Legal Brief   FIRM NEWSLETTER
February 2017
Table of Contents
Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP is a premier law firm with offices in Ronkonkoma and Bridgehampton, NY.  We do not seek to be the largest law firm as measured by number of lawyers or offices.   Instead, we strive to be the firm of choice for clients with respect to their most challenging legal issues, most significant business transactions, and most critical disputes. Over the past generation, our attorneys have played a central role in the most critical legal issues and transactions affecting Long Island.
DISCLAIMER:
The information contained in this newsletter is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. The firm provides legal advice and other services only to persons or entities with which it has established an attorney-client relationship. No recipients of information from this newsletter, clients or otherwise, should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in this newsletter without seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from an attorney licensed in the recipient's state. The content of this newsletter contains general information and may not reflect current legal developments. The firm disclaims all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the contents of this newsletter.
 
 
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CMM & CAMPOLO AGAIN AWARDED TOP TITLES OF BEST LAW FIRM AND BEST LAWYER ON LONG ISLAND!
The Long Island business community has spoken, once again awarding Campolo, Middleton & McCormick and Managing Partner Joe Campolo with the top titles of 2017 Best Law Firm on Long Island and Best Lawyer on Long Island.
NEGOTIATION 
Negotiating Tips for the President
Donald Trump holds himself out as a master negotiator and "dealmaker," frustrated by the gridlock of Washington politics.
 
Boy, did he pass up a great opportunity to demonstrate these so-called skills with his insistence that Betsy DeVos become the next Secretary of Education.  The same can be said for Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer - another high-powered politician from whom you'd expect superb negotiating skills - who also missed a major opportunity to strike a win-win compromise.
COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
Sanctions Issued Against Party for Spoliation of Evidence
A crucial issue for any business that is named in a lawsuit or is on notice that it will be named in a lawsuit is the preservation of evidence and specifically electronically stored information ("ESI").  Attorneys will typically send "litigation hold" letters to their own clients or opposing parties in litigation to ensure that all steps are taken to preserve all documents and ESI that could be relevant to the litigation.  Essentially, businesses are instructed that nothing should be deleted, removed, modified, etc. by anyone within the company while the litigation is pending.  
CYBERSECURITY
A New Cybersecurity Reality for the New York Insurance and Financial Services Industries 
On March 1, 2017, the New York financial services industry will awaken to a new regulatory regime designed to set minimum standards for the development and functionality of cybersecurity programs.  The New York State Department of Financial Services' ("DFS") proposed cybersecurity regulation (the "DFS Rule") will cover any institution doing business in New York pursuant to a license, registration, charter, or similar authority under New York's Banking, Insurance, or Financial Services Laws.  Companies outside the financial services sector should also take heed, as regulators overseeing other industries may use the DFS regulations as a benchmark for what a "reasonable" cybersecurity program looks like.  
Do You Really Need A Revocable Trust?
For many years now I've heard many attorneys tout the virtues of revocable or "living" trusts over Wills.  But, with the added expense, is the trust really necessary?  In many cases, no!  Now don't get me wrong, there are many times when a revocable trust is the way to go, but there should be a need for it, not just a knee-jerk reaction or a scare tactic.
GREAT  REPRESENTATIONS
CMM Represents IT Leader ServiceAide in Funding Round Led by Arrowroot Captial
ServiceAide, Inc., a leader in IT Service Management for small and medium businesses globally, recently announced that it has completed the first installment of a $12 million funding round led by Arrowroot Capital.   Campolo, Middleton & McCormick represented ServiceAide in the funding round.  CMM partner Christine Malafi led a corporate team that also included  Don Rassiger, Vincent Costa, Edward Karan, and Vicki Gruber.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
As proud supporters and patrons of the Staller Center for the Arts, we are pleased to offer our friends and clients a special discount of $5 off regular price tickets to the Thursday, March 9, 8 p.m., performance featuring singer, songwriter and pianist Peter Cincotti. Use coupon code CMMLLP at checkout. Online purchases only.
Since 1968, LIMBA has been Long Island's catalyst for economic investment and improvement, sponsoring lively breakfast forums featuring Long Island business activists and government officials. Please join us at these upcoming LIMBA events. 

LEE ZELDIN, U.S. Representative, 1st Congressional District of New York
Friday, March 3: Q&A with a Congressman by Joe Campolo
 
COLONEL MIKE CANDERS, PhD, ATP, MEI
Aviation Center Director at Farmingdale State College
Friday, March 17: Aviation Concerns about Privately Owned Drones
 
KEN DALY, President, National Grid
Friday, March 31: Building out the Gas Supply System
 
DR. W. HUBERT KEEN, President,  Nassau Community College
Friday, April 14: Rebuilding the Curriculum
 
VINCENT DEMARCO, Sheriff of Suffolk County, New York
Friday, April 28:  Drugs and Gangs in Suffolk County
CLIENTS  IN  THE NEWS
Fuze, the leading cloud-based communications solution for the modern global enterprise, recently announced it has closed $104 million in financing. The new capital will be used to continue expanding internationally and to fund product innovation for Fuze's enterprise customer segment.
A Vending Machine Veteran Believes His Prototypes Can Beat Amazon Go at Grab-and-Go Shopping
Four years ago, Thomas Murn started developing a new concept and a new company, ViaTouch Media, which started selling a prototype of a new $6,000 vending machine six months ago. Equipped to sell food, drinks and hard goods, it has video monitors that describe products, sensors to prevent theft, and a credit card mechanism that levies charges when items are removed. In May, Murn plans to introduce two inventory tracking systems, Intelli-Wall and Intelli-Shelf. When shoppers pluck items from the store wall or shelf, the items register in a digital wallet on shoppers' phones, allowing them to pay without a cashier. 
FIRM NEWS & EVENTS
McCormick Elected to Serve as Twenty-First Dean of the Suffolk Academy of Law
CMM partner Patrick McCormick has been elected and will be installed as the Suffolk Academy of Law's twenty-first Dean on June 2, 2017 at the Larkfield, East Northport, New York.  In this role, McCormick will spearhead educational programs for one of the largest voluntary bar associations in New York State.
Middleton Elected to  East End Arts Board of Directors
Scott D. Middleton, a founding partner and trial attorney at CMM, has been elected to the Board of Directors of  East End Arts, an award-winning nonprofit committed to enriching the community through the arts. As a board member, Middleton will work to further the nonprofit's core values of leadership, collaboration, access, and education.
CMM East End Business Breakfast on March 9:  "Never Eat Alone: Put Your Network to Work"
More than 250 business professionals joined us in January for our Business Breakfast kickoff when Joe Campolo shared an inside look at his strategies for relationship building. Due to the overwhelming response, we are now offering this program to our colleagues, friends, and clients on the East End. 

Ten years ago, Joe Campolo was months away from launching the law firm that would become Campolo, Middleton & McCormick when Never Eat Alone was first published.  Trying to broaden his focus from the very niche tech space he had just left, Campolo knew he needed to build a network - so he bought a copy of Never Eat Alone and used it as a framework to build his network, one relationship at a time.  Join us for breakfast as Campolo revisits the book a decade later, exploring what he learned, what worked, what didn't, and how his networking has evolved over the years.  Learn how to put your own network to work for you in 2017 with this personal look at powerful networking strategies. Please join us on Thursday, March 9, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. at Stony Brook Southampton, Chancellor's Hall, Duke Lecture Hall, 39 Tuckahoe Road, Southampton.
Newsday Covers Protegrity Advisors M&A Panel Moderated By Campolo
Members of the Long Island business community gathered on February 21 for the Protegrity Advisors Annual M&A Update. The well-attended event featured a panelist discussion, moderated by Joe Campolo, about how the Trump administration will affect the 2017 M&A market. 
Campolo Featured in Newsday Article Focusing on Storytelling in Business
Long Island businesses are using storytelling to engage and lead their employees, customers, and prospects. Read what Joe Campolo thinks about storytelling and the importance of a strong work ethic in the recent Newsday article, "LI Business are Using Storytelling to Sell, Market and Lead."
Campolo to be a Headline Speaker at LIBN Business Growth Expo on March 15
Do you want to reach hundreds of Long Island business owners all in one day?  The LIBN Business Growth Expo is a business-to-business conference and networking event that offers the opportunity to develop new leads and customers and to give your brand visibility in the Long Island marketplace. 

Join us from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. as CMM Managing Partner Joe Campolo presents "Never Eat Alone: Put Your Network to Work."

The event will take place on March 15, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at Carlyle on the Green, 99 Quaker Meeting House Rd, Farmingdale, NY. Admission is FREE.
Register here for LIBN expo.
Register here  for Never Eat Alone seminar.
Kanter-Lawrence Recognized with Excellence in Communication Award
Long Island Business News has recognized Lauren Kanter-Lawrence , Esq., the firm's Director of Communications, as an "In-House Marketing & Communications Professional Leader" with an Excellence in Communication Award.  The Awards recognize top industry professionals for distinction in marketing, communications, public relations, website, and graphic design.  The honorees will be celebrated at an awards ceremony and breakfast at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury on March 22, 2017 at 8:00 a.m.
St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center Welcomes McDonald 
The firm is pleased to announce that attorney  William McDonald  has joined the Community Advisory Board of  St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center  in Smithtown. McDonald chairs CMM's  Healthcare  practice, giving him critical insight he will rely on to carry out his duties on the Community Advisory Board.  In this role, McDonald will promote the general welfare of the hospital by educating the public about the hospital's improvements and special projects and sharing its plans to continue serving as a central asset in the Smithtown community.
Poe Presents at Commercial Drafting CLE on March 16
CMM's Joseph K. Poe will join an esteemed panel of attorneys to present key issues in effective document drafting. Poe's discussion will focus on one of the most overlooked provisions in commercial agreements: the arbitration clause. The program will be held on March 16, 2017, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Suffolk County Bar Association Center, 560 Wheeler Rd, Hauppauge. 

Troung Leads IP Seminar on March 29
Eryn Truong, chair of the firm's  Intellectual Property department, will lead a seminar on patents, trademarks, and copyrights and the importance of protecting your intellectual property on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at the Stony Brook Small Business Development Center, 1512 Development Drive #17, RSS Building, Room 146, Research and Development Park, Stony Brook. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
CMM Sponsors CEO Roundtable on March 30
Mark your calendar! Please join us on March 30, 2017 from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. for  HIA-LI's  CEO Roundtable featuring Jim Coughlan of Tritec Real Estate . 

Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP

4175 Veterans Memorial Highway
Ronkonkoma, New York 11779

2495 Montauk Highway
Bridgehampton, New York 11932

Phone: (631) 738-9100
Fax: (631) 738-0659