Justice Elizabeth H. Emerson serves as Of Counsel at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C., where she is a member of the Commercial Litigation Department. With an extensive career on the bench, Justice Emerson was elected as a New York State Supreme Court Justice in 1996, holding the position for 28 years. Her distinguished tenure included four years as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Term of the Appellate Division, Second Department, overseeing the 9th and 10th Judicial Districts.
In 2002, Justice Emerson applied her corporate law expertise to establish the Suffolk County Commercial Division, where she presided for 21 years—becoming one of New York State’s longest-serving Commercial Division justices. During this time, she oversaw complex commercial disputes, and was involved in actively shaping the policies, procedures, and rules of the Commercial Division as a member of the Commercial Division Advisory Council. She also served on the Chief Judge’s Task Force on Commercial Litigation in the 21st century.
Before her judicial career, Justice Emerson was a partner at a multinational law firm, where she focused on transactional law, representing financial institutions and Fortune-100 companies in domestic and cross-border transactions. Her practice areas included acquisition financings, leveraged buyouts, restructurings, project finance, public offerings, and municipal financings.
Justice Emerson’s experience in commercial litigation enables her to offer exceptional services in arbitration, mediation, and as a special referee or moderator. She has a strong background in mediation, having participated in numerous court-sponsored mediation programs and advanced mediation training. Throughout her 21 years in the Commercial Division, she settled numerous cases and helped develop mediation programs within the court system.
In addition to her legal practice, Justice Emerson has served as a member-at-large on the Executive Committee of the Commercial and Federal Litigation Section of the New York State Bar Association. She co-chairs the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Commercial Division Committee and has served as the American Bar Association’s business court representative. She was also selected to represent New York in the “Judicial Leaders in Climate Science” program. Justice Emerson is a frequent lecturer on complex litigation topics and authored a chapter on secured transactions in the leading treatise, Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts.
Syracuse University College of Law (J.D. , magna cum laude)
Boston College (A.B. magna cum laude)