About Edna Sussman

Background and Experience

Summary Work Background

Recognizing the many benefits of alternative dispute resolution, Edna Sussman has opened her own practice as a full time arbitrator and mediator. She has handled numerous arbitrations under AAA, ICDR, UNCITRAL, CPR and FINRA (formerly NASD and NYSE) arbitrations rules and serves as a court certified mediator. Her work in the ADR field has been repeatedly recognized:

• Best Lawyers, Alternative Dispute Resolution for 2009 and 2010,
• Appointment as the Distinguished ADR Practitioner in Residence by the Fordham University School of Law
• Selected to train new arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association
• Elected to serve as chair-elect of the New York State Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section for the 2009-2010 term.
• Elected to serve on the board of the College of Commercial Arbitrators.
• Certified as a mediator by the International Mediation Institute (IMI)

From 2003-2008 Ms. Sussman was of counsel to the firm of Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney LLP, a litigation boutique in New York City. Prior to that she was at White & Case as a litigation partner (1981-1987) and associate (1974-1981). From 1987 to 2002 she litigated, developed her arbitration and mediation practice and served as the Director of Public Affairs for State Assemblywoman Audrey Hochberg and as the Executive Director of Federated Conservationists of Westchester County Inc.

ADR Panel Affiliations:

• American Arbitration Association (AAA)(since 1994), large complex case, commercial, and energy arbitration and mediation panels.
• International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), large complex case, commercial and energy arbitration and mediation panels.
• International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR), commercial, international, energy oil & gas, franchise, banking, accounting and financial services arbitration and mediation panels.
• FINRA (formerly NASD and NYSE), arbitration & mediation panels.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), arbitration and mediation panels.
• U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution roster
• Chinese European Arbitration Centre (CEAC), arbitration panel.
• U.S. Council of International Business (USCIB) for ICC International Court of Arbitration, registered arbitrator and mediator.
• Energy Arbitrators List Around the World, administered by the ICDR.

Court Mediation Panels

• U.S. District Court (S.D.N.Y) (since 1997)
• U.S. District Court (E.D.N.Y.)
• New York State Supreme Court, New York and Westchester Counties, commercial division.
• U.S. Bankruptcy Courts (S.D.N.Y., E.D.N.Y.)

Education, Professional Licenses:

Columbia Law School (J.D. 1973); Barnard College (B. A. 1970)
Bar Admissions: New York 1974; United States Supreme Court.; U. S. District Court Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; United States Court of Appeals, 2nd and 3rd Circuits.

Click here for Representative ADR experience in business.

Click here for Environment, Energy and Green Building experience.

Bar Association and Professional Affiliations

New York State Bar Association
• Chair-Elect, Dispute Resolution Section.
• Editor-In-Chief, New York Dispute Resolution Lawyer.

American Bar Association

• Co-Chair, Arbitration Committee, Section of Dispute Resolution.
• Member, Section of Dispute Resolution Council.
• Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, formerly chair of the Renewable Energy Resources Committee, of the Section of Environment Energy and Resources.
• Vice Chair, Arbitration Committee of the Section of International Law.

New York City Bar Association

• Formerly Chair, Energy Committee.
• Member, International Commercial Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Committees.

Energy Bar Association

• Formerly Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.

International Bar Association

• Member arbitration and mediation committees.

Fellow and board member, College of Commercial Arbitrators.

ADR Training

• American Arbitration Association, numerous arbitrator trainings annually from 1994.
• International Centre for Dispute Resolution, CPR, ICC, IBA, ICCA, and LCIA, numerous arbitrator programs and trainings.
• New York Stock Exchange and National Association of Securities Dealers, arbitrator training.
• United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, mediation training. (1997)
• United States Bankruptcy Court, mediation training.
• New York State Supreme Court, mediation training.
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, mediation training.
• Advanced Negotiation Training with William Ury of the Harvard Program on Negotiation.
• The Center for Mediation in Law, mediation training
• U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution conciliation training

Legal and Professional Experience

Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney LLP, Of counsel

As of counsel at the firm, Ms. Sussman was involved in a wide variety of disputes. Her representative client engagements included:

• Pursuing recovery under a guaranty.
• Pursuing 10b-5 and fraud claims involving an off shore hedge fund.
• Counseling a client in its pre-litigation recovery of its investment in a real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC), a mortgage backed security instrument.
• Defending against allegations of breach of contract and fraudulent conveyances.
• Defending against a claim of trademark infringement.
• Defending against allegations of breaches of fiduciary duty and misappropriation.
• Participating in the preparation of an Article VII submission to the NY Public Service Commission for a major new energy facility.
• Representing a client in an article 78 proceeding.
• Obtaining a special use permit for a client.
• Representing creditors in bankruptcy proceedings.
• Defending corporate executives on an employment claim arising out of a bankruptcy.
• Representing parties involved in employment disputes.

White & Case LLP, Partner and Associate

As a litigation partner and associate, Ms. Sussman’s practice focused on a wide range of corporate and commercial litigation. Representative client engagements included:

• Defending several 10 b-5 securities class action lawsuits against one of the leading accounting firms.
• Litigating a series of letter of credit cases.
• Litigating adequate protection issues in a bankruptcy proceeding of a steel company on behalf of several European banks.
• Representing a Canadian trustee in bankruptcy in recovering U.S. based assets.
• Representing a steamship company in connection with its claims of product liability for defective motors in its oil tankers which foundered in the Middle East.
• Pursuing a products liability claim for a major flooring manufacturer.
• Defending a leading bank against claims of breaches of fiduciary duty.
• Defending a section 7 antitrust lawsuit in connection with a major acquisition of an oil company.
• Defending a Section 7 antitrust lawsuit in connection with the sale of a major consumer product unit.
• Defending against claims of price fixing against numerous liquor producers.
• Defending antitrust lawsuits brought by terminated dealers in the furniture business.
• Advising clients on antitrust and various everyday business issues.

Federated Conservationists of Westchester County Inc. (FCWC), Executive Director

FCWC is a 40 year old not-for-profit organization that serves as the umbrella environmental organization for all of the environmental NGO’s in Westchester County, New York. As executive director, Ms. Sussman had extensive experience with energy, water, land use and air quality issues. She developed policy positions, drafted and disseminated position papers and gave public testimony before legislative and administrative bodies. Her responsibilities also included educating legislators on the issues and developing new strategic programs for the organization.

State Assemblywoman Audrey Hochberg, Director of Public Affairs

As Director of Public Affairs Ms. Sussman researched and developed policy positions on a host of issues, drafted policy position papers, participated in drafting legislation, coordinated with legislative staff in the Assembly and prepared legislative updates for constituents.