Business

Local lawyers open up shop in Bay Ridge

July 25, 2011 Heather Chin

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photo by Jesse Lent

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Basil J. Kampessis and Simon Shamoun may have grown up mereblocks from one another in Bay Ridge, but it wasn’t until theyspent 100 days straight at the same table studying for the New YorkState bar exam that they actually met and became friends. Now, sixyears of experience in Manhattan later, the two are bringing theirexpertise and enthusiasm back home.

Kampessis and Shamoun, PLLC, at 8418 Third Avenue, opened itsdoors in mid-July and has already been doing brisk business, itsowners eager to reach out and provide services to the diversecommunity of businesspeople, homeowners and immigrants that raisedthem.

We decided to partner up because, with both of us growing up inBay Ridge with different backgrounds in terms of nationality, anddifferent backgrounds of law, we thought we could really providesome much needed legal services to the neighborhood, saidKampessis, who specializes in real estate and business law. We’vebeen friends for a while; [just from studying together]. We sawsmarts and trust. That’s what you need in a partnership: work ethicand trust.

Kampessis, who graduated from Touro Law School in Long Island,will bring his expertise representing buyers, sellers, propertyowners, developers and mortgage lending institutions to the firm,while Shamoun, a graduate of CUNY Law School and experiencedlitigator for insurance defense firms, will offer that service. Thenew law firm will also include a focus on immigration law.

Both attorneys are certified to practice law in New York and NewJersey’s state and federal court systems. Between the two of them,they also speak three languages fluently: English, Arabic andGreek.

Shamoun, who spent some of his pre-law school years as an aideto State Senator Marty Golden, said that It’s an incrediblefeeling to be back in the neighborhood to service and help thepeople that I live with.

The pair’s goal for their law firm is to give clients apersonal, accessible and hands-on experience. That is part of thereason why they chose a storefront with floor-to-ceiling windowsand desks that have them practically sitting outside withpedestrians.

Clients should know that Simon and I believe that accessibilityis really important, Kampessis explained. We’re here, you canreach us, talk to us when you need to; we give our cell phonenumbers to clients, so you know that you can reach us after hours.[This isn’t] the old wooden-panel law offices of the old days.We’re the ones answering the phone.

Whether you’re a first time home buyer who is nervous, orwhatever the situation is, we found that clients’ number oneconcern is they had no idea what was going on and the attorneywould just call the day before with an update, he added, notingthat technology – Blackberry emails of documentation, plus auser-friendly website – will play a big role in keeping attorneysand clients in contact. We feel that clients deserve to beinvolved from the beginning.

On being back in their home neighborhood, the two friends saythat what they most love about being back is the opportunity to bean integral part of the community and institutions that they havewatched for years.

We’re very excited to be in the neighborhood, have our name upon the avenue, to be a part of the Third Avenue business district,said Kampessis. We hope clients feel they can walk into our officewithout appointments because we welcome you. We’re going to try tohelp where we can, whether it’s coordinating events, use of officespace or help with local volunteer programs and fundraising.

The law offices of Kampessis & Shamoun offers free notaryservices and free consultations. They can be reached by phone at718-680-7900, by email at [email protected], or at theirstorefront on 84th Street and Third Avenue, Monday throughFriday.