well as Chairing New York County Lawyers' Association's (NYCLA's) Judiciary Committee. His service includes membership on NYCLA's Board of Directors and he recently served a second term as chair of NYCLA's Civil Court Practice Section. He is a former chair of its Commercial Landlord-Tenant Subcommittee. Bob has been active as a member of NYCLA's Committee on Committees, which serves to guide NYCLA's many committees. He has appeared in NYCLA's Leadership manual. Bob was selected to the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 New York Super Lawyers. He was a member of NYCLA's Task Force on Judicial Budget Cuts. Bob has been involved in the real estate field for over thirty years, and is a frequent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) lecturer. He is often cited in Legal, Business and Cooperative Journals.
Robert Gillis
Professional Process Servers Llc
Larry Yellon
Larry is the current President of the New York State Professional Process Servers Association, he is also former chairman of its' educational committee. He is also the current President of the National Association of Professional Process Servers. Larry assists in education at Hofstra University Law School, where he is a guest lecturer to 3rd year law students on process serving and the commencement of actions.
Marla Tepper
Marla Tepper was appointed General Counsel of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
(DCA) in November 2005, and is also the agency's Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs. Ms. Tepper
serves as the senior legal advisor to DCA Commissioner Jonathan Mintz and also oversees DCA's largescale
litigation. In addition to her duties as chief legal officer, Ms. Tepper oversees DCA's Legal Division,
spearheading the Division's enforcement and advocacy work. She leads the agency's major
investigations of consumer fraud in debt collection, auto sales, employment agency practices, home
improvement, and more. Ms. Tepper is also actively engaged in educating consumers and businesses
about the law through public forums and seminars and provides counsel to DCA's Office of Financial
Empowerment (OFE).
Ms. Tepper came to DCA after eight years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New
York where she developed, investigated and prosecuted civil rights cases in housing, lending,
employment discrimination, disability, education, nursing home reform, prison reform and voting rights.
From 1984 to 1996, Ms. Tepper was a New York State Assistant Attorney General, first in the Litigation
Bureau, then in the Civil Rights Bureau, where one of her responsibilities was to lead a state agency task
force on affirmative action. In 1989, she was promoted to section chief in the Consumer Frauds and
Protection Bureau, supervising staff attorneys as well as continuing to investigate, litigate and negotiate
cases in deceptive advertising, health care, predatory lending, insurance and internet fraud, among
others. She began her career in the criminal appeals bureau of the Legal Aid Society of New York. Ms.
Tepper graduated from Brooklyn College and Georgetown University Law Center.
Hon. Gerald Lebovits
Gerald Lebovits has been a judge of the New York City Civil Court since 2012. Before that, he was a judge of the New York City Criminal Court from 2011-2012 and the New York City Housing Court from 2001-2010. An adjunct professor at Columbia Law School, Fordham University School of Law, and New York University School of Law, he formerly taught at St. John's University School and at New York Law School. A faculty member of the New York State Judicial Institute, he has taught opinion writing to judges and law clerks since 1993. He has authored the New York State Bar Association Journal's Legal Writer column since 2001 and has written Advanced Judicial Opinion Writing (7th ed. 2004) for the New York State Unified Court System. Judge Lebovits has given CLEs for dozens of bar associations and government organizations. He graduated from the Ottawa (LL.L.), Tulane (M.C.L.), and New York University (LL.M.) law schools.
Glenn H. Spiegel, Esq.
Mr. Spiegel is a staunch advocate for his clients and has been described as having the uncanny ability to elicit information from adversaries and witnesses. He has successfully handled and tried many complex real estate disputes, commercial litigation, landlord-tenant litigation, cooperative corporation and condominium disputes, construction-defect disputes, shareholder disputes and derivative litigation, dissolution of non-married couples and insurance coverage disputes in state, federal and bankruptcy courts. His practice focuses on complex commercial and real estate litigation, at both the trial and appellate levels and he has substantial expertise in all facets of real estate litigation.
As a skilled negotiator and a tenacious litigator, Mr. Spiegel employs a goal-oriented approach and crafts creative strategies and solutions to address challenging legal problems. In doing so, he has successfully represented commercial property owners, developers, hoteliers, small and large business owners, entertainers, professional athletes, landlords and tenants in all aspects of the firm's practice, including complex commercial litigation, landlord and tenant litigation, rent regulation, real estate development and construction, assemblages, business and partnership disputes, loft law, title issues, foreclosures, workouts, bankruptcy and broker/dealer disputes.
Mr. Spiegel’s practice also includes the representation of cooperative and condominium Boards in New York, individual shareholders and unit owners. Mr. Spiegel has acted as general counsel for intra-building disputes, all aspects of corporate representation, enforcement of sponsor obligations, negotiation and preparation of commercial leases and general litigation. In addition, Mr. Spiegel has represented clients in both residential and commercial construction disputes, including condominium associations, developers, residential home owners and contractors.
Mr. Spiegel has published articles for the Landlord-Tenant Practice Reporter and has lectured before the New York County Lawyers' Association, and the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
David Rozenholc, Esq.
David Rozenholc, principal of David Rozenholc & Associates, is an expert in real estate litigation, practicing in the field for over 30 years. Mr. Rozenholc specializes in representing commercial and residential tenants.
