Katina Despas-Barous Of Counsel

Katina Despas-Barous joined Cornell Grace, P.C. in 2019.  Mrs. Despas-Barous has been admitted to practice law for more than twenty five years.  She has extensive experience representing municipalities, and private corporations including contractors and property owners sued under the New York State Labor Law since 1998.  In addition to construction law, Katina has successfully advocated for clients in the areas of premises liability, automobile liability, and toxic tort liability.

Katina began her career representing plaintiffs, making her uniquely capable of providing our clients with both plaintiff and defense-oriented views of a specific case at its inception.

Admissions

Katina has been admitted to practice law in New York, Washington, D.C., and the United States District Courts of the Eastern and Southern District since 1998.  She was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in 2002.

Education

Katina earned her Master’s of Arts degree in Politics (1992) and her Advanced Associates Degree as well as her Baccalaureate Degree from New York University (1991).  She then earned her Juris Doctorate in 1997 from New York Law School.

Katina’s pro bono work includes successfully opposing the closure of New York City streets to mobile street vendors during the Giuliani administration.  “Vendors Snag a Victory” Daily News, Frank Lombardi, 2000.

In additional to her extensive trial court work, Katina has argued appellate matters in the Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, including her a recent success in the matter of McCarthy v. The City of New York, et. al, (March 2019) and Schutt v. Dynasty Transportation Ohio, Inc., et al. (April 2022), wherein the Appellate Division, Second Department affirmed the lower court’s dismissal of the Labor Law §200 claims on behalf of the defendant.