Current Employment Position(s)

Partner, since 1986

Lawyer Overview

Areas of Practice

• Premises Liability -- Plaintiff
• Labor Law
• Motor Vehicle Accidents
• Administrative Hearings & Adjudication
• Animal Bites -- Plaintiff
• Arbitration
• Assault & Battery -- Plaintiff
• Real Estate
• Defamation & Privacy -- Plaintiff
• Insurance Law
• Litigation
• Mass Transit
• Malpractice -- All Types
• Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff
• Municipal Corporations
• Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
• Products Liability Law
• Property Damage -- Plaintiff
• Rail Accidents -- Plaintiff
• Slip and Fall -- Plaintiff
• State Trial Practice
• Wrongful Death -- Plaintiff

Representative Cases

• Caputo v. N.Y.C.T.A., 86 AD 2d 883, 447 NYS 2d 535 (A.D. 2nd Dept. 1985)
• Feder v. Banker's Trust Co., 133 Misc. 2d 659, 509 NYS 2d 447 (A.D. 2nd Dept. 1986)
• Feder v. Banker's Trust Co., 134 AD 2d 324, 520 NYS 2d 724 (A.D. 2nd Dept. 1986)
• Klayman v. City of New York, et al, 130 AD 2d 551, 515 NYS 2d 285 (A.D. 2nd Dept. 1987)
• Mitchell v. Abitol, 130 AD 2d 633, 515 NYS 2d 810 (A.D. 2nd Dept. 1987)
• Donohue v. Walter, 156 AD 2d 149, 548 NYS 2d 435 (A.D. 1st Dept. 1989)
• DeLaCruz v. City of New York, 163 AD 2d 163, 557 NYS 2d 381 (A.D. 1st Dept. 1990)
• Ireland Lopez v. N.Y.C.H.H.C., 278 AD 2d 65, 718 NYS 2d 303 (A.D. 1st Dept. 2000)
• Barry v. City of New York, 283 AD 2d 3000, 724 NYS 2d 613 (Mem.) (A.D. 1st Dept. 2001)
• Barry v. City of New York, 2001 Slip Op. 04553 (A.D. 1st Dept. 2001)

West Practice Categories

Administrative Hearings & Adjudication, Arbitration, Student Rights, Insurance Law, Bad Faith, Motor Vehicle, Property & Casualty, Litigation & Appeals, Complex Litigation, State Trial Practice, Personal Injury -- Plaintiff, Animal Bites -- Plaintiff, Assault & Battery -- Plaintiff, Defamation & Privacy -- Plaintiff, Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff, Premises Liability -- Plaintiff, Property Damage -- Plaintiff, Railroad Accidents -- Plaintiff, Slip and Fall -- Plaintiff, Wrongful Death -- Plaintiff, Products Liability Law, Professional Malpractice Law, Dental Malpractice, Legal Malpractice, Medical Malpractice, Other Professionals Malpractice, Real Estate Law, Commercial Real Estate, Residential Real Estate, Municipal Corporations, Transportation Law, Mass Transit

Bar Admissions

• New York, 1977
• U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1977
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 1977
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1983

Professional Associations and Memberships

• New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 1982 - Present (Officer, Director, Executive Committee Member)
• Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1982 - Present (Member)
• Kings County American Inns of Court, 2000 - Present (Master)
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2000 - Present (Member)
• American Judges Association, 1995 - Present (Member)
• Jewish Lawyers Guild, 1985 - Present (Member)
• Association of Small Claims Arbitrators of the City of NY, 1988 - Present (Member)

Honors and Awards

• President's Award, New York State Trial Lawyers Association
• Claimant's Industry Representative: NYS Insurance Department No-Fault Arbitrator Review Panel, 2000 - Present
• Participant - Training Programs for Judges; The Judicial Institute of the Office for Court Administration, 2005
• Participant - Training Programs for Judges; The Judicial Institute of the Office for Court Administration, 2006

Classes and Seminars

• Auto Accident/No Fault Practice, New York State Trial Lawyers Institute (NYSTLI), 2004 - 2006
• Trial Techniques - Demonstrative Evidence, New York State Trial Lawyers Institute (NYSTLI), 2006
• Municipal and Transit Liability, New York State Trial Lawyers Institute (NYSTLI), 2003 - 2005
• Municipal and Transit Liability, New York State Trial Lawyers Institute (NYSTLI), 2001
• Municipal and Transit Liability, New York State Trial Lawyers Institute (NYSTLI), 1999
• Practical Trial Skills, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, 2004 - 2006
• Basic Trial Techniques, New York State Trial Lawyers Institute (NYSTLI), 2004
• Ethics & Civility for Judges & Lawyers, Inns of Court, 2003 - 2004
• Slip Trip & Fall - Experts, New York State Trial Lawyers Institute (NYSTLI), 1999
• Simple Real Estate Transactions, Metropolitan Women's Bar Association, 1998

Pro Bono Activities

• Arbitrator, Small Claims Court of the City of New York; Manhattan & Brooklyn Boroughs, 1985 - Present
• Judge, Association of Trial Lawyers of America National Student Trial Advocacy Competition, 2004 - 2006
• Instructor, National Institute of Trial Advocacy Basic Trial Techniques Practice Seminars, 2004 - 2006
• Volunteer, Trial Lawyers Care: September 11th Victims Compensation Fund, 2001 - 2003
• Member, New York County Independent Judicial Screening Panel for the Supreme Court, 2000

Past Employment Positions

• Manhattan & Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority, Attorney, 1977 - 1980
• New York City Transit Authority, Assistant General Counsel, 1980 - 1982
• Schneider, Kleinick & Weitz, Esqs., Trial Attorney, 1982 - 1984
• Siegel & Dittenhoefer, Esqs., Partner, 1984 - 1986

Education

• Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, New York, 1976
  J.D.
• C.W. Post College of Long Island University, Brookville, New York, 1973
  B.A.
  Honors: magna cum laude
  Honors: Sigma Tau Delta & Pi Gammu Mu National Honor Societies
  Major: History
  Major: English

Offers Free Initial Consultation

Published Works

• New York Million Dollar Arguments Tape Series, JAS Publications, 1999
• Bill of Particulars Quarterly Magazine for Lawyers (Editorial Board Member, Columnist, Contributor), NYS Trial Lawyers Institute, 2003
• Tort Deform Weblog (Continuing Contributor), The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy

Address

111 John Street
Suite 1806
New York, NY 10038

Phones

212-925-4475

Faxes

212-925-2935

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.bgdlawny.com