Scott J. Kreppein Attorney-at-Law

I regularly practice before the U.S Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit as well as the New York State appellate courts, and would be open to working pro hac vice in other jurisdictions on cases of regional or national significance.

Ideally, I would like to practice more before the U.S. Supreme Court.  I have petitioned for and defended against certiorari, and would love the opportunity to work on merits or amici briefs. 

Constitutional and civil rights work is an area where you sometimes have of the privilege of working on matters involving issues of broader significance that you find intriguing or feel passionately about.   

Over the years, I have litigated extensively over the interpretation and application of the Equal Protection Clause, Due Process Clauses, and First Amendment, and have also developed a fairly deep understanding of the major federal and New York State antidiscrimination laws, as well the added protections that are available under various local laws.  

I provide outside counsel services for many local governments throughout Long Island, as well as some school districts.  My career has fed a strong interest in how government works both in theory and practice, and at times enabled me to not only provide sound guidance on the law but also offer decision-makers a nonpartisan, rational and moderate perspective when addressing sympathetic, sensitive or policy-oriented situations.

I provide high quality representation before federal and state courts and administrative agencies, as well as through occasional consulting work.  In particular, I have a strong background with zoning, land use, and real property related matters, including environmental issues. 

A significant portion of my practice consists of real estate transactions and litigation, usually involving multi-family residential or commercial properties. 

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 also have experience with administrative agency matters, including licensing or disciplinary issues with the Department of State, and housing discrimination matters before the New York State Division of Human Rights and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Tort law was my first niche practice area.  I received both a first year award and graduation prize for it during law school.  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 and have a lot of experience with high value cases where a more individualized approach is appropriate.