Bond Announces Leadership Changes in Syracuse Office

February 13, 2024

(Syracuse, NY): Bond, Schoeneck & King announced that Colin M. Leonard and Suzanne M. Messer have assumed the positions of managing member and deputy managing member, respectively, of the firm’s Syracuse office. Prior to this, Leonard served as deputy managing member of the office. He succeeds Brian Butler, who ascended to chair of the firm’s management committee on January 1.

According to Butler, “Colin is the natural choice to lead Bond’s largest office, with more than 85 attorneys and 170 staff. He and I worked together closely over the past three years managing the office. He is a smart lawyer and visionary leader, well respected by his peers, and I’m happy to see him take over leadership of the Syracuse office.”

Butler added, “I’ve also worked closely with Suzanne, as we both are litigators and have worked on a number of cases together. I have the utmost respect for her as a lawyer, a litigator and a leader. Together, Colin and Suzanne are poised to continue the growth of the firm in Central New York, provide guidance to the attorneys and develop our staff so that we can all better serve our clients. I’m thrilled for them both.”

Colin M. Leonard is a management-side labor and employment lawyer who works with clients throughout Central New York, the Mohawk Valley and the Southern Tier of New York. His practice includes traditional labor-related work, including collective bargaining, labor arbitrations and agency matters before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). He also represents employers in federal and state anti-discrimination litigation and counsels human resources professionals on wide-ranging legal issues. Outside of Bond, Leonard is active in his community and serves on the boards of directors of the Landmark Theatre as vice-president and Nascentia Health as secretary.

Suzanne M. Messer represents clients in commercial, higher education, employment and civil rights disputes and litigation. She has counseled and litigated in these subject areas for more than 15 years and regularly appears in federal and state courts. Messer has tried both jury and non-jury trials, argued before appellate-level courts and assisted clients in resolving disputes through mediations and arbitration proceedings. Messer is chair of Bond’s Women’s Initiative, which promotes the professional development of women attorneys throughout the firm.

Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC is an Am Law 200 law firm with more than 300 lawyers serving individuals, companies, nonprofits and public sector entities in a broad range of practice areas. Bond has 16 offices, including 11 in New York State, as well as in Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Kansas.