Scott J. Kreppein Attorney-at-Law

I work as outside or special counsel to local governments and other municipal entities throughout Long Island, often in matters involving sensitive or policy-oriented issues. 

I regularly appear before federal and state courts and administrative agencies, and have a strong background with zoning, land use, and real property related matters, including environmental issues. 

While most of my work in this area is for the government, and I would have a conflict in taking adverse claims against most of the local governments on Long Island, I would be interested in assisting private clients outside of Long Island, including against the City of New York (which I did a fair amount of early in my career), or assisting with interesting or meaningful issues around the country. 

The most lucrative part of my practice consists of real estate transactions and litigation. 

My private clients include non-institutional lenders, investors, developers, brokerages, appraisal firms, condominium sponsors, homeowners associations, contractors, engineers, architects, and others.  I also do related work for governments, as well as insurance carriers when complex property issues are intertwined with covered claims. 

Aside from borrowing against or buying and selling properties, I regularly handle real estate related litigation, including quiet title actions, contract disputes, boundary-line disputes, and other equitable or declaratory actions.  I have experience with administrative agency matters, including licensing or disciplinary issues with the Department of State, and civil rights matters before the New York State Division of Human Rights and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

One of my professional goals is to practice more before the U.S. Supreme Court.  I have worked on or opposed several certiorari petitions, and would love the opportunity to work on merits or amicus briefs, including on a pro bono basis for deserving charities or good causes.

I regularly practice before the U.S Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and before New York State's appellate courts.  

Constitutional and civil rights work can be an extremely rewarding area where I often have the opportunity to deal with important issues and address intriguing or cutting edge legal questions.   

Over the years, I have litigated extensively over the Equal Protection Clause, Due Process Clauses, First Amendment, and other constitutional issues; and have also delved deeply into federal and state civil rights laws.  

Tort law was my first niche practice area.  During law school I received both a first year award and graduation prize for it.  Then, early in my career, I worked with some of the best trial attorneys in the country, regularly tried cases in (and against) the City, and gained a lot of interesting experience with mass torts and class actions.  

As my practice has evolved over time, personal injury work has always remained part of it, either with an occasional plaintiff's-side case or, more often, helping insurers and municipalities resolve catastrophic injury or highly complex claims.  

There are many attorneys, some of them very talented, who have a volume personal injury practice and can efficiently handle routine day-to-day cases.  However, I would be very interested in taking on high value cases where a more individualized approach is appropriate.  More often, I am on the side of preventing multi-million dollar verdicts, and am very good at that, but can use those same skills to help maximize the recovery for deserving individuals or groups who have suffered injuries due to someone else's negligent or wrongful conduct.