Joel H. Sachs

Construction Law
Municipal Law
Real Estate
Environmental Law
Land Development & Zoning
Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution

Joel H. Sachs represents private entities and governmental agencies in a wide variety of environmental, real estate, land development and zoning matters.  A significant portion of his practice is devoted to representing municipal boards, municipalities and private clients before municipal boards and agencies throughout the State of New York in land use, zoning and environmental disputes.  He serves as Construction Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.  Widely recognized as a leader in Environmental Law, Mr. Sachs has received a number of awards, which are listed below.  Mr. Sachs has enjoyed the rare privilege of serving as Chair of two Sections of the New York State Bar Association, the Environmental Law Section and the Real Estate Law Section.

Mr. Sachs manages the firm’s role as Town Attorney of the Town of Bedford, NY and Village Attorney of the Village of Pleasantville, NY. On behalf of the firm, he also serves as Special Land Use and Environmental Counsel to municipalities in Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange and Ulster Counties.

Mr. Sachs previously clerked for a federal judge in the Southern District of New York and served as an Assistant Attorney General of the State of New York and Deputy Chief of its Environmental Protection Bureau for five years.  Mr. Sachs also served as the former Town Attorney of the Town of Greenburgh, the largest Town in Westchester County.  He joined Keane & Beane in 1993 with many years of experience practicing environmental law, municipal law and land development and zoning.  

• State and Federal Courts of New York
• Federal Courts of Connecticut
• State and Federal Courts of Florida
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Tax Court 

• American Arbitration Association (Construction Industry Panel)
• Federal Bar Council
• National Institute of Municipal Law Officers (Past Chairman of the Committee on Environmental Protection)
• New York State Bar Association (Member, House of Delegates; Past Chair, Real Property Law Section; Past Chair, Environmental Law Section; Member, Task Force on Eminent Domain; Member, Continuing Education Legal Committee)
• Westchester County Bar Association
• White Plains Bar Association (Past President) 

• Metro Super Lawyers List, one of the 25 best attorneys in Westchester County (2010-2016)
• The New York Times Magazine, Westchester Magazine and New York Magazine (2008-2016) one of the best environmental attorneys in the New York Metropolitan area
• Best Lawyers in America (Environmental), 2009-2016, presented by ALM publications
• Distinguished Teaching Award, presented by Pace University School of Law (2010)
• Above the Bar Award for Leading Environmental Attorney awarded by Citrin Cooperman, the Westchester County Business Journal, Pace University School of Law and Mahopac Bank (2007)
• Business Leadership Award presented by Yeshiva Ohr Hameir (2002)
• Lawyer of the Year presented by Institute for Jewish Humanities (1997)
• Henry Heissenbuttel Award for excellence in land use planning given by the New York State Planning Federation (1986)
• Pioneer of New York Environmental Law – George W. Perkins Award (NY Parks and Trails Association) (2012)
• Has received a peer review rating of “AV^® Preeminent^TM” on Martindale-Hubbell^®

Mr. Sachs serves as an Adjunct Professor at Pace University School of Law, where for over 30 years he has taught courses on state and municipal environmental law, land use and construction law. He is also a frequent lecturer before bar association groups on environmental and land use topics.

Mr. Sachs is a Former President of the Westchester County Legal Aid Society and continues to serve on its Board of Directors.  He also was a member of the Board of Trustees of Lyndhurst. 

• 1970, LL.M., New York University
• 1966, LL.B., University of Pennsylvania
• 1963, B.A., Cornell University