Karen Khanzadian earned her Juris Doctor from Western New England School of Law and was admitted thereafter to the State Bar of Massachusetts, the State Bar of Michigan and the New York State Bar.  She practices in the areas of public sector labor and employment law, all aspects of collective bargaining, grievances, arbitrations and PERB proceedings, and civil litigation related thereto, including appeals. She is counsel to thirty-five administrative units comprised of hundreds of school districts affiliated with the Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association (ESSAA) where she is primarily responsible for negotiating collective bargaining agreements, impact bargaining, contract grievances, arbitration, PERB challenges and 3020(a) representation.  

Ms. Khanzadian has extensive litigation experience and has litigated a multitude of Article 78 and Article 75 petitions, motions and trials in various state court proceedings and for over two decades has represented the interests of numerous New York State public sector bargaining units in all aspects of labor negotiations, collective bargaining and contract disputes.

Paul Andrew Pagano brings with him ten years of legal experience throughout New York State, primarily focused in labor law working closely with clients to ensure compliance with historical and emerging laws, acting as an advocate in alternative dispute resolution procedures i.e., mediation and arbitration, and litigating cases in State and Federal Courts. Before joining the ESSAA Legal Team, Paul was a litigation associate representing clients on labor and employment issues and handling a wide range of commercial litigation. Paul earned his Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University, where he studied in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.  He is admitted to practice in the State of New York and the U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Paul’s impressive legal credentials and experience, combined with his strong interpersonal skills and   enthusiasm for the mission of public education make him a perfect fit for our organization.  We are excited about all that he brings to his new role with ESSAA.  Paul lives on Long Island and will be working directly with the membership in CAS and RASA. Be on the lookout for upcoming opportunities to meet Paul and welcome him to our world of school leadership. 

Robert Saperstein has been practicing education and labor law for over 30 years. He has represented the Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association [ESSAA] since its inception and also represented the Counsel of Administrators and Supervisors [CAS] for 30 years. His practice is limited to representing school administrators in New York State. Mr. Saperstein has litigated many of the major cases involving school administrators in both the trial and appellate courts of New York State.

Among those cases are:

Michael Starvaggi is a Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Fordham University, and holds his Juris Doctor degree from Fordham Law School. He is counsel to over five hundred public school administrators affiliated with the Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association [ESSAA]. In that capacity, he has handled collective bargaining negotiations, Article 78 proceedings, trial court litigation, impact bargaining, contract grievances, arbitration and PERB claims. He has been successful in settling favorable contract terms in difficult negotiating environments and obtaining winning results for administrators in disputes with their employers.

Prior to becoming counsel to ESSAA, Mr. Starvaggi represented students and parents in a range of matters involving school district liability and student discipline matters. His career has also included transactional and litigation work at large and small New York City based firms, as well as acting as legal editor to some of the nation’s leading treatises on commercial law.

Mr. Starvaggi is admitted to the practice of law in New York and New Jersey. He also teaches Education Law at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY.

Brad Stuhler has been with Council of Administrator and Supervisors (CAS) since 2005. A graduate of Villanova University (Class of ’98) Brad earned his law degree from St. John’s University School of Law (Class of ’01), where he specialized in labor and employment law. Upon graduation from St. John’s University, Brad worked at the Federal Labor Relations Authority prosecuting and investigating Improper Labor Practices occurring within our federal civilian workforce. In his capacity as a federal labor attorney, Brad also served as a hearing officer overseeing representation petitions. While with Federal Government, Brad received several awards including a federal award of distinction in recognition for his ability to resolve and mediate labor disputes.

Brad is admitted to practice in the State and Federal Courts, and, in fact, has successfully appeared on behalf of our members and/or their Associations before the Eastern District Federal Court and United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

During his time with CAS, Brad has successfully represented members before the Public Employment Relations Board, Commissioner of Education, State Supreme and District Courts, and in disciplinary hearings and arbitrations.