John Farrell Heads Up the Firm's New Suffolk Office

Firm Partner John Farrell at the Firm’s new Suffolk County office in Hauppauge.

The Firm recently opened a new office in Hauppauge. Partner John Farrell, who is the leading the new office, explains his role and why the Firm established its Suffolk office, the difference between handling land use and real estate matters in Suffolk and Nassau Counties and the recent trends in Suffolk County land use transactions.

What made the Firm decide to establish an office in Suffolk County?
We see great potential for growth of the Firm in Suffolk County in a variety of practice areas, including real estate transactions, land use development, municipal law, matrimonial law and litigation. Over the past several years, the number of clients we represent in Suffolk County matters has increased substantially and having a physical presence in the county allows us to better serve those clients. We are more accessible to them and we are closer to the Suffolk County courts and the various municipalities where we handle land use applications.

In terms of land use development, how is dealing with Suffolk County towns and villages different than Nassau County towns and villages?
There isn’t a significant difference between the various towns and villages in Nassau and Suffolk. Each municipality has its own rules and regulations, but, at the end of the day, they all want good developments that help strengthen the local economy without harming the quality of life for all of their residents. I have had the opportunity to represent land use clients in almost every town in Nassau and Suffolk, and I have found that doing your due diligence on a project and understanding what the town’s zoning objectives are is critical to bringing a successful application.

What trends are you seeing in Suffolk County land use?
Development trends across Suffolk County include a shift to more multifamily and mixed-use development as a way to relieve the cost of living for young Long Islanders. Towns and villages in Suffolk County are much more supportive of these types of development than they were 15 to 20 years ago because they are seeing the success it is having in areas that embraced this type development many years ago.

As a Suffolk resident, how are you involved in the county on a personal level (community involvement, volunteering, etc.)?
I am a youth soccer coach for Babylon Soccer and I coach tee ball for West Babylon Little League. Recently, my wife and I hosted an event at our home and collected food items for the local food pantry. The event went very well and we are going to continue to do this several times throughout the year. I also serve as a member of the Town of Babylon Board of Appeals.

Main Office: 333 Earle Ovington Boulevard, Suite 601, Uniondale, New York 11553 • Telephone: (516) 228-1300 • Telecopier: (516) 228-0038
New York City Office: 405 Lexington Avenue, 26th Floor, New York, New York 10174 • Telephone: (212) 829-4375
Suffolk County Office: 1300 Veterans Highway, Suite 100, Hauppauge, New York 11788 • Telephone: (631) 203-4900
Syosset Office: 116 Jackson Avenue, Syosset, New York 11791 • Telephone: (516) 921-1000

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