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TeresaBennett

Partner

"I'm dedicated to providing effective legal advice at a reasonable price and finding solutions based on the particular objectives of each of my valued clients."

Overview

Biography

Teresa primarily concentrates her practice on commercial litigation, representing municipalities, banking institutions, business entities, and individuals. She routinely handles business contract and shareholder disputes, commercial-property lease disputes, and employment concerns, including noncompetition and confidentiality agreements. She also offers extensive experience in the recovery of commercial debt, collateral, fraudulent loans, and fraudulent transfers. Teresa represents clients in NY state and federal court in various manners of dispute resolution, including arbitration, mediation, and jury and bench trials. She also handles appeals for commercial and civil matters.

Teresa’s bankruptcy practice focuses on commercial property leases and disputes and creditors’ rights. She primarily defends commercial real-estate developers, commercial vendors, and financial institutions in Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceedings.

Teresa also provides services on behalf of municipalities, including the acquisition of property through eminent domain and defense of tax-assessment challenges. She also defends municipalities, district attorneys, police, and corrections officers against federal and state civil-rights claims, including claims asserted under the Fourth and Eighth Amendments and claims for false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and abuse of process.

Bar Associations

  • New York Bar Association, Commercial and Federal Litigation Section Member and Committee on the Commercial Division Co-Chair
  • Northern District New York Federal Court Bar Association, First Decade Committee Treasurer
  • Onondaga County Bar Association

Selected Memberships & Affiliations

  • Barclay Damon’s Women’s Forum
Experience

Representative Experience

  • Assisted a receiver in liquidating the assets of a garbage collection business and handling environmental and wage issues connected to the business. Assisted the receiver in collecting over $2.5 million, which resulted in full payment to all secured creditors with a small dividend to unsecured creditors.
  • Represented an individual in a contested proceeding to probate a will, including matters taken on appeal to the Fourth Department and Court of Appeals, and obtained a favorable resolution for the client.
  • Represented a local bank in recovering an excess of $1 million in fraudulent loans made in connection with a conspiracy perpetrated by multiple individuals, including a former state employee.
  • Defended a municipality in federal court against a claim of excessive force and unlawful retaliation, resulting in the dismissal of the plaintiff’s claims on summary judgment.
  • Represented a national bank in the foreclosure of a resort-lake residential development and golf course.
  • Represented a private lender in the foreclosure of a five-star all-inclusive resort in the Adirondacks.
  • Defended a municipality in federal court against a claim of false imprisonment, unlawful search and seizure, and malicious prosecution, obtaining a dismissal of all claims after trial.
  • Represented a finance company in federal court to secure a $3.6 million judgment. Successfully sought the appointment of a receiver to recover fraudulent conveyances of assets of the judgment debtors, and pierced the corporate veil of 20+ limited liability companies to enforce the judgment.
  • Assisted a municipality in the acquisition of multiple parcels through eminent domain for the public purpose of expanding an airport and defended against claims seeking just compensation for such acquisitions.
  • Defended a municipality from an Article 5 claim seeking just compensation for the acquisition of real property by eminent domain for the public purpose of obtaining a water source, obtaining a favorable determination after trial.

Prior Experience

  • Menter, Rudin & Trivelpiece, P.C., Shareholder

Selected Honors

  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Commercial Litigation, 2025
  • Selected to Super Lawyers Upstate New York Rising Stars: Business Litigation, 2016–2021
Knowledge

Selected Media

  • New York Law Journal, "Disclosure Considerations for Fiduciary-Controlled Business Interests: Protecting and Obtaining Confidential Information"
  • NYLitigator, Former Editor

Featured Media

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