John A. DelVecchio

About John

John has practiced law in Central New York since 2008 and has been Michael Cardinale’s partner since 2009. He works from both offices and takes personal injury, criminal defense and real estate matters.

He joined the firm on the recommendation of a legal mentor who thought the two of them would work well together, which turned out to be right. The partnership has run for more than fifteen years on that basis.

John was born and raised in Cortland and still lives there with his wife, Tracey. For a firm with an office in Cortland County that is worth saying plainly: on a Cortland matter, the attorney across the table grew up here rather than driving down from somewhere else to cover the county.

In his own words: “I have firsthand knowledge of local court procedures, operations and differences on how matters are handled which would be unfamiliar to outsiders. I have a working knowledge of the tendencies of the judges, court clerks and other court personnel.”

On a real estate file, the first thing he does is sit down with the client and walk the whole transaction through from start to finish, so nobody is learning what a closing involves on the day of it. The rest of the file is the part clients never see: realtors, surveyors, abstractors, mortgage brokers and the other side’s attorney all need answers, and the closing itself has to be prepared for, scheduled and attended. On a criminal file he starts face to face, because a client who is not comfortable does not tell you the thing you need. Then comes an honest read of the case, strengths and weaknesses both, and a strategy built around where the client actually stands rather than where they hoped to.

Alongside the firm’s work he has represented municipalities across Cortland County, among them the Towns of Cortlandville, Marathon, Taylor and Truxton and the Village of McGraw. He served seven years on the Town of Cortlandville Planning Board and is a board member of the James M. Roma, Sr. Foundation, a charity in honor and memory of his late grandfather.

The mistake he sees most often is waiting. People delay getting advice, or try to sort a legal problem out themselves, and by the time they call something has usually hardened — a deadline has passed, a statement has been given, a form has been signed. When you do call, come with the plain facts: who, what, where, when and why. That is enough for a first conversation, and it is enough for him to tell you what you are actually dealing with.

Practice focus

Credentials

Admitted to the New York bar

2008 · Appellate Division, Third Department

Law school

Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2008

Undergraduate

Binghamton University, 2004

Bar associations

New York State Bar Association · Cortland County Bar Association

NY attorney registration

4608857

Every New York attorney's registration is a matter of public record. You can look this up yourself in the state court system's attorney directory.

Public service

• Planning Board member, Town of Cortlandville, seven years

Community

• Board member of the James M. Roma, Sr. Foundation, a charity in honor and memory of his late grandfather

Talk to John

The first conversation is free and there is no obligation afterwards. Call either office, text a photo of whatever paperwork you are holding, or send a message and we will get back to you.