Stewart F. Hancock, Jr., Of Counsel

Practice Areas

Alternative Dispute Resolution
Appellate

PHONE:	(315) 471-3151 Ext. 213
FAX:	(315) 471-3167
shancock@hancocklaw.com
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The Honorable Stewart F. Hancock, Jr., retired Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, returned to full-time practice in January 1994 as counsel to the Firm after eight years on the Court of Appeals and 23 years as Judge. Judge Hancock specializes in appellate practice, mediation and international and domestic commercial arbitration, and also serves as an expert on New York law.

He is a Member of AAA’s International Arbitration Panel and Large Commercial Complex Case Panel; Member Large Complex Case Advisory Council; Member AAA’s Employment Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel; Member, CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals; Member, CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution of U.S.- China Business Mediation Panel; Former Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, North American Branch; Member, London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA); an arbitrator and mediator for private parties. He provided expert testimony on New York law in arbitrations and lawsuits in several foreign jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, Netherlands, France and Australia.

Judge Hancock represented the New York State Senate in two landmark separation-of-power cases that deal with how New York State is governed. Both cases Pataki v. Assembly and Silver v. Pataki focused on the budgetary power that the governor holds under the New York State Constitution. He holds a position as Distinguished Visiting Professor and Jurist in Residence at Syracuse Law School where he teaches a seminar in Case Analysis and Appellate Advocacy.

Judge Hancock was appointed New York State Supreme Court Justice by Governor Rockefeller in 1971 and elected in 1972. From 1977 until his appointment to the Court of Appeals by Governor Cuomo in 1986, he served on the Appellate Division Fourth Department. Prior to his judicial career, Judge Hancock was at Hancock & Estabrook, specializing in appellate and trial advocacy. In 1962-1963 he served as the first full-time Corporation Counsel for the City of Syracuse. In 1964-1965 he chaired the Onondaga County Republican Committee. He ran for United States Congress in 1966. Judge Hancock served as a line Officer in the United States Navy, 1945-1947 and in the United States Naval Reserve during the Korean Conflict, 1950-1951.

Judge Hancock is a graduate of Cornell Law School (LLB), 1950. He graduated sixth in his class and served as a member of the Board of Cornell Law Quarterly. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy (B.S.) 1945. He holds Honorary L.L.D. degrees from Syracuse University and Le Moyne College and received the New York State Bar Association's Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service in Law in January, 2000.

Judge Hancock is a member and life fellow of the American Bar Association; member and fellow of the New York State Bar Association; member, Governor’s Judicial Screening Committee, Fourth Judicial Department; member, N.Y.S.B.A. Committee on Selection for Court of Appeals Judges; member, Chief Judge’s Commission to Promote Public Confidence in Judicial Elections; member, N.Y.S.B.A. Special Commission on Court Structure and Judicial Selection; member, N.Y.S.B.A. Special Committee on Judicial Independence; ex officio member, Board of Directors, Onondaga County Bar Association; past Director, Onondaga County Assigned Counsel Program, Inc.; Board member, Frank H. Hiscock Legal Aid Society; member, Board of Visitors, Syracuse University College of Law and member, Advisory Council, Cornell Law School.

Judge Hancock has lectured at Syracuse, Cornell, Touro and Albany Law Schools and for numerous CLE programs. In 2003-2004 he participated in the Center for International Legal Studies programs on international mediation and arbitration in Heidelberg, Germany and in Salzburg, Austria. In 2004, he gave the third annual Hugh R. Jones Memorial Lecture at Albany Law School. He has addressed various legal and civic groups on New York’s death penalty statute and other topics. He has authored numerous published legal articles and has contributed chapters to textbooks on commercial litigation.