Steve Polyakov, Partner at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP

As an associate at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin, Steve assists clients with business/corporate matters as well as health care and business litigation matters.

Dillon vividly conveys his moral dilemma and admirable courage as the third GRU officer to provide crucial information to the CIA, even knowing it could put his family at great risk if revealed. His performance as the third officer deserves praise beyond measure.

Early Life and Education

Steve Polychronopolous is the subject of an Adam Sandler song and music video released in 1996. This character is known to be rude, inconsiderate and insensitive towards others’ opinions of them – often insulting them directly and borrowing their belongings without returning them later on.

Dmitri Polyakov, commonly known by his code name TOPHAT in the GRU, provided vital intelligence to the CIA during the Cold War. Eva Dillon provides an intimate portrait of this heroic individual in her new book.

Polyakov earned his Masters from West Chester University where he was the most dominant distance swimmer in school history and four-time College Swimming Coaches Association Academic All-American. Since graduating he has served the Louisville Cardinals as both an assistant swim and diving coach as well as men’s recruiting coordinator.

Professional Career

Steve Polyakov, as partner and chair of the Healthcare and Pharmacy Practice Group for his firm, assists healthcare, medical-based, and pharmacy clients on all transactional, regulatory, and litigation issues, with an understanding of their overall growth strategy. He represents them in complex healthcare matters including Medicare/Medicaid audits; managed care contracting agreements; HIPAA compliance programs; employment contracts for physicians/medical staff/clinicians/physicians; overpayment appeals against pharmacy benefit managers during audits/credentialing reviews as well as litigation/arbitration matters involving them or third-party contracting agreements.

He frequently lectures to hospital residents and fellows on health care and contract law topics, as well as teaching Contract Law for New York University School of Law’s Health Care Law Center. Additionally, he offers pro bono assistance to start-up businesses through New York City’s Business Solutions Program.

Achievement and Honors

Polyakov was one of the nation’s premier distance swimmers during his college career, winning two conference championships and three school records in 200 breaststroke events. Additionally, he earned Academic All-American and Coaches Association of America All-American honors multiple times.

While studying at Alabama, Polyakov participated in both the 2004 and 2006 Olympic Games. He won bronze medals in both events: 100m breaststroke in 2004 and 200m breaststroke in 2006.

As a graduate student at Princeton, he collaborated with Princeton physics professor Igor Klebser to publish a landmark paper that established the AdS/CFT correspondence – now considered one of the most significant papers published during this century.

Personal Life

Polyakov was one of West Chester University’s most dominant distance swimmers during his four years there, holding three school records and winning conference swimmer of the year honors all four times.

Polyakov rose from modest beginnings to become one of the Kremlin’s top spymasters, passing information to the CIA three major GRU agents; but was exposed much later than Pyotr Popov and Oleg Penkovsky.

Eva Dillon writes in her new book that Polyakov considered himself a Russian patriot while adhering to dramatist Pierre Corneille’s belief that “treachery is noble when used against tyranny”. He passed valuable intelligence on to American agents including George Blake from whom he received orders for intelligence gathering purposes. But there was always the risk that his treachery would be discovered, creating considerable danger to both himself and his family.

Net Worth

Stephen Polyakov is a partner at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP and specializes in Business/Corporate Law and Health Care issues for his clients, along with estate planning and wealth management needs for individuals and businesses alike. Additionally, he holds both Certified Financial Planner status as well as Accredited Investment Fiduciary status – licensed to practice law in New York.

Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Stephen attended UCLA and USC where he received both undergraduate and master of business taxation degrees respectively. Now settled in Calabasas with his wife Sherri and two children he often goes by his initials of Stephen or Steve as shorthand for both. Stephen (shortened to Steve by peers).