Lisa Clare Kombrink, Appellate Attorney in Riverhead, New York

Ms. Kombrink serves private and government clients in farmland and open space preservation, zoning, real estate, and land use litigation.

Her clients have noted over the years that her adversaries will occasionally underestimate her upon first meeting due to her friendly demeanor and fivefoot-tall stature — but that these adversaries only make that mistake once. Lisa credits her tenacity and her passion for her work to her grandparents, who were lifelong farmers in southern Illinois, and to her parents, who both worked fulltime so that she and her siblings could be the first ones in their family to go to college.

“I spent a lot of time with my grandma and grandpa at their tiny house on the edge of what had been the family farm, which they sold when they retired. I helped plant their garden every spring, and happily accompanied them to ‘Gasoline Alley,’ my uncle’s gas station out front. Cookie-cutter houses soon surrounded them where the farm had been.

“Between the time with my grandparents, and where we lived on Main Street for my entire childhood, I developed a strong sense of home and of place. To this day, I still look forward to visiting my sister-in-law’s working farm in central Illinois, with its old homestead, restored barns and preserved timber. And I bring that deep respect for home and place to my work with clients.”

Through her years in private practice — and as a past Town Attorney for the Town of Southampton in the heart of the Hamptons — Lisa has learned to navigate the tangled web of local, county and state laws, and to approachwhat her clients may see as insurmountable bureaucracy in a practical way. She brings a determined and methodical approach to achieving their legal objectives.

She also brings to bear her past experience as a criminal appeals lawyer in New York City to advocate for her clients’ cases and causes with fierce dedication. She is also widely known for her easy and effective manner as a presenter before courts and local boards, as well as her clear and persuasive writing style.

“My clients appreciate our personal connection, the individual service they receive, and the gentle, yet firm, guidance I provide as they face some of life’s most important decisions involving their home, business, and property. “They often remark, ‘You don’t seem like a lawyer. You’re so calm and nice.’ I pride myself on this. But, make no mistake, I use my height and pleasant demeanor to my complete advantage. A quiet determination goes a long way.”

Member, Suffolk County Bar Association, Lawyers Helping Lawyers Committee

Member, Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, and Facilities and Properties Committee, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital

Chair, Performance Improvement Joint Conference Committee, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital