Novak, Robert A.

I have specialized in Criminal Defense work both in the State Courts of New York, where I am Licensed, and in the State Courts of Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania on a pro hac vice basis. I have briefed and argued appeals in New York State Appellate Courts. In addition to that, I have defended people accused of crimes in the U.S. District Courts in the Eastern and Southern District of New York as well as in Hartford, Conn., New Haven, Conn., Philadelphia, PA., Trenton and Newark, NJ, Baltimore, MD, Columbia and Florence, South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia. I have briefed and argued cases in the United States Second, Third and Fourth Circuit Courts of Appeal. I was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in 1964.

Since the time that I have been admitted to practice, I have represented people and closely held corporations who were selling or purchasing real property. Most of those were residential apartments, one, two and three family homes, and co-operative apartments and condominiums. However, I have also been involved in the purchase, sale and leasing of commercial properties. I have also represented landlords in Housing Court.

I began my career working for the firm of Fuchsberg & Fuchsberg, Esq. The chief partner of that firm was Jacob D. Fuchsberg, Esq., who, several years after my departure from the firm, became a judge on the New York State Court of Appeals, the highest Court in the State. After I left Fuchsberg and Fuchsberg, I worked in partnership with my father and my uncle. In 1964, I was appointed Assistant District Attorney in Queens County, New York. The District Attorney at that time, was Frank D. O'Connor. Mr. O'Connor, subsequently ran for Governor of the State of New York in 1967, but was defeated by the incumbent, Nelson D. Rockefeller. Since I was going to be active in Mr. O'Connor's campaign for Governor, I resigned my post as Assistant District Attorney in Queens County in 1966.

From the time of my resignation as Assistant District Attorney, I have practiced Criminal Defense Law and Real Property Law. That means my experience in the field of Criminal Law, including my stint as an Assistant Prosecutor, is in excess of 34 years. Actually it is more than that since I did some Criminal Defense work prior to becoming a Prosecutor. I have handled real property transactions from the day I was admitted to practice because that was the major portion of my father's practice.