Deborah J. Chadsey

Ms. Chadsey is a Partner with the Firm. Her practice includes commercial and environmental litigation, commercial financing and environmental and real estate law.

Ms. Chadsey has represented clients in litigation matters throughout the United States in both state and federal courts, covering a broad spectrum of issues, including commercial disputes, trademark infringement, environmental matters, employment issues, real estate and foreclosure matters and municipal law matters. Ms. Chadsey has also represented clients on appeal to both state and federal appellate courts. She represents clients in commercial arbitrations and is a certified commercial mediator.

Ms. Chadsey regularly represents both lenders and borrowers in commercial financing transactions. She has represented both private and public entities in the acquisition of real property and its development.

Ms. Chadsey has extensive experience with both state and federal environmental laws and programs, including the Clean Water Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, along with their state counterparts. Ms. Chadsey was environmental counsel to a former Fortune 500 company, now privately held, for 19 years. In such capacity, she was involved with M&A transactions, regulatory compliance and defense of both private and governmental environmental claims. Currently, she represents businesses, lending institutions, municipalities and commercial borrowers in property investigation and remediation projects, real property acquisition and development and Brownfield re-development programs. Ms. Chadsey also represents corporate, commercial, financial and municipal clients that have been identified as Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) under CERCLA and other federal and state environmental regulatory programs and has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in actions under the New York State Oil Pollution Spill Act.

Ms. Chadsey received a B.S. in Regional and Urban Planning from SUNY College at Buffalo in 1983 and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1987 where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a Teaching Assistant in the Law School’s Clinical Program. Ms. Chadsey is admitted to practice in New York State, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, all New York federal courts and bankruptcy courts and is also admitted to the United States Supreme Court and to the federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ms. Chadsey sits on the Board of Directors of Northwest Bancshares, Inc. a NASDAQ listed company and holding company for the Northwest Savings Bank. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Northwest Savings Bank. Her volunteer and community service includes her work as a member of the Board of Directors of the University District C.D.A., Inc. / Gloria J. Parks Community Center.