Hon. Peter B. Skelos (Ret.)

Honorable Peter B. Skelos’ illustrious career includes 11 years spent as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department where he served until his retirement in 2015. Judge Skelos’ judicial career began in 1995 when he was elected to the District Court, Nassau County. Four years later, he was elected as Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, 10th Judicial District and in 2003 he was appointed Associate Justice of the Appellate Term of the Supreme Court 9th and 10th Judicial Districts. The following year, he was appointed by Governor George Pataki as an Additional Justice to one of the busiest appellate courts in the United States: the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department. Thereafter, he was appointed and reappointed as Associate Justice of the Appellate Division and also as a member of the Constitutional Court. He was rated “Highly Qualified” by the New York State Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission. Throughout his many years on the bench, he was known for having a keen legal intellect with compassion for those who appeared before him. Judge Skelos has a reputation for treating others in a fair and respectful manner and for arriving at well-reasoned and legally sound decisions in cases he has heard.

During his time as a trial and appellate division judge, Justice Skelos presided over scores of medical and dental malpractice cases. Prior to joining the bench, he was a Senior Deputy Nassau County Attorney where he successfully defended medical malpractice, civil rights, and personal injury matters. Thereafter, he was engaged in private practice where he handled a variety of cases including commercial civil litigation, civil rights, medical malpractice and personal injury in state and federal courts for both plaintiffs and defendants. Drawing from his experience, he has lectured to bar associations and the judiciary on medical malpractice and other personal injury matters, among other topics.

His experience on the bench, combined with the time spent in private practice, has given him a broad range of knowledge in numerous areas of the law including construction litigation, employment, matrimonial, professional liability and insurance coverage disputes. Honorable Skelos’ ability to approach matters fairly and in an unbiased manner combined with his even temperament and incisive questioning make him extremely well-suited to the role of arbitrator/mediator and an excellent choice for both sides of the bar. Further, as a former appellate judge, he has the ability to fairly and expertly identify and resolve disputed questions of law.

In 2020, for the fifth year in a row, Judge Skelos was voted a Top Ten Neutral in the New York Law Journal Best Of Survey. He was also named a National Law Journal Alternative Dispute Resolution Champion, as part of a select group of only 46 nationwide. Further, he was selected as a 2017 and 2018 New York Super Lawyer by New York Super Lawyer Magazine. He has received numerous awards for his exemplary public service and as a career-long member of the Nassau County Bar Association, he was presented with the President’s Award for his leadership on behalf of the Lawyers Assistance Program. He also served three terms as the administrative chair of the We Care Fund Advisory Board of the Bar Association of Nassau County where he continues to be an active member.

Judge Skelos is available to arbitrate and mediate cases throughout the United States.