Neil joined Mackenzie Hughes in 2005 and is a partner at the firm and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He focuses on bankruptcy law as a member of the Business Department.
Practice Areas
Professional and Community Activities
Current:
- Vice-President of the Central New York Bluegrass Association
- Ex-officio member of the Board of the Central New York Bankruptcy Bar Association
- Volunteer Lawyer for Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County, Inc.
- Member of American Bankruptcy Institute
- Member of American Bar Association
- Member of New York State Bar Association
- Member of Onondaga County Bar Association
- Member of the DeWitt Fish and Game Club
Prior:
- President of the Central New York Bankruptcy Bar Association
Education
- Juris Doctorate, St. John’s University School of Law
- Bachelor of Science, Syracuse University, Summa Cum Laude
Admissions
- New York State Supreme Court
- Northern District of New York District Court
- Northern District of New York Bankruptcy Court
- Western District of New York District Court
- Western District of New York Bankruptcy Court
- Southern District of New York District Court
- Southern District of New York Bankruptcy Court
- Eastern District of New York District Court
Experience
- Represents businesses in bankruptcy proceedings, assists businesses with debt reorganization and workouts and also represents defendants in preferential transfer litigation
- Represents lenders and creditors in collection and foreclosure actions throughout New York State
- Provides clients guidance on the regulatory, lending, operational, and governance issues of banks and credit unions
- Has extensive experience in commercial and residential eviction litigation
Recognitions
- St. Thomas More Scholarship, St. John’s University
- American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, St. John’s University
News
Lox, Locks, & Landlords: Preparing for and Implementing Successful Evictions
Please join us on Tuesday, October 29, as we review basics, trends, and new laws affecting summary evictions. Light refreshments will be provided. 8:30 am to 9:30 am at the Mackenzie Hughes LLP office Presented by Neil J. Smith, Esq. & John M. Nichols, Esq. For those unable to attend, the breakfast will be recorded and […]
Using CARES Act Funds As Financing For a Small Business Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
One of the problems that prevents small businesses from using Chapter 11 bankruptcy more widely is the lack of affordable financing to fund operations while a Chapter 11 case is pending. Called Debtor in Possession (“DIP”) financing, financing for deeply distressed small companies that are experiencing an interruption in cash flow can be prohibitively expensive […]
Small Business Bankruptcy Provisions in the Proposed “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act”
At the time of this writing, the Senate has now passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) and the bill now awaits final approval by the House of Representatives and the President to be enacted into law. In addition to the well-publicized provisions providing direct financial relief to individuals and making […]
Blog
NY’s Good Cause Eviction Law, the Bad, and the Ugly
This spring New York’s Legislature continued a 5-year trend of adding layers of protection for tenants. With 2019’s elongation of special proceedings, and 2023’s affirmative claim to compel repairs, 2024’s Executive Budget ushered in the era of Good Cause Eviction. Good cause means landlords cannot have no cause. The allowed causes are listed in the […]
Questions and Concerns about New York’s New Gun Laws: New License Requirements for Semiautomatic Rifles
In a period of less than a month, New York adopted a series of new gun laws that are the most far reaching in a generation, dwarfing even the changes made by the 2013 SAFE Act. These were prompted by recent mass shooting events and the Supreme Court’s finding that New York’s Sullivan Law is […]
Using CARES Act Funds As Financing For a Small Business Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
One of the problems that prevents small businesses from using Chapter 11 bankruptcy more widely is the lack of affordable financing to fund operations while a Chapter 11 case is pending. Called Debtor in Possession (“DIP”) financing, financing for deeply distressed small companies that are experiencing an interruption in cash flow can be prohibitively expensive […]