Wealth Transfer & Probate

The Firm's History

The current law firm now known as Duke, Holzman, Photiadis & Gresens, LLP was first formed in 1970 by Emanuel "Manny" Duke and Edwin Yaeger. Manny and Ed had been long-time members of the firm known as Saperston, Wiltse, Duke, Day & Radler. Manny was a renowned trial lawyer and head of the firm’s litigation department. Ed Yaeger was an excellent corporate and real estate lawyer. The firm was an immediate success because of the stellar reputations of both partners and their client following. At the time the firm name was Duke, Yaeger & Schlopy.

Don Holzman had been a leading tax, corporate, estate and trust lawyer, as well as one of the managing partners, at the firm of Jaeckle, Fleischmann & Mugel. He left that firm in 1973 to establish the Law Offices of Donald J. Holzman, and Duke, Yaeger & Schlopy was one of his clients, handling significant tax matters. This resulted in a merger of the two firms in 1975 and the name changed to Duke, Holzman, Yaeger & Schlopy.

In 1977, after Mr. Schlopy left to concentrate on his real property interests, Barry Radlin joined the firm. Barry had served as the Chief Counsel for the New York State Department of Transportation before Manny recruited him into the partnership. The firm name was then changed to Duke, Holzman, Yaeger & Radlin. Mr. Radlin left the firm in 1993 to open his own office.

Gregory Photiadis joined the firm as an associate in 1977, worked very closely with Manny handling major litigation matters, and became a Senior Partner in 1993. At that time the firm name was changed to Duke, Holzman, Yaeger & Photiadis.

Jim Gresens served as a Senior Partner at the Buffalo law firm of Hodgson, Russ and was a Managing Partner at the firm of Saperston & Day before forming his own law firm in 1997. Jim Gresens joined Duke, Holzman as a Senior Partner effective January 1, 2008 when the firm assumed its current name.

Since its formation, the firm has provided a full range of legal services to its business clientele. The firm has served some major corporations such as Occidental Chemical Corporation and Niagara University among others. However, entrepreneurs and business owners have been the mainstay of the firm’s practice.

The firm provides a full range of legal services to its business clients including corporate and tax, business planning, litigation, estate and trust, and real estate.