Advocate Sabastian Sabbath Piedmont

Sabastian S. PiedmontAssociate Attorney | Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC – Rochester, NYInsurance Defense | Family & Matrimonial | Labor & Employment | Municipal Law | Civil & Business Litigation | Education Law
Sabastian S. Piedmont is an Associate Attorney at Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC, where he brings a unique combination of courtroom experience, strategic insight, and a client-centered approach to a wide range of legal matters. Based in the firm’s Rochester office, Sabastian represents clients throughout Western and Central New York in cases involving insurance defense, family and matrimonial law, labor and employment disputes, municipal law, education law, and complex civil litigation.
A former educator turned litigator, Sabastian approaches the practice of law with the same principles that guided his work in the classroom: collaboration, communication, and creativity. His background in adolescent education—both general and special education—provides a distinct advantage in family law matters involving children, as well as in education law cases requiring deep empathy and structured problem-solving.
Sabastian’s practice includes handling divorce litigation, contested custody disputes, child support and spousal maintenance matters, adoptions, and due process issues affecting both K–12 and college students. He has represented clients in proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the New York State Division of Human Rights (NYSDHR), the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). His work often intersects with public sector labor and employment law, and he has provided counsel during collective bargaining negotiations and grievance hearings, including representing a law enforcement union and individual members.In the insurance defense space, Sabastian advocates for both carriers and insureds in personal injury, no-fault, and coverage litigation. He also has advised municipal clients across New York on regulatory compliance, zoning and planning issues, local code enforcement, renewable energy siting applications, and the drafting of local laws and emergency operations plans.
Sabastian earned his Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law in 2019, along with a Certificate of Advanced Study in National Security and Counterterrorism Law. While at Syracuse, he was honored with the Leadership Award and completed legal internships with the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office and the Madison County Attorney’s Office. He graduated with honors from SUNY Brockport, earning a B.A. in History with a concentration in Adolescence Inclusive Social Studies and Generalist Education. In 2023, he was named to SUNY Brockport’s prestigious “10 Under 10” list, recognizing outstanding alumni of the past decade.
Deeply committed to mental health advocacy in the legal profession, Sabastian was the founding member and president of the Syracuse University College of Law Mental Wellness Society, an organization dedicated to destigmatizing mental illness and substance use disorders in the legal profession through community events, 5Ks, and professional outreach.