Barclay Damon to add 10 attorneys to its Boston office

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Syracuse–based Barclay Damon LLP says it is adding 10 attorneys from another law firm to its Boston, Massachusetts office, effective Oct. 7. All of the lawyers involved have been working for Burns & Levinson, LLP (B&L), also of Boston, per the Barclay Damon announcement. The group consists of a six-attorney intellectual property (IP) team and […]

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Syracuse–based Barclay Damon LLP says it is adding 10 attorneys from another law firm to its Boston, Massachusetts office, effective Oct. 7.

All of the lawyers involved have been working for Burns & Levinson, LLP (B&L), also of Boston, per the Barclay Damon announcement.

The group consists of a six-attorney intellectual property (IP) team and four lawyers focused on real estate, finance, corporate, and labor and employment.

The IP group is led by former B&L IP chair Deb Peckham and includes partners Kate Noll and Alex Smolenski, of counsel Jerry Cohen, and associates Dan McGrath and Kat Delos Reyes, along with several support staff. The additional four lawyers include B&L’s former managing partner, Paul Mastrocola, and partners Leslie Muldowney, Andy Henderson, and Tina Murray.

The deal will bring Barclay Damon’s Boston office headcount to 23 lawyers. The firm also notes that its major-markets offices headcount has also grown from eight lawyers five years ago to just under 90 attorneys today in New York City; Boston; New Haven, Connecticut; and Washington D.C.

“We continue building momentum in each of our markets with a proven reputation for finding talent, striking deals that are fair to lateral partners and the firm, and successfully integrating and retaining talent at a rate that far surpasses industry statistics,” Lizz Acee, management committee member and managing director of major markets at Barclay Damon, said in the firm’s announcement.

The Burns & Levinson addition marks the third major IP group to join Barclay Damon in 2024, underscoring the firm’s continued strategic investment in its IP practice and expansion of services to tech-based clients.

The firm’s expanded IP group now includes 32 lawyers, one patent agent, and eight paralegals and docket administrators supporting a practice that conducts work throughout the U.S. and abroad. The work focuses on areas that such as patent and trademark litigation and prosecution, which includes contested patent and trademark office proceedings; commercial licensing and transactional due diligence; and copyright litigation and procurement, Barclay Damon said.

Excellus opens Resource Center of the Mohawk Valley

Health Care, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Education & Training, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Featured, Insurance & Financial Services, Mohawk Valley, New York News, Nonprofits

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — Excellus BlueCross Blue Shield has opened its new Resource Center of the Mohawk Valley, a public-facing office that offers retail sales

RT Federal Credit Union breaks ground on Lyons Falls branch

Banks & Credit Unions, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Subscriber Only

LYONS FALLS — Rome–based RT Federal Credit Union recently broke ground on a new branch in Lyons Falls, which is located in Lewis County. “This new branch represents our continued investment in Lyons Falls and the surrounding areas,” Board Treasurer Tracy Worden said in a news release. “We are excited to expand our footprint and

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Rural ambulance corps receives grant for EMS training in three-county Mohawk Valley area

Health Care, Mohawk Valley, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

OLD FORGE — Old Forge Volunteer Ambulance Corps, in partnership with Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS), has received a $400,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) for rural emergency medical services training in Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison counties. The grant spans two years and the purpose of the program is

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Berkshire Bank parent company to pay Q3 dividend of 18 cents

Banks & Credit Unions, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB) — parent company of Berkshire Bank, which has a significant presence in the Mohawk Valley region — recently announced that its board of directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of 18 cents per common share. The dividend is payable on Oct. 10, to shareholders of record as of

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Ithaca Rotary Club awards nearly $12,000 in community grants

Nonprofits, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

ITHACA — The Ithaca Rotary Club recently handed out $11,724 to its 2024 Community Grants awardees. From a pool of 24 applications, nine grant proposals received funding, the club announced. The grants seek to support the work of local nonprofits that have special projects or needs not covered by general operating funds, the club said

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Broome County invests $100K in three startups at Koffman Southern Tier Incubator

Small Business, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

BINGHAMTON — Three startups that are member companies in the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator will use a total of $100,000 in funding from Broome County as they work to grow the firms. The allocation of funding for the firms includes $50,000 for Agri-Trak, $30,000 for LiBama, and $20,000 for Hub Controls. The incubator describes the

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BINGHAMTON — Three startups that are member companies in the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator will use a total of $100,000 in funding from Broome County as they work to grow the firms.

The allocation of funding for the firms includes $50,000 for Agri-Trak, $30,000 for LiBama, and $20,000 for Hub Controls. The incubator describes the funding as an equity investment.

The money is part of Broome County’s “strategic efforts to foster entrepreneurship and boost the regional economy,” per the Sept. 18 announcement.

“Broome County is proud to collaborate with the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator to provide critical funding and support for these emerging startups” Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said in the news release. “By investing in these businesses, we are investing in the future of Broome County’s economy and ensuring long-term growth and job creation.”

“We are thrilled to see Broome County’s continued commitment to fostering innovation and supporting high-growth startups through this investment,” Bandhana Katoch, executive director of the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, said. “This funding will provide critical resources to help Agri-Trak, LiBama, and Hub Controls scale their operations, accelerate product development, and make a lasting impact on their respective industries. By supporting these local startups, we are contributing to a more vibrant and sustainable regional economy, strengthening our entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Established in 2017, the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator is a business incubator and start-up workspace located at 120 Hawley St. in Binghamton. Binghamton University’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships manages the Koffman facility, staff, and programming, per the Koffman website.

About the startups

Agri-Trak, which specializes in farm-management software, helps farmers streamline operations and make data-driven decisions.

“We’re honored that Broome County and the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator have invested in Agri-Trak,” Jamie Sonneville, company founder and CEO, said in the announcement. “Our platform gives farmers real-time insights into cost-saving opportunities and areas for growth, helping them reduce expenses and boost profits. This funding will accelerate our product development and allow us to serve more family farms across the U.S.”

LiBama, which specializes in battery-management systems for electric vehicles, focuses on improving battery performance and energy efficiency.

Wentao Li, founder and CTO of LiBama said the company is grateful for the investment from Broome County and the Koffman Incubator, noting that it “underscores their commitment” to supporting clean energy and sustainable technology in the region.

“This funding will enable us to advance intellectual property protection, accelerate prototype development, and drive our commercialization efforts,” Li added.

Hub Controls, a firm that works on smart home energy management, is developing solutions to reduce energy consumption in households.

“This funding will allow us to build upon our momentum in Broome County by launching 10 new pilot projects in low-income and student housing properties,” Cullen Kasunic, CFO of Hub Controls, said in the announcement. “Savings have been nearly 15% so far, and with winter approaching, where the majority of savings occur, we expect even greater results — historically, up to 30 percent. These projects will enable us to grow our team at the Koffman Incubator and partner with local energy service companies to deploy more units and drive energy savings for disadvantaged communities.”

TableTop Gaming moves to larger location

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE — If you remember family game nights growing up, TableTop Gaming hopes you’ll stop by. When you do, you can bring your family or friends, shop for games, or even hang out and play games. The worker co-op first opened in August 2022 on Harrison Street in downtown Syracuse and recently moved to a

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SYRACUSE — If you remember family game nights growing up, TableTop Gaming hopes you’ll stop by.

When you do, you can bring your family or friends, shop for games, or even hang out and play games.

The worker co-op first opened in August 2022 on Harrison Street in downtown Syracuse and recently moved to a new larger location at 466 S. Salina St. The 1,500-square-foot space, which also features a bar, is part of the company’s plans to expand the business, says store manager Elvis Mehmedovic.

“It’s like a board game café,” he says of TableTop Gaming. TableTop hosts weekly game tournaments, including trading card games like Magic the Gathering. “We also have a free-play wall and our board games.”

The free wall is exactly that. It’s stocked with games that people can come in and play at no cost.

“Instead of hosting something at their house, people may come here and host a game night,” Mehmedovic says. “If people play a game and they like it, they can buy a copy for themselves.”

Especially in the wake of the forced isolation of the pandemic, people seem to be craving opportunities to get together, he says, and TableTop Gaming provides that.

“It’s a pretty decent spot,” Mehmedovic says. “It’s got a nice rustic vibe.”

Similar to how vinyl records are coming back into style, games are also seeing an increase in popularity. Especially with more people working desk jobs or working from home, the opportunity to gather and get away from a screen for a while is appealing, Mehmedovic says. “There’s a bit of nostalgia that comes with it.”

In the new location, the café can provide an even more welcoming environment complete with drinks and snacks, he adds. TableTop plans to work with local breweries to offer local beer options at the new bar. Menu offers will be on the lighter vegan side with an aim at healthy foods – and ones that won’t do any damage to the games.

TableTop Gaming’s target audience is mainly ages 25 through about 50, but really, it’s a place for anyone who enjoys playing a good game, Mehmedovic says.

Word has slowly been getting out through the weekly tournaments, and the entry fees from those events, along with retail sales, are the main sources of revenue.

TableTop offers prices 10 percent below the manufacturer’s suggested retail price and also sells through an online store. Different from big box stores, which tend to stock just a few brands, TableTop works to offer a wide range of games from many manufacturers, Mehmedovic says. Its selection ranges from standard games to more intense, longer-play games.

“Then there’s the whole world of miniatures and painting,” he adds. Miniatures are popular companion products for many games, such as Warhammer, and Mehmedovic is hoping to add an option for people to purchase and paint their own miniatures at the café.

He is also hoping to add a cooperative gaming section to the café as well. Cooperative gaming focuses on players working together as teammates to defeat the game rather than playing against each other. Such games can be a great option for groups that might otherwise be too competitive, Mehmedovic notes.

Currently, TableTop Gaming employs five people and offers evening hours on weekdays and afternoon and evening hours on the weekends.

That will change in mid-October when the café celebrates the grand opening of its new location.

New York home sales slide more than 9 percent in August

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Subscriber Only

ALBANY — New York realtors sold 10,581 previously owned homes in August, down 9.1 percent from 11,638 existing homes sold in August 2023. Pending sales also dipped in August, pointing to further declines in closed home sales in the next couple months, the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR) said in its August housing

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Dannible & McKee announces a series of promotions

Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Dannible & McKee, LLP, a certified public accounting and consulting firm, recently announced the promotion of a group of professional staff members, including those who work from its Syracuse office. The local promotions included the following individuals. Sean R. Conners, CPA, has been promoted to tax senior manager in the firm’s Syracuse office.

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The local promotions included the following individuals.

Sean R. Conners, CPA, has been promoted to tax senior manager in the firm’s Syracuse office. He started with Dannible & McKee in 2016 as an intern in the tax department and was hired as a full-time staff member in 2017. Conners is responsible for the preparation and review of personal and corporate tax returns, individual and corporate tax planning and multi-state taxation. He earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA in accounting from Le Moyne College in 2016.

Angela Janack, CPA, has been promoted to audit senior manager in Syracuse. She joined the firm in 2014 and provides audit and consulting services to a variety of clients with a concentration in nonprofit accounting. Janack graduated from SUNY Oswego, where she concurrently earned a bachelor’s degree with a dual major in accounting and business administration, a minor in economics, and an MBA degree in accounting.

Anthony Pokrentowski, CPA, has been promoted to tax senior manager. He joined Dannible & McKee in 2018 after graduating from the College of Saint Rose with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in accounting. Pokrentowski is responsible for the preparation and review of individual, trust, partnership, S corporation and C corporation tax returns, as well as tax closings and year-end tax planning for clients. He is a certified public accountant in New York and works at the Syracuse office.

Abby K. Sweers, CPA, has been promoted to tax senior manager. She joined the firm in 2019 after interning for two years. Sweers graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and MBA from Le Moyne College in 2018. She is responsible for the preparation and review of various individual and corporate tax engagements, including tax planning and compliance. Sweers is a certified public accountant in New York and works in Dannible’s Rochester and Syracuse offices.

Alexis M. Layo has been promoted to tax director. She joined Dannible & McKee in 2013 and oversees various individual and corporate tax engagements, including tax closings, tax planning, and compliance. Layo specializes in the architectural/engineering and health-care industries, along with high-net-worth individuals, and she is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. She graduated from Niagara University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2011 and from Le Moyne College with an MBA in 2012. Layo works at the firm’s Syracuse office.

Frank Merkel has been promoted to director of IT. He has been with Dannible & McKee since 2008 and is responsible for managing the IT department and is directly responsible for maintaining software updates and running programs to ensure the security of the firm’s network. He earned his associate degree in computer science from California State University, an associate of occupational science degree in computer management from Community College of the Air Force and is a Microsoft-certified systems engineer. Merkel served in the United States Air Force. He works at Dannible’s Syracuse office.

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