Brenna R. Gaeta concentrates her practice in land use and zoning and commercial litigation. She represents clients in all facets of litigation, including public and private projects. Ms. Gaeta also handles a multitude of matters involving mechanic’s liens, terminations, defaults, changed conditions, extra work, nonpayment, performance bond claims, delays and design and construction defects.

Prior to joining Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP, Ms. Gaeta served as an Assistant District Attorney at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office. Most recently, she specialized in prosecuting Domestic Violence Felonies; this included interviewing victims, indicting cases in the Grand Jury, negotiating successful plea bargains and conducting hearings and trials on her cases. Prior to working in the Domestic Violence Bureau, Ms. Gaeta worked in the Office’s riding program, whereby she was on call twenty-four hours a day to supervise lineups and draft search warrants for felony contraband in conjunction with the New York City Police Department.

Ms. Gaeta served as a member of the adjunct faculty at Columbia Law School as a Lecturer in Law, where she taught a seminar on evidence-based prosecution techniques and trial advocacy skills. She also supervised the students’ field work at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office as they carried a misdemeanor caseload.

Ms. Gaeta is an adjunct faculty member at St. John’s University School of Law, where she teaches an externals mock trial team, preparing law students for national competitions by developing their trial advocacy skills. She coached the winning team at the 2017 Florida State University Copyright Law Competition, the finalists at the 2018 Quinnipiac University School of Law Trial Competition and the semi-finalists at the 2019 Hofstra Medical-Legal Mock Trial Tournament.

Ms. Gaeta earned her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, where she graduated cum laude and was a member of the St. John’s Law Review. She was also a member of the Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute, where she competed at national trial competitions. Ms. Gaeta earned her B.A. from the University of Delaware, where she graduated magna cum laude with a double major in History and Political Science.