Primary Areas of Practice
Rights of Individuals with Disabilities, Special Education and Special Needs Law, Financial, Estate, and Asset Protection Planning, Elder Law, Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning and Administration, Real Estate Law.
Education
Juris Doctor: St. John’s University, School of Law, Brooklyn, New York
Bachelor of Arts: State University of New York at Buffalo, New York
Certifications
Certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation, a nongovernmental entity.
Admitted to Practice
All Courts of the State of New York
Supreme Court of the United States of America
Federal Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York
Professional Associations
New York State Bar Association
Rockland County Bar Association
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
The Estate Planning Council of Rockland County, Inc.
The National Elder Law Foundation
Honors
Charles has been at the forefront of the Community Residence movement, creating housing for those with special needs. His efforts were acknowledged, in 1992, when Loeb House, Inc., renamed its first Community Residence the “Charles G. Davis House”.
Charles was has been named to the Super Lawyers list as one of the top Elder Law attorneys in the New York Metro Area for 2012 through 2023.
Representation of Clients
Development of financial and estate plans, including the preparation of Wills, Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts, Medicaid Trusts and Asset Protection Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies, and Living Wills.
Specialized financial and estate planning for families of an individual with special needs, including the development of Special Needs Trusts.
Development of specialized financial and estate plans for the elderly.
All aspects of Elder Law including longterm care and Medicaid qualification planning.
Guardianship proceedings for individuals with developmental disabilities and incapacitated adults in the Surrogate’s Court and the Supreme Court.
Extensive representation of individuals and groups under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the New York Federal and New York State Education Laws, inclusive of appearances before Committees on Special Education, Impartial Hearings, appeals to the Commissioner and the State Review Officer, and litigation in state and federal courts.
Represented clients before various administrative agencies including Department of Social Services, Human Rights, and ADA.
Representation of Not For Profit agencies in the development of Community Residences for individuals with special needs and adult residential facilities including administrative, zoning, and court appeals.
Formation and representation of Not For Profit corporations.
Representation of individuals and businesses in the purchase and sale of residential and commercial properties.
Community Organizations
Past Member: Rockland County Independent Living Center, Inc., Board of Directors now BRIDGES (Past President and founding board member)
Emeritus Member: Jewish Family Service of Rockland County, Inc., Board of Directors (Past President and founding board member)
Past Member: Rockland County Community Services Board (Past Chairperson)
Past Member: Rockland County Association of Children With Learning Disabilities, Advisory Board
Past Member: Mid Hudson Society for Epilepsy, Inc., Professional Advisory Board
Past Member: The Governor’s School and Business Alliance (SABA) Rockland County, Alliance Development Committee
Past Member: BNI, Business Network Intl., Borders Chapter (Past President)
Member of the Central Rockland Chapter of Master Networks.
Past Member: UJA/Federation of Rockland County, Inc., Executive Board
Member: Congregation Shir Shalom the merged Synagogues of Nanuet Hebrew Center, Montebello Jewish Center and Pomona Jewish Center, Past President
Past Member: New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code Board of Review, Hudson Valley Region (Past Chairperson)
Charles has lectured broadly to Legal, Professional, and Consumer Groups on all areas of the Rights of Individuals with Special Needs and the Elderly. The following are just a few of these organizations.
Lecturer: Continuing Legal Education Programs
N.Y.S. Bar Association
Rockland County Bar Association
Rockland County Women’s Bar Association
Ossining Bar Association
In-service Training Seminars for Professionals (Partial List)
Rockland County Community Mental Health Center
Clarkstown Central School District
East Ramapo Central School District
Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center
N.Y.S. Education Department sponsored training program for New York City School District psychologists and social workers at the City University Graduate Center
Jewish Family Service of Rockland County, Inc. in-service for Certified Social Workers
Estate Planning Council of Rockland County, Inc.
Rockland Chapter of the NYS Society of Certified Public Accountants
Presentations to Consumers (Partial Listing)
Rockland County ARC
Putnam County ARC
Westchester County ARC
Ramapo Central School District Special Education PTA
North Rockland Central School District Special Education PTA
Clarkstown Central School District, Parents of Children in Special Education
Nyack Public Schools Special Education, Parent, Teacher, Student PTA
Rockland County Mental Health Association
FAMILIA
OrangeUlster BOCES Special Education PTA
Rockland County BOCES Adult Education courses: Estate Planning; Elder Law and Special Needs Planning
Publications
Supplemental Needs Trusts for the Benefit of a Person with a Disability, A Quick Overview, Spirit Magazine, Winter 2002, Vol. 1, Issue 2, Yedei Chesed, Inc.
“Administration and Taxation of Supplemental Needs Trusts”, Disability Law Update, New York State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Course Book.
“Financial, Estate and Trust Planning for Parents of a Child with Disabilities”, Representing People with Disabilities, Third Edition, New York State Bar Association, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999.
“Financial, Estate and Trust Planning for Parents of a Child with Disabilities”, Continuing Legal Education Course and Course Book. Representing People with Disabilities, New York State Bar Association, 1989, 1990, 1991.
“A Person in Need of Supervision vs. A Pupil in Need of Special Education”, The Legal Rights of Disabled Children, New York State Bar Association, 1986
“Financial and Estate Planning for Parents of a Child with Handicaps”, 5 Western New England Law Review 495 (Winter, 1983)
“Mainstreaming versus An Appropriate Education”, YEARBOOK OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, 1980, 6th Ed., Chicago: 1980, Marquis Who’s Who, Inc., originally published in The Generator, Vol. 10, No. 2, Sp. 1980, American Education Research Association, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
YOU THE ADVOCATE, Coauthor, published April 1977 by the County of Rockland.
“Advocacy and the Law: the Role of Parent Groups”, Course by Newspaper: Psychology/Education 300, St. Thomas Aquinas College, Rockland County Journal-News, 1978.