Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP

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Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Woods Oviatt is a full service law firm headquartered in Rochester, NY with offices in Buffalo, NY and Albany, NY.

Providing the highest level of legal services since 1852. Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP is headquartered in Rochester, NY and has an office in Scottsdale, AZ. We represent a broad spectrum of clients, from publicly traded corporations and financial institutions to family-owned businesses and private individuals; from high-technology and industrial enterprises to construction firms; from real estate developers to educational institutions and charities. Our capabilities extend from counseling businesses to personal and family representation. Business & Finance Department
• Business Counseling
• Business Succession Planning
• Corporate Governance
• Employee Benefits / Executive Compensation
• Franchising, Distributions & Dealerships
• Health Care
• Intellectual Property, Licensing & Technology
• Investment Management
• Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures
• Not-For-Profit & Tax-Exempt Organizations
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Public Companies / Securities
• Special Investigations
• Tax Controversies
• Transactional Tax Planning

Intellectual Property
• Intellectual Property, Licensing & Technology
• Intellectual Property Litigation

Employment and Labor
• Education & School Law
• Employment and Labor Litigation
• Employment & Non-Competition Agreements
• Employee Benefits / Executive Compensation
• Employment Counseling and Compliance
• Immigration Law
• Union / Collective Bargaining
• Wage and Hour Litigation
• Workplace Safety / OSHA

Family Wealth and Estate Planning
• Adoptions
• Asset Protection Planning
• Business Succession Planning
• Charitable and Foundation Planning
• Elder Law/Long Term Health Care and Medicaid Planning
• Estate and Trust Administration
• Estate and Trust Litigation
• Estate and Trust Taxation
• Florida Estate & Trust Practice
• Family Wealth Planning
• Guardianships
• Pre/Post - Nuptial Agreements
• Retirement Benefit Planning

Litigation
• Appellate Litigation
• Business Litigation
• Construction & Surety Law Litigation
• Estate and Trust Litigation
• Employment and Labor Litigation
• Education & School Law
• Environmental Law & Litigation
• Government & Municipal Law
• Insurance Coverage & Risk Management
• Insurance Defense
• Intellectual Property Litigation
• Medical Malpractice
• Products Liability / Mass & Complex Torts
• Personal Injury Litigation
• Professional Malpractice Defense
• Securities & Shareholder Litigation
• Securities Arbitration
• Tax Assessment & Condemnation
• Toxic Torts / Lead Paint Litigation


Real Estate Development and Finance
• Commercial Leasing
• Commercial Real Estate Development
• Commercial Real Estate Finance
• Commercial Real Estate Transactions
• Condominiums and Associations
• Construction Law
• Environmental Law & Litigation
• Land Use & Zoning
• Residential Transactions
• Section 1031 Tax Free Exchanges

Secured Lending and Financial Recovery
• Debt Collection and Asset Recovery
• Commercial and Asset Based Lending
• Creditors' Rights
• Financial Institution Regulatory Matters
• Financial Restructuring and Bankruptcy
• Foreclosures / REO
• Landlord - Tenant
• Public Finance
• Real Estate Litigation

10/06/2026

A copyright exists the moment a work is created. So what happens to it when the creator is gone? đź’ˇ

In the final installment of a three-part series on intellectual property rights at death, attorney Trent Bolar joins host Dave Shaffer to break down copyrights–what they cover, how long they last, and when a work passes into the public domain. Plus, an extended show-and-tell on the AI training lawsuits now in the courts, the Tupac estate’s protection of his catalog and likeness, and a tribute to Dolly Parton and the publishing she built to outlast her.

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-34-intellectual-property-rights-at-death-copyrights-part-3-of-3?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=episode-34

Big enough to go global. Small enough to still know your name.Woods Oviatt Gilman is part of Meritas, a worldwide allian...
09/30/2026

Big enough to go global. Small enough to still know your name.

Woods Oviatt Gilman is part of Meritas, a worldwide alliance of independent law firms. It means we can support clients with matters that stretch well beyond New York, all while keeping the personal attention our clients expect.

Did you recently send a kid off to college this fall? There's one piece of paperwork that's easy for parents to miss.At ...
09/28/2026

Did you recently send a kid off to college this fall? There's one piece of paperwork that's easy for parents to miss.

At 18, your child becomes a legal adult, which means you no longer have automatic rights to their medical or financial information. A healthcare proxy and power of attorney can close that gap, so you can still help if something comes up while they're away.

Something to consider before the dorm room gets unpacked.

Behind every good outcome is a good conversation.At Woods Oviatt Gilman, we believe the strongest client relationships s...
09/24/2026

Behind every good outcome is a good conversation.

At Woods Oviatt Gilman, we believe the strongest client relationships start with real conversations, not just paperwork. Getting to know your goals, concerns, and what "success" actually looks like for you is where the best legal work begins.

Behind every shopping center, apartment complex, or office building deal is a lot of legal groundwork most people never ...
09/21/2026

Behind every shopping center, apartment complex, or office building deal is a lot of legal groundwork most people never see.

That's where DiMarco comes in. As a Partner in our Real Estate Development and Finance Department, David represents developers, owners, and lenders through acquisitions, financing, and leasing across the country, work that's ranged from multi-state mobile home park portfolios to CMBS refinancing on apartment complexes.

He's also a past Chairman of the Real Estate Section of the Monroe County Bar Association and has served on the Board of Junior Achievement of Rochester.

What does Michael Jackson's iconic 45-degree lean have to do with estate planning? More than you'd think.In Episode 32 o...
09/18/2026

What does Michael Jackson's iconic 45-degree lean have to do with estate planning? More than you'd think.

In Episode 32 of Into the Woods, attorney Trent Bolar joins host Dave Shaffer to kick off a three-part series on intellectual property rights at death, starting with patents. They cover how patents are secured, their 20-year lifespan, and what happens to a patent when the inventor passes away, including the executor's responsibility to notify the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office within a three-month window.

Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-32-intellectual-property-rights-at-death-patents-part-1-of-3

🎙️ Episode 32: Intellectual Property Rights at Death: Patents (Part 1 of 3)

Constitution Day marks the signing of the document that still shapes the legal system we work within every day.For 174 y...
09/17/2026

Constitution Day marks the signing of the document that still shapes the legal system we work within every day.

For 174 years, Woods Oviatt Gilman has practiced law in Western New York under that same framework, one built on due process, fair representation, and the rule of law. It's easy to take for granted, but it's the foundation everything we do is built on.

A quiet moment today to recognize what it protects.

At a big firm, you're one of hundreds of attorneys on a case. At Woods Oviatt Gilman, you're the attorney your client ac...
09/16/2026

At a big firm, you're one of hundreds of attorneys on a case. At Woods Oviatt Gilman, you're the attorney your client actually knows.

If you've built strong experience at a larger firm and you're ready for work where your name is attached to the outcome, not buried in a staffing chart, this is that opportunity. Rochester, Buffalo, and Albany are where the work you do actually moves the needle, for the client, for the community, and for your own career.

See our current openings: https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=0e1e9083-9aea-406f-aa96-acb71322e527&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_US

09/15/2026

What happens to a trademark when its owner passes away? đź’ˇ

In part two of a three-part series on intellectual property rights at death, attorney Trent Bolar joins host Dave Shaffer to break down trademarks–what they protect, why use in commerce is everything, and how a mark can quietly lapse when the person behind it is gone. Plus, the NCAA’s lawsuit against DraftKings and why your next watch party should be advertised as “the big game” watch party.

🎧 Listen now: https://www.woodsoviattgilman.com/podcast/episode-33-intellectual-property-rights-at-death-trademarks-part-2-of-3?utm_source=social&utm_medium=wog&utm_campaign=episode-33

08/31/2026

AI use in the workplace is growing fast. Formal policies? Not so much.

WOG partner Kate Polozie spoke with the Rochester Business Journal about why AI governance is now a baseline risk management issue for employers, especially in regulated industries.

Is your business covered? Read the full piece: https://bit.ly/3UcbQfc

Address

1900 Bausch And Lomb Place
Rochester, NY
14604

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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