William N. "Bill" La Forte

John Powers has represented the interests of catastrophically injured individuals for over 50 years. For more than 35 consecutive years, he has been selected by a nationwide vote as one of "The Best Lawyers in America" for his representation of plaintiffs in three separate areas of practice: “medical malpractice law”; “product liability litigation”; and “personal injury litigation.” In 2013, John was named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in...

Anita Pelletier is Counsel in Nixon Peabody's nonprofit practice group. She advises nonprofit organizations in matters relating to legal requirements and best practices in connection with governance and operational matters. I focus my practice on three main areas, building on over 10 years of experience assisting nonprofit clients to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible. Nonprofit Corporate Governance and Board Disputes I’ve represented organizations ranging from the very ...

Jared Lusk is a partner in our Real Estate practice group and the Managing Partner for the Rochester office of the firm. The primary focus of his practice is real estate development and municipal law, including planning and zoning. What do you focus on? Land Use/Development I enjoy representing a wide variety of landowners, developers, municipalities, retailers, public utilities, wind and other energy producers throughout New York State. Having formerly served as town attorney managing land u...

“I am in awe of the dedication, passion and talent of our provider clients. While the landscape keeps shifting, they are steadfast in their commitment to deliver quality care. To be of greater support to my clients, my goal is to view the industry through their lens.” A litigator with extensive experience, Heidi represents hospitals, health care providers, nursing homes, residential treatment facilities, licensed professionals and insurance companies in state and federal court and...

Josh Steele serves as a representative for both private and public sector employers in Pittsford, New York, covering diverse employment law matters. His experience spans from tackling wage and hour class action lawsuits to managing litigation and administrative proceedings under pivotal regulations such as Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the New York Labor and Human Rights Law. Alongside his work i...

Mr. Gaenzle is a member of the firm and practices in the Public Finance and Economic Development Practice Group and with the Real Estate Developers, Energy, and Municipalities and Local Agencies Industry Teams. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America in economic development, he focuses his legal practice on municipal and tax-exempt bond financings, including manufacturing facilities, civic facilities, CCRC communities, and low income and pooled housing projects. He also assists clients with ind...

Scott Simpson represents a broad spectrum of healthcare providers, healthcare companies, and private equity companies in connection with their transactional, regulatory, and compliance matters. Having served as in-house counsel to large institutional healthcare providers, Scott has a broad healthcare practice and takes a practical approach to solving problems for his clients to most efficiently help them accomplish their goals. My focus Healthcare Transactions I’ve worked with for-profi...

Bob Burgdorf’s practice concentrates on general real estate law, zoning, and legal services to higher education institutions. Representative clients include private developers, public utilities, college and universities, energy companies and commercial landlords and tenants. What do you focus on? Land use and zoning I have concentrated much of my practice in representing companies in contested land use and zoning projects, including securing permitting for more than 1,500 cell tower sit...

Laurie Styka Bloom represents clients in complex and commercial litigation as well as environmental based litigation claims. What do you focus on? I use my 30 years of litigation and environmental law experience to assist my clients in solving their disputes efficiently and effectively. My practice is focused on litigation arising out of environmental issues, such as alternative energy, cell tower siting and land use as well as commercial and products liability/personal injury issues. Environ...

Attorney James E. Morris is an experienced litigator and former judge who is known throughout Upstate New York for his ability to resolve complex disputes through mediation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators, an elite nationwide group of mediators and dispute resolution professionals known for their skill, ethical standards, and professional commitment. Morris is a practicing attorney with the longtime Rochester, New York law firm Morris and Morris, and has been ...