On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department disbarred attorney Teresa Krystyna Szymanik. The disciplinary action follows a motion by the Grievance Committee for the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts, which sought to have charges against Szymanik deemed established based on her failure to respond to a petition containing four charges of professional misconduct.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Teresa Krystyna Szymanik,” with case number 2025-01631.
Szymanik faced allegations outlined in a petition dated January 6, 2025. The charges included failing to satisfy a judgment entered against her law office, the Law Office of Teresa Szymanik, and engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice by not cooperating with the Grievance Committee’s investigation. Additional charges stemmed from her failure to appear at an examination under oath, despite being served with a judicial subpoena.
The Grievance Committee asserted that these actions violated Rules 8.4(d) and (h) of the Rules of Professional Conduct, which address conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice and conduct that adversely reflects on an attorney’s fitness as a lawyer.
The notice of petition required Szymanik to file an answer to the petition within 20 days of service. However, she failed to do so, prompting the Grievance Committee to file a motion requesting the court to deem the charges established based on her default. The motion papers were served on Szymanik via first-class mail, certified mail, and email on March 12, 2025, but she did not oppose the motion or provide any response.
The court, led by Presiding Justice Hector D. LaSalle and Justices Mark C. Dillon, Colleen D. Duffy, Betsy Barros, and Lara J. Genovesi, granted the Grievance Committee’s motion. As a result, the charges in the January 6, 2025, petition were deemed established, leading to Szymanik’s disbarment, effective immediately.
The court order mandates that Szymanik comply with the rules governing the conduct of disbarred attorneys, as outlined in 22 NYCRR 1240.15. Furthermore, she is prohibited from practicing law in any form, appearing as an attorney before any court or public authority, providing legal advice, or holding herself out as an attorney.
The order also stipulates that if Szymanik possesses a secure pass issued by the Office of Court Administration, it must be returned forthwith, and she must certify its return in an affidavit of compliance.
According to Avvo, Ms. Szymanik was a lawyer in Brooklyn, NY. She acquired her law license in New York in 2000.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
