Lecturer Bios
Sarah Fiona Phillips, Esq.
Sarah Fiona Phillips joined Borah, Goldstein Altschuler, Nahins & Goidel, P.C in 2017. Ms. Phillips spent twenty years working for the City of New York. Ms. Phillips prosecuted Building Code violations for the Department of Buildings from 2004-2015. Ms. Phillips has extensive experience defending property owners against DOB, FDNY and other city issued violations.
Ms. Phillips regularly represents property owners at OATH (formerly ECB) on transient use, illegal occupancies, public assembly, work without a permit, construction site, fire safety and other violations. She also appears on criminal court summonses and before the Department of Buildings to lift stop work and vacate orders. Ms. Phillips represents clients in DHCR matters including substantial rehabilitation applications, lease renewal, and decrease in service complaints.
Significant cases involving transient use and fines for illegal occupancies include:
- DOB v 25 Avenue C Realty, LLC, DOB OATH decision that found the City failed to prove transient use, dismissing almost $10,000 in fines.
- DOB v SJS Properties, OATH decision where the fines for illegal occupancies were reduced by $34,000. Ms. Phillips was successful in arguing transient use summonses dismissed based on JNPJ Tenth Ave LLC v Dept of Buildings of New York 178 A.D. 3d 636 (1st Dept 2019).
- DOB v JD Broadway Realty, LLC, OATH Appeals Unit reverses the judge's decision and dismissed the work without a permit summons in favor of our client.
Ms. Phillips received her J.D. from SUNY Buffalo School of Law and is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University and Groton School. She is admitted in New York and California.
Susan Lipp
Susan R. Lipp is editor in chief of Trusts & Estates magazine, the WealthManagement.com Journal for estate-planning professionals. She oversees both the print and online version of T & E, as well as the monthly e-newsletter articles.
Susan served in leadership positions at Vendome Group, LLC (formerly Brownstone Publishers, Inc.) with editorial responsibility for publications and newsletters. Following her tenure at Vendome Group, Susan joined Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) as General Counsel, where she was editor in chief of its monthly newsletter and implemented initiatives to educate members on legal requirements. Susan began her career at Rosenberg and Estis, P.C., a real estate law firm in New York City.
Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Brandeis University. She received her Juris Doctor Law degree from Hofstra University School of Law, graduating with distinction and having served as Associate Editor of the Law Review. Susan is admitted to practice law in New York State and is a member of the New York State Bar Association.
Kristi Joslyn McNamara, Esq.
Kristi Joslyn McNamara is Counsel, Knowledge Lawyer at Hogan Lovells. Previously
she was Counsel, McNeill Baur PLLC and Global License & IP Strategy, Senior
Manager and Senior Patent Attorney at Novozymes.
She earned a BS in Chemistry at
William and Mary and a JD from Fordham University School of Law.
