The Honorable Peter B. Skelos has served as a NAM Hearing Officer for approximately 10 years. In his capacity as a Hearing Officer, Judge Skelos is known for his relentless pursuit in working with all parties towards a resolution. He arbitrates and mediates matters that span a broad array of practice areas including commercial disputes, construction contracts and construction defects, employment, healthcare, insurance coverage, medical malpractice, professional liability, sexual abuse/sexual harassment, labor and employment disputes, as well as personal injury, including construction injuries and NY labor law disputes. Judge Skelos’ ability to approach matters fairly and in an unbiased manner combined with his even temperament makes 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 or determine disputed questions of law.

In 2024, Judge Skelos was once again recognized as a Top 10 Mediator in the New York Law Journal’s “Best Of” Survey, adding to his previous seven consecutive recognitions from 2016 – 2022. He has previously been named a National Law Journal Alternative Dispute Resolution Champion, as part of a select group of only 46 Hearing Officers nationwide. Further, Judge Skelos 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. As a career-long member of the Nassau County Bar Association, he has been honored with the President’s Award for his leadership on behalf of the Lawyers Assistance Program. Judge Skelos 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’ deep experience as a Hearing Officer includes a wealth of knowledge in construction matters. He has served as an arbitrator and mediator for claims relating to breach of contract, construction defect, change order requests, contract interpretation, insurance coverage disputes for claims of indemnification, and payment disputes. Representative arbitrations include (a) a claim for equitable adjustment of the contract price for the cost of extra work in the context of a complex construction project, (b) a multi-party claims alleging defects in the manufacturing and installation of windows and doors in connection with a significant commercial renovation project, (c) a claim for additional payments by a subcontractor who had to repair and retest equipment that was supplied by a separate third party supplier under a design-build contract, and (d) a claim for equitable adjustment to the contract price and an extension of time to install certain materials/equipment that the respondent alleged was already included in the existing contract price.

Prior to his career in arbitration and mediation, Judge Skelos’ distinguished career includes 11 years as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department, where he served until his retirement from the bench in 2015. His 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, Governors Eliot Spitzer and Andrew Cuomo, respectively, appointed and reappointed Hon. Skelos as an 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, Judge Skelos was known for having a keen legal intellect with an understanding of the professional pressures for the attorneys who appeared before him. He has a reputation for treating others in a fair and respectful manner and for arriving at well-reasoned and legally sound decisions. During his time as a trial and Appellate Division judge, Justice Skelos presided over scores of real estate, commercial, matrimonial, personal injury, and medical and dental malpractice cases. Prior to serving on the bench, he was a Senior Deputy Nassau County Attorney where he handled medical malpractice, civil rights, and personal injury matters. Thereafter, he was engaged in private practice where he managed a variety of cases including commercial civil litigation, civil rights, medical malpractice, and personal injury in state and federal courts. Drawing from his experience, he has lectured to bar associations and the judiciary on appellate practice, legal ethics, medical malpractice, and personal injury matters, and has presented continuing legal education programs in many subject areas, including Accommodations in the Workplace Under the ADA, commercial disputes, Best Practices in Alternative Dispute Resolution for Corporate Counsel, Best Practices in Alternative Dispute Resolution for Corporate Counsel, Crafting Effective Arbitration Clauses, construction defects, matrimonial, Fast-Track Surrogate’s Court Litigation, and Arbitration and Mediation in the Workplace, among other topics.

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