Jeffrey D. Buss heads both the Litigation Department and the Energy Practice Group at Smith, Buss & Jacobs.

Mr. Buss has successfully tried numerous jury and non-jury trials, and has successfully argued and drafted appeals before the Appellate Divisions for the First, Second, and Third Departments, the Appellate Term for the First and Second Departments, the New York State Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. His trials and appeals have involved significant and complex issues in the areas of environmental, fraud, bankruptcy, civil rights, health, construction, corporate, constitutional, religious, election, coop, condominium, and real estate law. Interesting cases handled by Mr. Buss include: In re OPM Leasing Services (right to a jury trial in fraudulent transfer litigation), Manti v. NYCTA (right of private business to recover damages under the civil rights laws for competitive injury caused by governmental agency), Rubin v. Sieh (tenant’s right to damages for breach of warranty of habitability), Robinson v. Olivarez (right of tenants to participate in federal energy assistance program), Flatbush Manor v. Gotham (rate reimbursement and rent calculations under NYS Department of Health regulations), Griffin v City of New York (excessive penalty overturned in Article 78 against NYC); Anco Painting v Kamen (RICO complaint involving bidding of NYC hotel painting contracts) Annabi v the City of Yonkers (failure of municipality to refer ordinance to county planning board is jurisdictional defect precluding land use development); the Congregation Yetev Lev d’Satmar cases (a multiplicity of trial court, Appellate Division and Court of Appeal’s decisions establishing New York law on the separation of church and state), HSBC v Sofer, (improper assignment and lack of standing in mortgage foreclosure proceeding); Damora Restaurant Corp v Gazette Realty (distinction between sublease and assignment), Spiezio Family Holdings v Cook, (fiduciary duty among members of LLC; professional malpractice); A& F Commercial Builders v City of Yonkers (challenge of preferred municipal developer); Riverbay v STONYA (termination of satellite television system); Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corp v Riverbay (breach of EPC contract for construction of electric generating facility); Cylich v Riverbay (Article 78 proceeding); and Brodsky v Board of Managers of Dag Hammerskold Plaza (use of proxies to defeat quorum in corporate election);

Mr. Buss served as a member of the Pro Bono Discretionary Appeal Panel for the U.S. District (2d Circuit) and the Pro Bono Panel for the U.S. District of the Southern District of N.Y., and sits as an Arbitrator for the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of N.Y. Mr. Buss has been a member of the Federal Bar Council, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the New York State Bar Association, and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association as well as the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Mr. Buss began his legal career as a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow and as staff counsel for the Public Utility Law Project (PULP). He served as the Governor’s appointee and Chair of the New York State Low Income Energy Assistance Block Grant Advisory Committee, and a Board Member of the NYS Weatherization Program Advisory Council and the Title XX Block Grant Advisory Council; performed a legal compliance audit of a regulated New York utility on behalf of the NYS Attorney General; was a member of the Attorney General’s Martin Act Task Force; served on the NYS Bar Association Committee recommending changes to the Mitchell-Lama Housing program; and is active in numerous community, charitable, educational and public organizations. He is currently General Counsel for the Riverbay Corporation, commonly known as Coop City, the largest affordable housing complex in the United States, and for the Vostecs Corporation, a multi-national energy services and technology firm.