Michael Perna, Esq., a graduate of Fordham University School of Law, holds a master’s in education and enjoyed a prior career as a public educator before focusing primarily on labor and employment law. Upon graduation from Fordham Law, Mr. Perna was honored to have been the inaugural recipient of the Adele Monaco Memorial Award. Named after a classmate, the late Ms. Monaco, this award is presented to that individual who has made a positive impact on the lives of fellow students through the demonstration of compassion, determination, and commitment to public service. More recently, Mr. Perna has been honored by the New York State Bar Association as the 2023 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award winner. This award is named after Chief Judge Lippman who instituted several reforms during his tenure on New York State’s Court of Appeals designed to increase access to legal services. Mr. Perna provides pro bono legal services to small claims court litigants in the 9th Judicial District’s alternate dispute resolution program.
Over the course of a rewarding professional life, he has advocated effectively, first for the students he taught and, then, as a skilled and articulate labor and management representative. He has served as Assistant General Counsel with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations, as Senior Trial Examiner at the NYC Office of Collective Bargaining and had two stints in private law practice initially with the firm of Ehrlich, Frazer & Feldman, and then, with their successor firm, Frazer & Feldman, LLP, of Garden City, N.Y. Mr. Perna is currently employed as a Labor Relations Specialist with New York State United Teachers devoting his expertise and experience to supporting local unions and unionized workers. He also serves, on a per diem basis, as a disciplinary trial officer for the New York City Housing Authority, and a Grievance Review Officer for NYC Health + Hospitals evaluating disciplinary and contract claims filed under any of over a dozen municipal collective bargaining agreements.
With nearly 40 years of experience, including over 20 years in all facets of alternative dispute resolution, Mr. Perna has honed skills and abilities that make him an excellent instructor, advocate, arbitrator/neutral, and mediator.