Steven A. Certilman, Esq. (Of Counsel) |

Attorney Steven A. Certilman draws on more than thirty-five years of experience in legal problem-solving across a wide range of commercial businesses and legal subject areas to provide insightful and practical counsel. He has extensive experience in contract drafting, review and negotiation and advising on corporate and commercial legal issues with particular expertise in the areas of information technology and business process outsourcing, Internet, e-commerce and Internet law, software development and licensing. His commitment to dispute avoidance and alternative dispute resolution stands as a foundation for all of its work. Since 1988, Attorney Certilman has balanced his practice as an attorney with service as chairman, panelist or sole arbitrator in more than two hundred fifty domestic and international commercial disputes and as mediator in more than fifty disputes. He is an arbitration and mediation panel member of AAA, ICDR, CPR and many other arbitral institutions worldwide. Attorney Certilman has authored numerous publications in the field of ADR and is a frequent speaker and trainer in the ADR field. He held an appointment as Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law teaching International Arbitration for five years and he is an invited fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators and a fellow of the London-based Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, which has also granted him the designation Chartered Arbitrator, its highest professional accreditation. Attorney Certilman is a member of major arbitration panels in the United States and worldwide.
From his unusual experience as both a commercial litigator and a corporate and commercial attorney, Mr. Certilman places great emphasis on preventive lawyering, an approach which requires a litigator’s perspective in the structuring of transactions and drafting of agreements. To help to avoid unexpected outcomes and reduce business risk, he believes that the interests of clients are best served when clients choose to proactively prioritize conflict avoidance over merely reacting to conflicts as they arise.
Attorney Certilman has heard more than thirty cases as a Trial Referee for the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut, where he also served for fourteen years as a part time magistrate. He holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is regularly recognized by New York Metro, Connecticut and New England Super Lawyers, Top Lawyers and “200 Outstanding Lawyers of Fairfield County.” He has been engaged in matters across a wide range of areas including:
Attorney Certilman’s experience is particularly extensive in the technology law and business process outsourcing fields. Significant projects have included:
Mr. Certilman has heard more than thirty cases as a Trial Referee for the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut, which he also serves as a magistrate. He has received a Martindale-Hubbell rating of AV, the highest possible peer review rating for legal ability and ethical standards. He is regularly recognized as a New York Metro, Connecticut and New England “Super Lawyer” and has been listed in Best Lawyers in New York City and Connecticut, listed among “200 Outstanding Lawyers of Fairfield County” and has been named one of America’s Most Honored Professionals in New York and Connecticut.
His hobbies include photography, art collecting and travel.
From his unusual experience as both a commercial litigator and a corporate and commercial attorney, Mr. Certilman places great emphasis on preventive lawyering, an approach which requires a litigator’s perspective in the structuring of transactions and drafting of agreements. To help to avoid unexpected outcomes and reduce business risk, he believes that the interests of clients are best served when clients choose to proactively prioritize conflict avoidance over merely reacting to conflicts as they arise.
Attorney Certilman has heard more than thirty cases as a Trial Referee for the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut, where he also served for fourteen years as a part time magistrate. He holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is regularly recognized by New York Metro, Connecticut and New England Super Lawyers, Top Lawyers and “200 Outstanding Lawyers of Fairfield County.” He has been engaged in matters across a wide range of areas including:
- Corporate governance
- Investor agreements and disputes
- Acquisitions and divestitures, both asset and equity
- Lender financing transactions and collateralization
- Private investment capital raises
- Transaction due diligence
- Drafting and negotiating a broad range of commercial agreements such as marketing and distribution agreements, trademark and copyright licenses, technology license and service agreements, computer services agreements, software development
- Preparation and negotiation of commercial leases and real property development agreements such as architect, project manager and contractor agreements
- Business operating agreements and joint venture agreements with both domestic and international application
Attorney Certilman’s experience is particularly extensive in the technology law and business process outsourcing fields. Significant projects have included:
- Representation of vendors and clients in more than 200 computer services and business process outsourcing transactions. Transactions have included engagements for IT department outsourcing from 10 to 19,000 seats, desktop and network migrations, technology refresh of both hardware and operating systems, general acquisition and asset management services, desktop and network maintenance services, help desk and call center services, enterprise software licensing, and professional consulting services
- Drafting and negotiation of agreements including e-commerce, online marketing, software, content and technology development agreements, licenses, maintenance agreements and distribution agreements, website development and hosting agreements, online publishing agreements and consulting agreements
- Legal review and assistance preparing and responding to IT services RFP’s
- Domain name disputes
- Trademark prosecutions including TTAB appeals
- General representation of a wide variety of IT and technology businesses
Mr. Certilman has heard more than thirty cases as a Trial Referee for the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut, which he also serves as a magistrate. He has received a Martindale-Hubbell rating of AV, the highest possible peer review rating for legal ability and ethical standards. He is regularly recognized as a New York Metro, Connecticut and New England “Super Lawyer” and has been listed in Best Lawyers in New York City and Connecticut, listed among “200 Outstanding Lawyers of Fairfield County” and has been named one of America’s Most Honored Professionals in New York and Connecticut.
His hobbies include photography, art collecting and travel.