Attorneys and Staff
J. Michael Greenberg, "Joel" has over 48 years of experience practicing law. Joel started his career as an associate, then partner of Spar & Greenberg where he handled deportation, green card, and other immigration law matters. Joel's interest in adoption law began with the adoption of his son - and now law partner - James who was adopted by Joel and his wife Barbara - also Joel's law partner. Joel and Barbara adopted James from Bogota, Colombia in 1973 when James was only two weeks old. After navigating the Immigration law maze of adoption as well as the New York State legal requirements, Joel began representing other couples wising to adopt from Colombia. He has represented single people and couples in the adoption of thousands of orphans worldwide over the years within Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, Paraguay, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Iran, Haiti, Belize, Russia, China and a multitude of other countries too numerous to list.
Joel is an author and a prominent speaker at many national adoption parent groups, entities, agencies and legal conferences. He has structured and drafted New York State legal procedures related to International Adoption. Joel co-authored the chapter on International Adoption in Adoption Law in New York, published by the New York State Bar Association.
For more than 15 years Joel has been an active member of the American Immigration Lawyer's Association (AILA) and has served as a mentor and advisor to the attorneys within that Association on innumerable issues and aspects of International Adoption.
Joel is the proud recipient of the Hispanic Counseling Center's Humanitarian of the year award, as well as the recipient of several citations from Nassau County, the Town of Hempstead and the State of New York.
Joel is a frequent speaker at numerous national adoptive parent groups, entities, agencies, and legal conferences. Visit events for more information about Joel's speaking engagements.
Joel and Barbara Greenberg contributed their personal adoption story in the book Be My Baby written by Gail Kinn.
Joel is a co-founder and director of the not-for-profit organization People Need Caring. Founded 31 years ago, People Need Caring is dedicated to meeting the medical and other needs of orphaned children and impoverished people worldwide.
Joel Greenberg earned a Bachelor's Degree from New York University and a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School in 1960. Joel is admitted to the New York State Bar.
Barbara Greenberg is a partner in the law firm of Greenberg and Greenberg. Barbara has vast experience representing singles and couples - including same sex couples when permitted by law - with domestic and international adoptions. She also represents birth mothers who want to place their child for adoption.
In addition to her skills as an adoption lawyer, Barbara performs investigatory research related to adoption matters. Barbara was the principal researcher for the book The Baby Brokers authored by Lynne Mc Taggart. She served as a researcher for Bernard Gavser formerly an NBC investigative journalist who won several Emmy awards for adoption issues including a segment called "Baby Laundering".
Barbara Greenberg is co-author of the chapter on international adoption in Adoption Law in New York, published by New York State Bar Association.
She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyer's Association (AILA) and has served as a mentor and advisor to the attorneys within that Association on innumerable issues and aspects of International Adoption.
Barbara is the proud recipient of the Hispanic Counseling Center's Humanitarian of the year award, as well as the recipient of several citations from Nassau County, the Town of Hempstead and the State of New York.
Barbara is a co-founder and director of the not-for-profit organization People Need Caring. Founded 31 years ago, People Need Caring is dedicated to meeting the medical and other needs of orphaned children and impoverished people worldwide.
She is a frequent speaker on adoption issues for the Adoptive Parent Committee, American Fertility Association, Resolve and the Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA) Ametz Program, among others.
Barbara Greenberg received a Bachelor's degree from New York University and Masters Degree in Humanities from Hofstra University and her Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law. She serves as a member of the Alumni Board of Hofstra University School of Law.
James M. Greenberg Greenberg "Jaime" is a partner with the firm practicing domestic and international adoption law and estate planning law. James was born in Bogotá, Colombia in October of 1973 and adopted at two weeks of age by Barbara and Joel Greenberg. As an adult adoptee, James brings personal experience, professional commitment and compassionate understanding to the firm's adoption clients.
James has spoken at numerous adoption conferences on the topics of "Adult Adoptees, "Inside The Adoption Triad Panels" and "How to Adopt Seminars" at the Adoptive Parents Committee (APC), American Infertility Association (AIA), Latin American Parents Association (LAPA), Adoption Expo I, II, III (Connecticut) and Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA).
James received his Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law in 1998, his Bachelors of Art from Skidmore College in 1995 and is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association and on Hofstra University's School of Law Alumni Committee. James conducts college admission interviews on behalf of Skidmore College admissions department.
James is married to a litigation attorney practicing on Long Island. They have two birth children and plan to adopt a third child.
James' publications include, Newsday 2002, Be My Baby, Author Gail Kinn, Queens Tribune, and The Skidmore Scope.
Olga Jubert is the foreign adoption coordinator with the firm. A Colombian by birth and adoptive mother Olga received her Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts, majoring in English from the Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogata, Columbia and attended graduate school at the University of Tulane. Olga has been working as a translator in the private sector for over 40 years. She has worked closely with Greenberg & Greenberg for over 25 years. Olga is a major asset to our firm's clients.