Hon. Robert F. Quinlan. Suffolk County.

Practitioner Intelligence

From attorneys who have appeared in this part. Last updated: April 2026.

What to Expect

Justice Quinlan handles compliance conferences at Suffolk County Supreme Court in Riverhead. The court takes a practical approach to discovery management. If the parties are making progress and need more time, Justice Quinlan will typically grant an adjournment without requiring a formal stipulation. Conferences may be handled by the law secretary rather than the judge directly.

Tips

• The court is flexible on timelines. If you need more time to complete discovery, explain where things stand and what remains. Justice Quinlan will adjourn dates without a stipulation if the request is reasonable and the parties are making good faith efforts.
• Prepare for the law secretary. Conferences may be with the law secretary. Be prepared to present your case to the law secretary, who conferences matters on the judge's behalf. Treat this appearance with the same level of preparation as you would before the judge.
• Have a plan for non-party depositions. If you need to subpoena and depose non-party witnesses, be prepared to discuss the timeline at the conference. The court will factor this into the discovery schedule.
• Post-EBT demands and document exchanges are tracked. The court will ask about the status of any post-EBT document demands and responses. Have this information ready.
• Note of Issue deadlines may be set. Once the court is satisfied that discovery is substantially complete, a Note of Issue filing deadline may be included in the order. Be prepared for this if your case is approaching that stage.