Member News

(Rochester, NY): Bond, Schoeneck & King is pleased to announce that eight highly accomplished attorneys from Boylan Code LLP have joined Bond’s Rochester office. This group of attorneys brings many years of cumulative experience and successful representation in the areas of trust and estate, litigation, business and transactions, real estate, municipal law and more. Kathleen T. Hoppin (Katie) and Jeremy P. Sedelmeyer have joined the firm as members (partners), Michael F. Buckley, Ralph J. Code III (Buz), Mark A. Costello, David K. Hou and Alan S. Lockwood have joined as of counsel attorneys and Christine Decker has joined the firm as an associate.

“Bond is thrilled to welcome this group of esteemed attorneys from Boylan Code,” Brian J. Butler, chair of Bond’s management committee, said. “Their shared commitment to excellence will enhance our ability to serve our clients and strengthen the firm in the Rochester region and beyond. We look forward to sharing in their continued success.”

Edward P. Hourihan Jr., Bond’s Rochester office managing member, added, “We are delighted to welcome the Boylan Code attorneys and staff and excited about the continued growth of the Rochester office. The culture we have created here is welcoming, collaborative and engaging, and I’m hopeful these eight new Bond attorneys will quickly feel at home here.”

Buz Code, a founding partner of Boylan Code said, “After 50 successful years at Boylan Code, we are eager for the next challenge at Bond and are excited to see what the future holds.”

Michael F. Buckley has specialized in all aspects of estate planning and administration for many years in New York and Florida. His practice focuses on complex estate planning, business succession and estate and trust administration. He concentrates on insurance trust and estate and tax planning for professionals and owners of closely held businesses. His experience includes representing charities and others in estate litigation, tax and succession planning for physicians and other professionals and preparing and implementing life insurance trusts. Buckley has also been very involved in the Rochester community throughout his career and is currently the board president of Daystar Kids.

Ralph J. Code, III (Buz) has focused his practice in estate planning and estate and trust administration for over 50 years. He has also served on the boards of numerous community organizations and is Trustee Emeritus for the Seneca Park Zoo Society and Lifespan of Greater Rochester. Code has also lectured for local bar association programs and community groups on various aspects of estate and tax planning and estate administration, as well as business succession planning.

Mark A. Costello has more than 40 years of experience handling a variety of civil litigation matters, including matters involving easements and other land disputes, public and private contracts, construction, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and many years of experience representing national and regional lenders in commercial banking disputes. For the past 11 years, Costello has handled municipal tax foreclosures and continues to represent municipalities in prosecuting tax foreclosures and defending municipalities in defending claims arising out of those foreclosures. Costello has extensive experience representing landowners in handling real property disputes regarding a variety of issues, including easement-right-of-way disputes and land conveyance disputes and has lectured many times locally and nationally regarding commercial foreclosures and workouts.

Christine Decker assists individuals, families and business owners in preparing for their future by using a variety of planning strategies. She concentrates her practice on estate planning, taxation and trust and estate administration. Decker received her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, where she graduated with a certificate in advanced property studies. While in law school, she was a student attorney with the Sherman F. Levey Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, representing low-income taxpayers in administrative proceedings before the IRS and in judicial proceedings before the United States Tax Court.

Kathleen T. Hoppin (Katie) focuses on the areas of elder law and trust and estate, which includes Medicaid and long-term care planning, guardianship proceedings and estate planning and administration. She also has experience in the area of professional legal ethics (primarily conflicts of interest) and civil litigation.

David K. Hou focuses on representing municipalities and governmental agencies, particularly with respect to municipal boards, planning, zoning and litigation matters. Hou also represents clients in complex commercial litigation matters, employment and intellectual property matters. His practice includes advising clients on matters involving confidential information, noncompetition covenants and trade secrets and counseling clients and litigating claims on matters involving federal and state discrimination and employee benefits. He has significant experience representing clients in state and federal courts, including bench and jury trials, appellate practice as well as alternative dispute resolution.

Alan S. Lockwood concentrates in business and corporate finance matters, including private placement of securities, mergers and acquisitions and business succession planning. He represents business clients in merger and acquisition transactions, private offerings of debts and equity securities for both startup and established businesses, conventional source debt financing, venture capital investment, public sector finance (industrial development bond financing) and initial public offerings of equity securities.

Jeremy P. Sedelmeyer focuses his practice on estate planning and taxation, trust and estate administration, special needs planning, elder law, Medicaid and asset protection planning. Sedelmeyer counsels individuals and families in all aspects of estate and business succession planning, including assisting with any long-term health care, elder law, Medicaid or special needs issues that may arise before or during planning. He is a frequent lecturer and contributor at different community events on various estate planning, elder law, estate and trust administration and special needs planning topics.

Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC is an Am Law 200 law firm with more than 300 lawyers serving individuals, companies, nonprofits and public sector entities in a broad range of practice areas. Bond has 15 offices, including 11 in New York State, as well as in Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Kansas. For more information, visit bsk.com.