Buffalo Biodiesel names former Erie County prosecutor Ryan Haggerty as chief state litigator and general counsel

Buffalo Biodiesel has hired former Erie County prosecutor Ryan Haggerty to lead state-level litigation and internal legal strategy. The move gives the waste-to-biofuel company a lawyer with more than 14 years of trial experience as it targets contract breaches, competitor interference and commercial theft in its operations. Why it matters: - Buffalo Biodiesel is adding a former top county prosecutor to strengthen legal protection around its market operations, contracts and compliance. - The hire comes as the company says it is facing contract breaches, unlawful competitor interference and commercial theft in the waste management sector. - The appointment also raises the company’s legal response capacity in state courts and with regional district attorneys. What happened: - Buffalo Biodiesel Inc. named Ryan Haggerty as Chief State Litigator and General Counsel. - Frank V. Balon, Buffalo Biodiesel’s president and chief legal officer, will direct Haggerty’s work. - Haggerty will lead the company’s state-level legal operations and oversee internal corporate legal strategy. - His role includes litigating civil and criminal infrastructure violations in state courts. - Haggerty will coordinate directly with regional District Attorney offices on cases involving entities targeting Buffalo Biodiesel’s market operations. The details: - Haggerty brings more than 14 years of trial experience from the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. - He most recently served as chief of the Narcotics and Intelligence Bureau from 2023 to 2024. - In that role, he directed major investigations and established structured source cooperation agreements. - He worked as a trial assistant in the Homicide Bureau from 2021 to 2023. - During that period, Haggerty secured 23 convictions. - He led the conspiracy prosecution in People v. Ernest Green et al. - He also coordinated multi-agency evidence development in People v. Payton Gendron. - Haggerty served in the Major Crimes and Special Victims bureaus during his Erie County career. - In private practice at O’Brien + Ford, P.C., he handled high-exposure civil tort claims, contract disputes and small claims matters for both plaintiffs and defendants. - His private practice work added experience with New York civil procedure. - Haggerty earned his Juris Doctor from SUNY Buffalo Law School in 2009. - He received the New York State Bar Association Ethics Award while in law school. - His published academic research focused on using municipal infrastructure and economic incentives to raise recycling rates and lower landfill costs. - He also consulted with the City Recycling Task Force on solid waste policy initiatives. - Buffalo Biodiesel was founded more than two decades ago. - The company operates across the Northeast. - Buffalo Biodiesel collects and processes used cooking oil as feedstock for sustainable biofuel. - The company says its mission includes protecting the environment and public infrastructure from unregulated waste disposal. - The company’s website is Buffalo Biodiesel . Between the lines: - The hire suggests Buffalo Biodiesel wants to pair courtroom experience with in-house legal oversight as it pushes a more aggressive enforcement posture. - The emphasis on criminal and civil infrastructure violations signals a strategy that goes beyond routine corporate counsel work. - Haggerty’s background in major prosecutions and civil disputes gives Buffalo Biodiesel a lawyer familiar with both public-sector investigations and private litigation. What’s next: - Haggerty is expected to begin overseeing litigation, compliance and corporate governance matters for Buffalo Biodiesel. - Buffalo Biodiesel is likely to use the role to pursue legal action against parties it believes are harming its operations. - The company’s coordination with district attorneys may become a bigger part of its enforcement strategy. The bottom line: - Buffalo Biodiesel is betting that a prosecutor-turned-corporate lawyer can help it defend its business more aggressively in and out of court.