The foundation of our practice has been built upon a strong commitment to serving our community as advocates and forging lifelong relationships.
Burke & Sullivan
Edward D. Burke, Sr., Esq.
Senior Law Partner
Edward D. Burke, Sr. is an outstanding and respected lawyer. He has been elected a Southampton Town Justice in 1993, 1997, 2000, 2007 and 2011. In August of 2000, he was appointed as New York State Court of Claims Judge and assigned to the Supreme Court Bench in Riverhead, where he earned the respect and trust of his colleagues and the public through his fair and wise administration of justice. Judge Burke has returned to the practice of law, to which he was admitted in 1970. Following graduation from Chaminade High School, he attained his undergraduate and law degrees from St. John’s University, School of Law. The law firm of Burke & Sullivan was originally established in Valley Stream (1970-1980), relocated to Riverhead (1980-1985) and then established in Southampton (1985 to Present) and has continuously maintained a loyal client base in Nassau and Suffolk counties. The sum total of life’s experiences: service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve; a structural ironworker in Union Local 40; a practicing attorney since 1970; a local businessman; a parent of three attorneys and a grandfather of six, Judge Burke has the experience to manage all aspects of a law practice, concentrating in the Townships of Southampton and East Hampton.
Denise Burke O’Brien, Esq.
Partner
The daughter of Edward Burke Sr., Denise Burke O’Brien grew up in Southampton Town. After attending Mercy High School in Riverhead, she graduated from Providence College in 1985 with a BS degree, and in 1988, she received her law degree from St. John’s University. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1989 and is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District.
Ms. Burke O’Brien began her law career as a Deputy Town Attorney for the Town of Hempstead in February 1989. She held that position through April 1994 when she left to join the law firm of Burke & Sullivan. Ms. Burke O’Brien’s area of professional practice is in real estate matters with an emphasis on zoning and the purchase, sale and leasing of residential property. Her familiarity with and knowledge of the various agencies that regulate the development process at the local government level allows Ms. Burke O’Brien to work with them in an efficient manner.
Ms. Burke O’Brien served as chairwoman of the Architectural Review Board for the Town of Southampton from January 1996 through December 2004. Thereafter, she was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Town of Southampton in January 2005 and held that position until December 2015.
Joseph M. Burke, Esq.
Partner
Joseph M. Burke Esq. served for six years as an Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Southampton and presently is a member of the Southampton Town Architectural Review Board. During his tenure as an Assistant Town Attorney, his duties included representing various municipal boards, such as the Planning Board and the Licensing Review Board, in addition to drafting and presenting Town Code amendments. Mr. Burke is also highly regarded in the area of securing special event permits for various fundraisers held within Southampton Town. These years at the Town gave Mr. Burke an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of Town government.
The youngest son of Edward Burke Sr., Joseph Burke was born and raised in the Town of Southampton. After graduating Pierson High School in Sag Harbor, he obtained his undergraduate degree from Emerson College in Boston, MA in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism. After a year working at CBS News Productions, Mr. Burke entered New York Law School where he graduated in 2005. Mr. Burke was admitted to the New York State Bar in January 2006.
Of Counsel
Edward D. Burke, Jr., Esq.
Edward D. Burke, Jr., Esq. is a graduate of both Providence College (Bachelor of Arts in Business and Political Science) and St. John’s University Law School (Juris Doctorate). After graduation from Law School, Mr. Burke spent seven years as a Prosecutor with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office with several convictions with The Major Crime Bureau. He entered private law practice in 1996 with his father Edward, Sr. In 2005 he opened his own practice, namely: Edward D. Burke, Jr. & Associates, LLC, located at 62 Main Street, Sag Harbor, New York, which specializes in criminal defense and negligence. During his time in private practice Mr. Burke has been involved in high profile cases, as well as several high verdict negligence cases.
An active member of the community, Mr. Burke was honored in 2004 by the Independent Group Housing League of Suffolk County, which assists developmentally handicapped children. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the Suffolk County Bar Association, the Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association, the Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association, as well as various community organizations such as The Elks, Sag Harbor Knights of Columbus, Noyac Civic Council, and the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is counsel to both the North Sea and Sag Harbor Volunteer Fire Departments, as well as counsel to The Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League.
Timothy S. McCulley, Esq.
Timothy S. McCulley, Esq. received his J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1974 and was admitted to practice in New York State Bar in 1975. In addition, he was admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Claims and the U.S. Court of Military Appeals.
After employment with the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society, he was law secretary to New York State Supreme Court Justice Gordon M. Lipetz.
Mr. McCulley entered private practice in 1981 and has concentrated his practice in the areas of real estate with particular emphasis in land use issues. He has appeared before the municipal boards of the East End towns and villages on behalf of his clients. In addition to private clients, he has represented the Town of Southampton in the New York State Supreme Court as Special Counsel in several land use cases.
Kieran Pape Murphree, Esq.
Kieran Pape Murphree, Esq. received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning in Ithaca, New York and then in 1990 she obtained a Masters in Regional Planning from Cornell University. As a city planner, she worked for the Waterfront Division of New York City Planning, and then she received her law degree from City University of New York’s Law School at Queens College. After being admitted to the New York State Bar in 1995, she worked as an attorney for Mayor Giuliani’s Office of Labor Relations requiring her to defend management decisions in arbitration hearings for all New York City agencies, assist in labor contract negotiations and also decide labor disputes as a hearing officer.
After leaving New York City, Ms. Murphree returned to her hometown to work as an Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Southampton, serving as the attorney for the Planning Board from January 2000 to February 2005. As a Southampton Town Attorney, she also worked on all major zoning changes affecting commercial land use development and agricultural preservation within the Town.
After leaving the Town, Ms. Murphree now assists clients in obtaining approvals from Villages, Towns, County and State agencies. She understands that the approval of any proposed land use requires not only the ability to interpret often-vague legislation, but the ability to negotiate conditions of approval as well as sometimes proposing changes to existing regulations.