PRACTICE AREAS
Colleran, O'Hara & Mills L.L.P. has represented private and public sector Labor Unions since its inception in 1963.
The firm’s history and tradition is rooted in the labor movement. COH&M represents Labor Unions in various fields of the
construction and service industries, and in the public sector, as well as local, city and state level umbrella organizations.
COH&M is a full service labor law practice, experienced and qualified to serve the legal needs that unions face today, COH&M represents
Labor Unions in all aspects of their dealings with employers, government agencies and other labor organizations. COH&M attorneys are
experienced litigators in both State and Federal Court and frequently appear before the Department of Labor, the Public Employment Relations
Board and the National Labor Relations Board. COH&M’s labor attorneys handle a variety of issues facing Unions such as jurisdictional
disputes, unfair labor practices, fair representation claims, and discrimination claims.
Among the services and counsel that COH&M provides to its clients:
- LABOR LAW
Labor Law is a broad field covering labor-management relations and internal union issues in the public and private sectors. COH&M’S labor attorneys handle a variety of issues facing Unions in both the public and private sector, such as organizing drives, jurisdictional disputes, unfair labor practices, fair representation claims and discrimination claims.
COH&M’s attorneys provide counsel to our private sector clients regarding issues arising under the National Labor Relations Act, the Labor Management Relations Act, the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York State Labor Laws. To this end, we have represented our clients before the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board, as well as litigating cases in both state and federal court.
In the public sector, COH&M’s attorneys counsel clients regarding issues arising under New York State’s Taylor Law. Our attorneys frequently appear before the New York State Public Employment Relations Board to represent our clients during representation and unfair labor practice proceedings.
- ERISA & EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
In addition to representing Labor Unions, the firm represents Taft-Hartley employee benefit plans including pension, annuity, health, apprenticeship, vacation, scholarship and other fringe benefit funds. The firm advises plans on a variety of matters including plan design, day-to-day operations and compliance with ERISA and other federal laws. We also represent and assist employee benefit clients in connection with issues involving the DOL and the IRS, the enforcement of fiduciary liability insurance policies and the development of procedures and practices in satisfaction of fiduciary duties.
The firm also handles the collection of contributions from delinquent employers who have failed to make timely benefit contributions to the respective benefit funds or submit to an audit as per the employer’s signed collective bargaining agreement with the Union. To achieve this end, COH&M has brought employers before arbitrators, Joint Trade Boards, and when necessary, has pursued these matters before Federal Courts.
- LITIGATION
At COH&M our experience and dedication to clients’ needs is essential to our litigation practice. COH&M’s attorneys have represented our clients as plaintiff’s counsel and defense counsel, in both Federal and State courts throughout New York and New Jersey. We provide our services to our clients during all phases of litigation, including settlement negotiations, pre-trial and appeal phases. When appropriate to do so, COH&M files amicus briefs in appellate matters which have an impact on its clients.
- ARBITRATION
Experience with Alternative Dispute Resolution is essential in the field of labor law, especially in contract enforcement. COH&M’s attorneys regularly appear before Joint Trade Boards on behalf of its clients and provide representation at arbitration proceedings. Our attorneys have handled arbitrations arising from disciplinary grievances as well as contractual disputes arising from the meaning or interpretation of the terms contained in the CBA. COH&M has also pursued arbitration under the terms of Collective Bargaining Agreements to collect delinquent benefit contributions owed by employers to the respective employee benefit funds. When necessary, COH&M’s attorneys have also appeared in State and Federal courts seeking enforcement of the arbitrator’s awards.
- COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Collective bargaining is an essential component of effective labor representation. Our experience with labor-management relations, along with our understanding of the wants and needs of Labor Unions, allows us to effectively represent clients’ interests during collective bargaining negotiations. Our attorneys are dedicated to protecting the needs of our clients through all stages of negotiations, including preparation and bargaining sessions through ratification by the membership.
Throughout its practice, COH&M has been involved with the negotiation of contracts for the following areas:
- Structural Steel (from Montauk to Albany)
- Insulation
- Stone, Marble and Tile
- Transportation, buses, including school service, etc. throughout New York City and all of Long Island and Westchester
- Ornamental and Architectural Iron Work in New York City, Westchester and all of Long Island
- Civil Service Firefighters in New York City, Westchester and Long Island
- REAL ESTATE
Our Firm is a full service real estate firm and has extensive experience representing clients for residential and commercial real estate closings. In addition to representing private clients, our firm currently closes loans for the lending institutions listed below:
Amalgamated Bank, Bank of America, N.A., Citibank, N.A., First Nationwide Mortgage Corp., GMAC Mortgage Corp., GreenPoint Mortgage Funding, Inc., Homecomings Financial, Homeside Lending, Inc., HSBC Mortgage Corporation (USA), Indymac Bank, OceanFirst Bank, Option One Mortgage Corp., Signature Bank, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Corp., Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc., USA Bank, and others.
The firm has also created a unique mortgage lending entity named Ironequity, Inc. a lending corporation wholly owned by a tax exempt Taft-Hartley Pension Fund and a tax exempt Taft-Hartley Annuity Fund, making loans to participants as an investment.
Our firm works with several loan officers who have and continue to assist union members in both the private and public sectors achieve their dream of homeownership. These loan officers pride themselves not just on their ability to place union members in the right type of loan, but more importantly, on their ability to assist union members repair their credit scores and to educate union members at home buying seminars often times at union meetings. The following loan officers have received positive reviews from union members:
John Prom (REMN)
More to be added.To find out how we can assist you, please contact Michael D. Jew at
(516) 248-5757 or by e-mail at MDJ@cohmlaw.com.