Man wearing a striped tie in front of the American Flag

Harvey B. Besunder, Esq.

Mediator/Arbitrator

Harvey B. Besunder joins Mediation Solutions with over 50 years of legal experience and an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, condemnation and tax certiorari, real property, estate and municipal litigation, and professional responsibility matters.

He currently practices law as a partner with the firm of Egan & Golden. He has had his own firm since 1975 under various names, including, most recently with Linda U. Margolin under the firm name MargolinBesunder LLP. During his career, he was also an Assistant County Attorney for Suffolk County in the Condemnation Department, a member of the Suffolk County Attorney's Office and a Law Assistant in the Suffolk County District Court.

In 2017 Harvey was appointed as a Special Master to oversee, mediate, and resolve discovery disputes in the Suffolk County opioid litigation, which was resolved by settlement and verdict in 2022.

Harvey is an active member of a number of bar associations. From 1993-1994, he served as President of the Suffolk County Bar Association and has been a member and/or Chair of that Association's Condemnation Committee, Grievance Committee, Judiciary Committee, and Bench-Bar Committee. From 1993 to 1997, he served on the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association's Real Property Section and was a member of the Association's House of Delegates, Committee on Lawyer Discipline, By-Laws Committee and Nominating Committee. From 1996-1999, he served as Chair of the Committee on Lawyer Discipline.

From 1988 to 1996, he served as a member of the Grievance Committee for the Tenth Judicial District, and in 1997, he was appointed to serve on the Judicial Salaries Commission and served on the Independent Judicial Qualifications Commission from 2007-2011. He currently serves as a member of the Committee on Character and Fitness.

He has lectured extensively on behalf of the Suffolk Academy of Law on such topics as ethics and the disciplinary process, real property and condemnation issues, municipal law and for the State Bar on Condemnation valuation and Ethics issues.

Harvey has received several awards of Recognition from the Suffolk County Bar Association, including a Special Award of Recognition as well as two awards for Pro Bono service. He has received two prestigious Presidents Award for Service to the Legal Profession and a Lifetime Achievement award in 2014.

He is available to arbitrate or mediate cases virtually or in our Suffolk County offices.

Mediating Cases In:

  • Real estate
  • Municipal Law
  • Commercial matters
  • Tax certiorari
  • Estates and will contests

Professional Experience

Egan & Golden, Partner 2023-Present

MargolinBesunder LLP --- Partner – 2015-2023

Bracken Margolin Besunder LLP --- Partner-2010-2015

Law Offices of Harvey B. Besunder, P.C. 2006 - 2010

Partner, Pruzansky & Besunder, LLP, 2001 - 2005

Law Offices of Harvey B. Besunder, 1993 - 2001

Partner, Besunder and Burner, 1991 - 1993

Partner, Cruser, Hills, Hills & Besunder, 1979 - 1990

Partner, Bazell & Besunder, 1975 - 1979

Assistant County Attorney, Condemnation Department, Suffolk County Attorney's Office, 1972 - 1979

Assistant County Attorney, Chief, Family Court Department, 1971 - 1972

Honors

Suffolk County Bar Association Award of Recognition

Suffolk County Bar Association Pro Bono Awards

Suffolk County Bar Association Special Award of Recognition

Suffolk County Bar Association President’s Award, 2010, 2018

Suffolk County Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014

Education

Brooklyn Law School, LL.B, June 1967

(By permission of the State of New York, this degree is now changed to Juris Doctor).

Adelphi University, B.A., History, 1964

Memberships and Professional Associations

Suffolk County Bar Association

President, 1993-1994

President Elect, 1992-1993

First Vice President, 1991-1992

Second Vice President,1990-1991

Treasurer, 1989-1990

Secretary, 1988-1989

Director, 1986-1988

Director, 1994-1997

Condemnation Committee, 1978-present (Chair, 1978-1980)

Grievance Committee (Co-Chair, 1982-1984; Overall Chair, 1984-1986)

Judiciary Committee, 1982-1986

Bench Bar Committee, 1991-present (Chair, 1991-1993)

Professionalism and Ethics Committee,1998-present

Judicial Screening Committee,1985-1991, 2018-2020

New York State Bar Association

Condemnation and Tax Certiorari Committee of the Real Property Section, Commercial and Federal Litigation sections

Real Property Section, Executive Committee, 1993 - 1998

House of Delegates, 1990-1994; 1996-1998; 2023-

Committee on Lawyer Discipline, 1999-2015

Chair, 1996-1999

By-Laws Committee ,1999-2003

Commercial and Federal Litigation Section, 2015-present

Committee on Lawyers Wellness, 2020-

Commission on the Legal Profession Post Pandemic-, 2020-

Tenth Judicial District Grievance Committee, 1988 - 1996

Judicial Salaries Commission, 1997 – 1998

Character and Fitness Committee, 2006-Present

Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission, 2007-2011

Commercial Division Advisory Council, 2013

Commission on Statewide Attorney Discipline, 2015-2016

Commission on Equal Justice, 2021-present

Special Master in Opioid litigation, 2017-2022