Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Skip to content

Select Region or Brand

  • Business
    • National
    • Arizona
    • Charleston, SC
    • Columbia, SC
    • Idaho
    • Lehigh Valley
    • Long Island
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Mecklenburg, NC
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • New Jersey
    • New Orleans, LA
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • Oklahoma City, OK
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Rhode Island
    • Rochester
    • Virginia
    • Wisconsin
  • Legal
    • Arizona
    • Maryland
    • Massachussetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Wisconsin
    • Rhode Island
    • Virginia
  • Construction
    • Milwaukee, WI
    • Oregon
  • Home Furnishings
    • Designers Today
    • Furniture Today
    • Gifts & Decorative Accessories
    • Home Accents Today
    • Home Furnishings News
    • Home Textiles Today
  • Manage Account
    • Manage Print or Online Subscription
    • Manage Email Subscription
Sign In
Sign Out
Upcoming Event

Legal Excellence Awards

Free Newsletter Subscribe
Hamburger Menu Hamburger Menu
  • News
  • Events
    • Virtual Panels
  • Special Publications
  • Case Digests
  • Public Notices
    • Submit a Name Change
  • Public Records
    • Upcoming Foreclosures
    • Real Estate Transactions
    • Business Documents
    • Credit Actions
  • Jobs
    • Careers at The Daily Record
  • Advertise
    • Online Advertising
    • Classified Advertising
    • E-Newsletters
    • Ad Submission Guidelines
  • Reprints
  • News
    • News
    • Law
    • Expert Opinion
    • On The Move
    • Real Estate
  • Sections
    • Verdicts & Settlements
    • Case Digests
    • Power Lists
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Jobs
    • Special Publications
  • Case Digests
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
    • U.S. District Court, WDNY
    • New York State Court of Appeals
    • Appellate Division, Fourth Department
    • NYSBA Committee on Professional Ethics
    • NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics
    • Supreme Court, Monroe County
  • Public Notice
    • Public Notice
    • Submit a Name Change
  • Events
    • Events
    • Virtual Panels
    • Reader Rankings
    • Legal Excellence Awards
    • Honoree Database
  • About & Contact
    • About Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Email Alerts
    • FAQ
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Newsstand Locations
    • Reprints and Photos
Home>The Hon. John E. Bernacki

The Hon. John E. Bernacki

Recent Articles from The Hon. John E. Bernacki

News March 25, 2016

Ex-Syracuse lawyer sentenced for defrauding Social Security

SYRACUSE (AP) — A former Syracuse lawyer has been sentenced to weekends behind bars for six months and five years of probation for collecting more than $250,000 in disability payments while continuing his legal work. The U.S. attorney’s office in Syracuse says the sentence was handed down Thursday against 63-year-old Christopher Chadick, who admitted last […]

News March 4, 2013

Ethically Speaking: The ethical obligations of ‘standby counsel’

We’ve all seen it happen. After a disagreement with his or her attorney, a party in a criminal or civil matter will choose to proceed pro se in court. When this happens, judges may appoint an attorney who happens to be sitting on the sidelines as “standby counsel.” Oftentimes, the lawyer’s responsibilities are unclear and […]

News February 4, 2013

Ethically Speaking: Sharing fees with non-lawyers: It’s a balancing act

These days, the legal marketplace is becoming increasingly complicated — and more competitive. Solo and small firm attorneys are now competing with legal self-help websites like Legal Zoom and Rocket Lawyer, which provide legal consumers with free fill-in-the-blank forms and sometimes include offers to connect users with lawyers, if needed. These websites arguably trigger any […]

News January 7, 2013

Ethically Speaking: The ethics of sharing office space with other lawyers

For some lawyers, the past few years have been difficult, in large part due to the trying economic times. For that reason, many lawyers have sought out ways to reduce costs and increase profits. One of the best ways to do so is to decrease overhead by sharing office space with other attorneys. Of course, […]

News December 2, 2012

Ethically Speaking: How many hats can a lawyer ethically wear?

When providing legal services, lawyers often wear different hats: legal advisor, business and tax authority, social worker and even counselor. And occasionally, in addition to fulfilling a number of different roles while acting as an attorney, some lawyers provide services above and beyond legal services. For example, as was the case in a recent opinion […]

News November 2, 2012

Ethically Speaking: Ethical parameters of the ‘of counsel’ relationship

The “of counsel” relationship is not an uncommon one these days and many law firms have attorneys who are of counsel. But what does it mean to be of counsel to a firm? What are the ethical implications of this relationship? Can lawyers unknowingly violate the New York Rules of Professional Conduct (“Rules”) by improperly […]

News September 28, 2012

Ethically Speaking: Conflicts of interest between prosecutors, defense counsel

Interesting ethical issues often arise in the context of criminal cases — especially where prosecutors hold part-time positions and are permitted to practice law or otherwise conduct business when not fulfilling their duties as a prosecuting attorney. This is because as the number of business relationships formed by a prosecutor increases, so too does the […]

News September 3, 2012

Ethically Speaking: The ethics of mortgage foreclosure proceedings

Many lawyers in our community accept appointments as referees in mortgage foreclosure proceedings. These appointments are generally quite straightforward, but as is the case whenever an attorney handles any type of matter, potential conflicts of interest may arise which may pose ethical barriers barring the attorney’s involvement. That very situation was addressed in a recent […]

News August 6, 2012

Ethically Speaking: The ethics involved in naming your law firm

In New York, and in most other states, for that matter, there are strict rules when it comes to naming your law firm. Many reasons are given to support the law firm name restrictions, including upholding the honor of the profession and protecting legal consumers from deceptive practices. As such, the creative attempts of New […]

News June 4, 2012

Ethically Speaking: Lawyers can’t always have the best of both worlds

Sometimes lawyers wear more than one hat, and much of the time, doing so isn’t problematic. Oftentimes, it makes sense, since obtaining a law degree shouldn’t preclude lawyers from performing other non-legal job functions. Of course, wearing multiple hats can sometimes pose ethical problems and this is especially true if it occurs during a single […]

News May 7, 2012

Ethically Speaking: Can lawyers accept securities as payment for legal fees?

Sometimes it’s not easy getting paid. With some customers, it seems the check is always in the mail — and legal clients are no exception. So, like everyone else, lawyers are always trying to find new ways to accept payment for legal services rendered. Of course, the Rules of Professional Conduct necessarily limit the options […]

News March 30, 2012

Ethically Speaking: Does serving on a town board impute conflicts?

As lawyers, we often serve on various boards, whether public interest boards, town boards or otherwise. Doing so allows us to perform a public service and give back to our communities. In fact, I served on the Pittsford Town Board for 6 years for that very reason. But sometimes, serving on a board can create […]

12Next »

NY Daily Record Newsletter

Sign up for your daily digest of NY Daily News.

  • By signing up you agree to our
  • Privacy Policy

Case Digests

  • NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Attorney misconduct: Opinion 22-164
  • NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Independently written bench book: Opinion 22-163
  • Fourth Department – Suppression: People v. Saeli
  • Second Circuit – RICO: Horn v. Medical Marijuana Inc.
  • NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Uncompensated interview: Opinion 22-159
  • NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Uncompensated guest speaker: Opinion 22-158
  • Fourth Department – Negligent performance: Rosenthal v. Syracuse University, et al.
  • Second Circuit – Visual Artists Rights Act: Kerson v. Vermont Law School Inc.
  • NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – Former foreclosure referee: Opinion 22-157
  • NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics – College honorarium: Opinion 22-156
  • Second Circuit – Reasonable accommodation: Tafolla v. Heilig
  • Fourth Department – Labor Law: Primisch v. Peroxychem LLC
See all Case Digests

On The Move

Renee Segina Moore | Underberg & Kessler LLP

New Hire Renee Segina Moore, Associate, Litigation and Creditors’ Rights Practice Underberg &a[...]

Matthew M. Simmonds | Underberg & Kessler LLP

New Hire Matthew M. Simmonds, Senior Counsel, Litigation Practice Group Underberg & Kessler LLP [...]

Chanel McCarthy | Gross Shuman P.C.

Chanel T. McCarthy joined Gross Shuman P.C. as a shareholder attorney. Ms. McCarthy focuses her lega[...]

Carolynn E. Grennell | Gross Shuman P.C.

Carolynn E. Grennell has joined Gross Shuman P.C. as an associate attorney. Her legal practice focus[...]

Nathan Shoff | Lacy Katzen LLP

Lacy Katzen LLP is happy to announce the promotion of associate Nathan A. Shoff to partner. Mr. Shof[...]

Law News

  • Appeals court upholds Supreme Court ruling
  • Assistant district attorney appointed City Court judge by Rochester mayor
  • Murder conviction affirmed despite trial judge error
  • NY appeals court upholds conviction in burglary case
  • Federal lawsuit reinstated against jail officer over strip search, delayed release
  • Hyzon to pay $25M penalty to settle alleged fraud charges by SEC
  • NY appeals court reinstates lawsuit over contract to remove snow
  • Fourth Department affirms $400K judgment in contract dispute
See All Law News

Polls

How Is My Site?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • News
  • Events
    • Virtual Panels
  • Special Publications
  • Case Digests
  • Public Notices
    • Submit a Name Change
  • Public Records
    • Upcoming Foreclosures
    • Real Estate Transactions
    • Business Documents
    • Credit Actions
  • Jobs
    • Careers at The Daily Record
  • Advertise
    • Online Advertising
    • Classified Advertising
    • E-Newsletters
    • Ad Submission Guidelines
  • Reprints

ABOUT

The Daily Record has been providing essential Western New York legal news, Rochester real estate news, and New York business news to its readers for over a century.

MY ACCOUNT

  • Login
  • Logout
  • Subscribe
  • Manage Account
  • Subscriber Agreement

Contact

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ

Advertise

  • Advertise
  • Online Advertising
  • Classified Advertising
  • E-Newsletters

CONNECT

NEWSLETTER

Get our free NY Daily Record e-alerts & breaking news notifications!

DIGITAL EDITIONS

Subscribe for access to the latest digital and special editions.

© 2023 BridgeTower Media. All rights reserved.

Use of this website is subject to its Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT