Bria Cunningham

Michael J. Hutter is a Professor of Law at Albany Law School of Union University, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1976. He is also Special Counsel to the Albany law firm of Powers & Santola, LLP. Professor Hutter is an honors graduate of Brown University and Boston College Law School. In law school, he was the Editor-In-Chief of Boston College’s law review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. After graduation, Professor Hutter served as law clerk to Judge Matthe...

Benjamin Friedman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Nonprofit / Charities Law. Benjamin, who practices law in Albany, New York, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Benjamin is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Zackary Knaub is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Environmental. Zackary, who practices law in Albany, New York, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Zackary is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Elliot Hallak brings extensive experience in handling a diverse array of legal matters, with a focus on commercial and insurance litigation. Based in Albany, New York, Elliot is part of the Harris Beach Murtha team, where he works on significant cases that cover areas such as banking disputes, life insurance issues, interpleader actions, and class-action lawsuits. His practice also involves resolving complex business conflicts, shareholder oppression cases, and property valuation disputes. In...

Peter is a partner in our Business Law department, concentrating on corporate bankruptcy cases, commercial law and banking law. With over 40 years of experience representing banks and secured lenders, Peter regularly appears in bankruptcy court for the Northern District of New York. In addition to his creditors’ rights practice, he has represented several Chapter 11 debtors and has successfully confirmed a number of Chapter 11 reorganization cases. Peter’s clients include banks, l...

Javid Afzali, based in Albany, New York at Harris Beach Murtha, provides comprehensive legal guidance in Commercial Litigation to both domestic and international businesses. His practice covers a wide range of business, real estate, land use, and environmental matters. Javid collaborates directly with company leaders and in-house counsel to navigate corporate governance, project development, and dispute resolution related to corporate and commercial matters, as well as business separations. E...

Eileen Hayes is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law. Eileen, who practices law in Albany, New York, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eileen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Steve is the founding partner and chair of the Personal Injury and Criminal Defense practices at O’Connell and Aronowitz. Under his leadership, our firm has become one of the most active personal injury and criminal defense law firms in upstate New York. Few lawyers in the area have excelled in both the personal injury and criminal defense fields. With over thirty five years of experience at the state and federal levels, Steve is considered one of the most successful trial lawyers in th...

Mathew serves as the managing partner for Harris Beach Murtha's offices located in Albany and Saratoga in New York's Capital Region. As a co-leader of the Financial Institutions Industry Team, Mathew assists clients in navigating complicated matters related to commercial real estate and lending. Collaborating with a diverse range of financial institutions, he contributes valuable insights into commercial lending and related real estate transactions. In addition to advising on transactions rel...

James T. Towne, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Construction and Litigation - Labor and Employment. James T., who practices law in Albany, New York, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.