The Annual List La Dolce Vita

upState New YorK / 2013

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THE ANNUAL LIST the top attorneys in upstate New York

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LA DOLCE VITA Forget Ferrari: For Bills fans, Michael Schiavone may be italy’s ﬁ nest export

ALSO ALANA FUIERER: CLEANTECH CRUSADER La Dolce Vita How Mike Schiavone left Italy and came to represent one of New York’s most famous professional sports teams: the Buffalo Bills

By Bob Thurlow PHOTOGRAPHY BY Luke Copping

The American dream is supposed to “A year later, we were here.” Schiavone’s office at Lipsitz Green look like Michael Schiavone. Assimilation wasn’t particularly difficult Scime Cambria is decorated with photos of Born in Potenza, Italy, in 1957, Schiavone grew for him. Sure, his name, pronounced Ski-ah- his wife, Cheryl, their three sons and Buffalo up watching shows like Bonanza and Perry Mason VONE-ay, was Americanized to Sha-VONE out Bills memorabilia including a Jim Kelly- dubbed in Italian, and seeing movies like Ben- of respect for the perplexed tongues of his autographed football. It’s only a block away Hur, also dubbed, at the only movie theater in first-grade classmates. But he says, “At that from the Erie County Courthouse, but if you’re town, which his uncle managed. He estimates he age you’re relatively resilient and adapt to his client, chances are you’re not making that saw Charlton Heston’s gladiator epic 13 times. change well.” short walk with him. “I remember going to buy bread at a bakery When he arrived in the U.S. at the age of 5, “I’m a business and transactional lawyer,” he across the street,” Schiavone says from his for example, football meant a round ball you says. “My focus is on keeping clients out of court law office in Buffalo. “It was one of those kicked around a field, but he soon began to as best I possibly can.” brick-oven bakeries. They had these long, follow the American version of the sport. “My Those clients include small- and medium- wooden [boards] that they’d reach in to pull brother and I went to our first Bills game in sized businesses, manufacturing and the bread out, and you’d take it home. It the 1973 season, which was the first season at distribution companies, hotel operators couldn’t get much fresher than that.” Ralph Wilson Stadium,” Schiavone says. “It was and local real estate developers. “Many of Then his life changed. Leo Insalaco, a barber September: a glorious, sunny Sunday afternoon. these are small, closely held businesses, from Dunkirk, N.Y., was visiting his family roots Perfect temperature, perfect climate.” The fall so you’re dealing with intergenerational and decided he wanted a hand-tailored suit to colors were beginning to turn, and O.J. Simpson succession planning, family estate planning bring back to the States. The tailor he chose was beginning his march toward breaking the and business succession planning,” he says. was Schiavone’s father, Anthony. “At that time, single-season rushing record. “I sometimes feel as though I’m in-house it was an honor to be asked to do work for an This is where the American dream part counsel to 30 or 40 businesses. … While American,” Schiavone says. “So my dad went comes in. Because the young immigrant who there are differences, they all face the same out of his way and, in less than a week, was sat in the bleachers that day, cheering on challenges; they all have the same issues. … able to craft a meticulous, handmade suit. The O.J. and the Bills, grew up to be a corporate At the end of the day, the Bills are a Western gentleman looked at my dad and said, ‘You business lawyer who not only became the New York employer that has approximately know, you can’t get work like this where I’m from. Bills’ chief outside counsel, but who helped 150 employees. The only difference between I’m not even sure you can get it in New York City. negotiate the stadium’s lease. Twice. the Bills and one of the other companies I You ought to come to America.’ “I’m very blessed,” Schiavone says. work with is the profile.” Michael Schiavone · Senior Partner, Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria · Business & Corporate; Entertainment & Sports; Estate Planning & Probate · Outside Counsel to the Buffalo Bills · Super Lawyers 2007–2013

So how did Schiavone wind up in the law? Did until I was in law school,” he says, “that I was who had experience in construction and an Italian-speaking Perry Mason plant the seed? exposed to other areas of the law that aren’t financing—to help with the expansion of Ralph “I think I was fascinated by government and nearly as exotic—at least as far as television Wilson Stadium’s luxury suites in the early the legislative and judicial process,” he says. is concerned—and I became captivated 1990s. A few years later, he asked Schiavone to “Not that I knew what they were, but I always with estate planning and tax planning and help negotiate what was then a 15-year lease had a penchant for governmental affairs.” business-succession planning issues. renewal for the stadium. Then a year later in He honed the skills he would need as a “I’m more of a numbers guy than your average 1999, Tobia died of a heart attack at age 60. lawyer—debate, advocacy, diplomacy—as one lawyer,” he adds. “I have more acquaintances “We were all shocked,” Schiavone says. “Vince of the few Republicans at State University who are accountants than lawyers. If you’re was, or appeared to be, the picture of health. of New York at Fredonia in the years during bottom-line driven, and you understand financial Took care of himself, was in great shape, was an and after Watergate. “Talk about ostracized,” statements and tax returns, and you’re excited amateur boxer in his youth. He was very fit, very he says. “A political science major at a very about the tax code driving policy, it creates active, very athletic.” liberal liberal-arts institution, who happened passion out of what most people find mundane.” It meant the Bills needed a new outside to be a Republican.” In the early ‘80s, fresh out of Syracuse counsel. They didn’t look far. Schiavone worked his way through high University College of Law, Schiavone began school, college and law school, first at Twin focusing his career on estate and tax planning “The first time you’re on the field,” says Fair, a discount department store, then at for high net worth individuals. Then in 1989, Schiavone, who occasionally mingles with team a local steel plant. He assumed he would Vince Tobia, a colleague, became chief outside guests and VIPs on the field, “you look around. become a criminal defense attorney. “It wasn’t counsel for the Bills, and he tapped Schiavone— You look at the number of people, and you get the perspective that you would never get from a team, and reported that various teams may regardless,” Schiavone says. “I did that. … And the sidelines: That this is pretty much a stage, be available, but the Buffalo Bills were not in so doing I guaranteed training camp would and there are tens of thousands of people leaving Western New York.” no longer be at Fredonia. watching you. You do wind up pinching yourself With Schiavone representing the Bills, the “That was probably the most difficult thing and asking, ‘Am I really here?’” county retained Christopher Melvin of Nixon I’ve done.” During most home games, Schiavone Peabody, and the state secured the services of entertains clients in a luxury suite. “At the Foley & Lardner’s Irwin Raij, fresh from his role Is it tough to remain a fan of a team same time,” he says, “I have two lawyers who in Guggenheim Baseball Management’s $2.5 you work for? Does the work get in the way of are working in the administration building to billion acquisition of the Los Angeles Dodgers. any given Sunday? “My blood runs red, white assist in processing arrests. We coordinate “It took some time,” says Raij. “There were and blue no matter what,” Schiavone says. with the security forces to make sure that if moments that were challenging, but the players Indeed, to hear him rhapsodize about the someone is going to be arrested, the arrest at the table—the Bills, Mike Schiavone—we all Bills and its fans is to hear echoes of the way is legitimate and it’s going to stick. On game had a common interest.” people describe the relationship between the day, we’re running a mini-judicial system.” “Mike’s vast legal knowledge of both NFL and 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers and their fans. Both He estimates 20 to 25 arrests per game are general business matters, combined with his teams played in working-class regions in the long made, mostly for disorderly conduct, fighting years of local experience, were invaluable,” says shadow of New York City. Both teams were lousy and criminal trespass. team CEO and president Russ Brandon. “He has for years, then good enough to make the final Security measures are constantly being a great ability to quickly understand the positions game/series, but never good enough (or only coordinated, and when necessary, updated. from both sides of the negotiating table and help once for Brooklyn) to win it all. “The Boston Marathon situation has changed the parties reach a collective solution that suits “You start out with the fact that, historically, the rules of the game as far as what the fans the needs of everyone involved.” Buffalo is a hardworking blue-collar town,” can bring into an NFL stadium,” he says. In late 2012, the parties came to an Schiavone says. “There is a following that “Backpacks, purses, seat cushions are all agreement on a 10-year lease, with a one- runs deep for generations. Come September, prohibited unless it’s a clear, see-through, time termination option available during the if you’re not a Bills fan, you’re probably not 12-by-12-by-12 pack.” seventh year. Ralph Wilson Stadium will also in Western New York. I’m not saying that Road games, he’s usually in the press box. undergo $130 million worth of renovations, other teams don’t have a following—because “There’s a misperception [about the job] such as adding high-definition video displays obviously I’ve been to other teams’ stadiums— that you really don’t do much until the season and improving concessions and restrooms, to but there’s something unique about Western starts,” Schiavone says. “In reality, I’d say 75 be completed by 2015. The agreement also New York and the love affair between the town percent of my work occurs during the off- calls for the formation of an advisory group to and the team.” season. You’re preparing for the upcoming research the feasibility of a new stadium. Though the Schiavones are recent arrivals season; you’re assisting in negotiating contracts “Preliminary work [on the renovations] has to the U.S., their following, too, runs for with sponsors, providers, suppliers … security started, but it’s pretty much site preparation generations. It may have started with Schiavone companies and the rest. All of that occurs work,” Schiavone says. “I don’t think there’s going and his brother, but their father—the man who before the first preseason game.” to be any material changes that fans are going to stitched a suit fine enough to take his family This past year, the stadium’s lease with the notice in the 2013 season.” across the Atlantic, and who, in America, worked city—which Schiavone helped negotiate in the As tough as these negotiations were, it wasn’t all day at a men’s store and then tailored suits at late ’90s—neared expiration. That was difficult the most difficult thing Schiavone has had to do night out of his home—joined them. enough; misperceptions in the media didn’t help. as a lawyer. That came earlier in his tenure as “We made a Sunday afternoon Bills game a “There was never any threat to relocate chief outside counsel. family affair,” Schiavone says. “For a while it was the team outside of Western New York,” From the late 1970s on, the Bills held my brother and I and my dad. Then we started Schiavone says. “From day one, Mr. Wilson, training camp at the State University of New bringing our children.” the owner, was committed to negotiating York at Fredonia. Schiavone is still deeply Schiavone’s father, who lives a few miles from an extension of the lease that was mutually involved with his alma mater, serving on the him, now suffers from Alzheimer’s. Up until two beneficial to the people of Western New York foundation board of directors for more than years ago, he was still tailoring out of his home. and to the Buffalo Bills. And at the outset, a decade and recently spending two years But Sundays in autumn were reserved for family the Bills expressed their desire to the state as its chairman. Earlier this year, the college and football. that a new stadium was not economically awarded him its distinguished service award. “It gave us an opportunity to get together once feasible, either to the state or to the Bills. And in 2000, the Buffalo Bills, his client, a week during the season,” Schiavone says. “My So the suggestion that the team might have moved their training camp from Fredonia to St. mother would make sandwiches and various moved to a larger market, might have moved John Fisher College in Rochester. things that my dad would bring to the stadium. to Los Angeles … Certainly, the media could “Your profession teaches you to represent We’d always have a cup of espresso before have picked up that Los Angeles is looking for your client to the best of your ability— kickoff. Then we’d go grab our seats.”