The Resolve It, Inc. Team

An outstanding group of professionals with diverse backgrounds and experiences have made a commitment to Resolve It, Inc.

Joshua E. Bienstock

Joshua obtained a BA in Accounting from Queens College; obtained his JD from Hofstra Law School, graduating with honors in Labor Law. During law school he interned at the Manhattan District Attorney's office. He obtained a LLM in Labor Law from New York University Law School.

Today Joshua is a senior partner in the law firm Bienstock & Brown LLP, a labor and employment law firm. He is also a Court appointed mediator resolving disputes between attorneys and their clients. He is the founder and Director of Resolve It, Inc., a labor education and dispute resolution think tank. He has taught for more than two decades at various Colleges and Universities including Cornell University, the City University of New York, New York Institute of Technology, the Labor-Management Center and Dowling College both on the undergraduate and graduate levels in Labor Law, Collective Bargaining, Arbitration and Dispute Resolution.

He has served as a guest lecturer at Cornell University addressing visiting foreign academians from China on issues such as dispute resolution and globalization. He has established scholarships for students who demonstrate academic excellence but are financially in need. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

Kathleen A. Carr

A Labor Activist since 1979, Kathleen served first as a rank and file Steward and Organizer. Armed with an Associate in Science and a passion for Labor activism, Kathleen was employed from 1989 through 2005 as a Chief Negotiator and Senior Representative for the Office and Professional Employees International Union, Her role responsibilities involved advocating for employees in various employment environments and representing professionals, who were independent contractors, nationally. Kathleen has facilitated resolutions with the insurance industry for national health groups, lobbied for state Scopes of Practice and facilitated resolution of other insurance related issues.

From 2006 to the present, Kathleen has continued to work in the Labor field as a consultant for the Service Employees International Union responsible for leadership training, research and membership development. Currently, Kathleen devotes her time working with the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee doing research, legislative work and organizing. Kathleen has over 20 years of experience in contract administration, conflict resolution, organizing and leadership development. During her tenure as a labor advocate, she has taught steward training, leadership skills, representation, membership development and internal organizing in many Union and employment environments. Kathleen is certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a County Court Mediator for the State of Florida and is a Board member of the Association of South Florida Mediators and Arbitrators.

Corey B. Bearak

After 23 years -- most as a senior manager -- in government, counsels and advises public officials, government and community agencies, unions, institutions, private firms and individuals, and political candidates. He also serves as Executive Vice President of Community Partnership Referrals and Resources, a holistic human services agency. As Legislative Counsel and later Director of Planning, Policy and Budget in the office of the Bronx Borough President he also served as a budget, justice, legal, planning, policy, and media advisor.

Previously, he served more than 16 years as Counsel/Chief of Staff to a New York City Council Member, including 10 years with the Chair of the Council's Committee on Public Safety which maintained oversight over all City Criminal Justice agencies including the NYPD, Probation, Corrections and Juvenile Justice. Corey also served as an Assistant to then-Secretary of State Mario Cuomo and in the Office of Bronx District Attorney. He drafted the original legislation that became New York City's ban on racial profiling. Policy initiatives included a CCRB Reform Plan, a Community Policing Pilot, a model Alternative to Incarceration plan, the 2002 Bronx Strategic Policy Statement and a blueprint for fiscal and budget reform. He founded the first-ever Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Without Walls (NORC-WOW).

Corey obtained his JD from Hofstra Law School and his BA (Political Science) at Hofstra University.

Vincent L. Petraro

Vincent's law practice primarily involves Land Use and Zoning matters as well Government Relations and Lobbying; he represent property owners and applicants seeking to comply their properties with existing or proposed zoning, obtain zoning changes and variances or special permits, as well as related government economic and financial incentives offered in conjunction with real estate projects. He also represents institutional clients, including the Metropolitan Parking Association of which he also serves as Executive Director.

Vincent started his current firm in June 2006 after a partnership the previous four years. He lectures on Human Resources issues as seminars for employers and before labor groups including before the Long Island Federation of Labor. After he graduated St. John's Law School in 1980 he was an associate in law firm with a zoning practice. He earned a B.A. in Government at St. John's University.

He plays a lead role with the Community Mayors, Inc. an all-volunteer 501-C-3 organization that has been providing recreational therapy for children with special needs from the New York metro area for more than fifty years; is a member of its board, Community Mayor of Midtown Manhattan and its Deputy Chief Mayor. He also serves on the Queens Chamber of Commerce board and as Chair of its Legislative Advocacy Committee.

Gary C. Cooke

Gary, an attorney (J.D. Hofstra Law School) has been in private practice for over 25 years and specializes in labor and employment law. He has participated in thousands of employment disputes resolving many of them to the satisfaction of his clients. He has lectured at Cornell University School of Industrial Labor Relations, Dowling College and New York Institute of Technology teaching Human Resource Management and Mediation.