Arthur Schwartz is a Principal Attorney at Advocates for Justice Chartered Attorneys. Mr. Schwartz has been representing unions, workers, and Lower Manhattan community residents for over 32 years. He is widely recognized as one of New York City’s top labor and employment lawyers.

William K. Phillips is a New York employment discrimination attorney and is the Managing Partner of Phillips & Associates. His law firm Phillips & Associates has handled thousands of employment cases including, sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, race discrimination, disability discrimination, and other employment law cases.

A seasoned attorney with a wide range of litigation experience, J.R. Stevenson works closely with his clients to develop the best strategies to address their legal concerns. His areas of expertise include commercial litigation, complex insurance coverage disputes, environmental and toxic tort litigation, property damage and first party damage, general liability insurance coverage, and maritime issues. J.R. has litigated a number of liability declaratory judgment cases through appeal. Before founding the firm in 2012, J.R. worked at leading multinational law firms Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP and Clyde & Co US LLP. He is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. J.R. graduated cum laude from St. John’s University School of Law, where he received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for earning the highest grade in his Evidence and Trust & Estates courses. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics with a concentration on international trade from Binghamton University. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Maritime Law Association of the United States.

What Do You Like Most About Your Job? For me, being the principal of a law firm which has a mission to help the less fortunate is a dream come true. I came to the United States from Poland. My background in canon and civil law from Europe complemented the additional law studies I obtained here in the United States. This background allows me to serve my clients with knowledge and compassion and understand the pain they endure as a result of their accidents. The most rewarding part of my job, hands down, is being able to work for the people, and not the insurance/corporate system. It is not easy to deal with the uncertainty of a catastrophic injury. Your whole life is turned upside down. To be able to right that ship for victims and injured people is a realization of my own journey, and I impart that piece of me into every case we take. What Do You Like Least? As rewarding as it is to help injured people get the justice they deserve, the tragedy can wear on you. People come to me because I can help them when things look the bleakest. That means I see a lot of suffering every day. I know that most people think that lawyers are robots and have a difficult time connecting with their clients. The fact is, while sometimes we must put aside our feelings to do our job well, we carry that suffering and sorrow with us. If you don’t, then you shouldn’t be in this practice. I have always believed we, as lawyers, must truly know what our client is going through if we want to get them fully compensated. Does that make things more difficult sometimes? Of course, but there is no better way to represent a suffering human being. How Would You Describe Your Approach To A Case? In a word? Fearless. Make no mistake about it. When you are injured on a construction site or anywhere else for that matter, the other side is going to try to scare you. They will have an investigator follow you, ask endless questions, and try to delay your lawsuit. All of this can leave a client concerned and scared for their future and the result of their case. I make it clear that The Platta Law Firm and our clients will not be intimidated. We are relentless in our advocacy. These corporations like to try to intimidate you with their size and money. Well the fact is that we have been beating them for years and we have no plans to stop now. If you hurt someone, you need to pay for it, and we work tirelessly until that happens.

Hendrick Vandamme is a partner of the Firm. He was born in former Czechoslovakia and has the distinction of having participated in the demonstrations dubbed the Velvet Revolution which ended 40 years of Communist oppression and foresaw the normalization of relationships between East and West. After leaving Prague, he lived and worked in Germany, Belgium, and England. He is fluent in Czech, German, and French. Before forming Vandamme Law Firm, his work experience encompassed practice with a securities litigation boutique firm and with a major North American insurance company as the attorney of record and trial counsel. Hendrick successfully handled a number of jury trials and has conducted numerous mediations and arbitrations on behalf of his clients. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Essex University in England and his law degree from Fordham University Law School. On multiple occasions, Hendrick has served as a correspondent to Radio Journal in Prague where he uses his expertise to discuss American legal issues of international interest. Hendrick is also a board member of the Olga Forrai Foundation, which provides support for the training, education, and career development of opera singers and classical music conductors. He is admitted to practice in New York and in the US District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts.