James P. Blenk | Lippes Mathias LLP

Bio

Mr. Blenk concentrates his practice in commercial litigation, including contract, construction, insurance, employment and property disputes, and governmental litigation, including civil rights litigation, Article 78 proceedings, and property tax certiorari cases. Mr. Blenk also advises condominium associations and owners.

While at Boston College Law School, he finished runner-up in the Grimes Moot Court Competition, won the Business Plan competition at the Carroll School of Management and counseled elderly individuals as part of the Law School’s Elder Law Project.

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

New York
Massachusetts
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Western District of New York

Education

Boston College Law School, J.D., 2012
University at Buffalo, B.A., magna cum laude

Professional Associations

Bar Association of Erie County
Western New York Trial Lawyers Association

Honors & Awards

Upstate New York Super Lawyers®, Rising Star, 2022-2023

Presentations

Local Government Property Acquisition: In Rem Updates and Developing Solar Energy On Municipal Brownfield Sites
County Attorneys’ Association of the State of New York Annual Meeting, May 23, 2023
Have Gavel Will Travel, Bar Association of Erie County CLE, October 27, 2022
City of Buffalo 2020 Property Tax Assessment Revaluation, Erie Institute of Law CLE, November 15, 2019
General Municipal Law §103 Bid Mistake – Case Study, Greater Buffalo Environmental Conference, March 21, 2017

Reported Decisions

Represented Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in a successful challenge to the United States Treasury’s methodology for distributing more than $4 billion in CARES funds to tribal governments. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation v. Yellen, 63 F.4th 42 (D.C. Cir. 2023)
Represented business owners in successive litigation initiated by their former partner. Webber v. Webber, 145 A.D.3d 1499, 44 N.Y.S.3d 633 (4th Dep’t 2016); Blue Heron Commercial Grp., Inc. v. Webber, No. 19-12555, 2020 WL 1686824, (11th Cir. Apr. 7, 2020).
Represented law enforcement officers at trial and obtained judgment in their favor on civil rights claims. Wierzbic v. Howard, 331 F.R.D. 32, 39 (W.D.N.Y. 2019).
Represented a municipality in an Article 78 on a real property tax question of first impression. LAPC Lofts, LLC v. City of Buffalo Dep't of Assessment, Taxation, 155 A.D.3d 1539, 1539, 65 N.Y.S.3d 361, 362 (4th Dep’t 2017).