Brooklyn and Staten Island Personal Injury Attorney Michael Meyerson is a highly experienced lawyer with the valuable perspective and understanding of how insurance companies and defense firms look at personal injury and wrongful death matters injury and wrongful death matters. He uses his expertise to evaluate the settlement potential of each case and obtain the best result possible for every injured person.During his career, he has successfully represented numerous people injured in construction accidents. He has obtained settlements in excess of $1.5 million for several of Bisogno & Meyerson's clients.Mr. Meyerson is a graduate of St. John's University School of Law (J.D. 1989) and the State University of New York (Stony Brook, B.A. 1986). He is a member of the of the New York State & District of Columbia Bar Associations as well as the New York State Trial Lawyers Association; the American Association for Justice and the American Bar Association.He and his wife are raising two children and make their home on Long Island.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nicole Brenecki is a native-born New Yorker who, following an extensive overseas education, returned to practice law in her place of birth. Fluent in English, German, and Polish, Ms. Brenecki’s distinctive global experiences allow her to fully understand and appreciate the unique needs of her clients with the ability to explain the intricacies of New York law in multiple languages. Ms. Brenecki obtained her Juris Doctorate from Brooklyn Law School in 2017. At Brooklyn Law, Ms. Brenecki was awarded the prestigious Brooklyn Law Students for the Public Interest Fellowship and in 2018, she co-founded an organization that was instrumental in the repeal of the New York City Cabaret Law by Mayor Bill DeBlasio. Prior to obtaining her Juris Doctorate, Ms. Brenecki received a Master’s Degree in Law at the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw and a Diploma in American Law at Center for American Law Studies at the University of Warsaw in 2013. Nicole has extensive experience working for both Plaintiffs and Defendants and specializes in Personal Injury and Labor Law, as well as Employment and Wage Law, in which she heads the firm’s practice. In only her second year of full-time practice, Nicole was named a “Super Lawyer – Rising Star,” a distinction awarded to no more than 2.5% of attorneys in each state for her excellence as a litigator, in 2021. In 2022, she was honored with the “Super Lawyer – Rising Star” award again, followed by the “Top 10 under 40” Award for New York Personal Injury Attorneys, as well as the Lawyers of Distinction Award. Ms. Brenecki is admitted to practice law in the state of New York, as well as before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.

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.

Deena R. Merlen is a Partner at the firm. She serves clients at both our New York and Stamford offices and heads the Connecticut practice. Her practice areas include intellectual property, employment and labor law, media and entertainment, general business law, commercial transactions and dispute resolution. In her employment practice, Ms. Merlen is a trusted “go to” problem solver and counsel to individuals, established name brand companies and startups alike. She has extensive experience representing clients in matters including general counseling, discrimination actions, mediations and dispute resolution, investigations by federal or state agencies, as well as wage and hour claims and other labor law matters. She also advises on and regularly negotiates employment and separation agreements, independent contractor arrangements and other services-related arrangements. Ms. Merlen also counsels clients on employment and business matters in response to a crisis or other unexpected business impact, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting business closures, including continuity plans, employee furloughs, reductions in force and other critical measures. In her intellectual property practice, Ms. Merlen helps her clients with the development, acquisition and protection of their valuable brands and other vital intellectual property assets. She manages and grows trademark portfolios in the U.S. and internationally; negotiates licensing, assignment, distribution and branding agreements; prosecutes trademark and copyright registrations; enforces intellectual property rights; and provides strategic counsel to safeguard brand platforms and expand the value of her clients’ intellectual property assets. Ms. Merlen’s media practice encompasses the development and protection of creative works in the fields of music, film, television, theatre, publishing, literary arts, performing arts, design and technology. She ran her own business in the entertainment industry for over a decade and brings that business experience and acumen to her legal practice. In addition, Ms. Merlen provides general business counsel and represents clients in company and transactional matters such as partnerships, joint ventures, licensing arrangements, the purchase or sale of businesses, and a wide range of other corporate matters, including company formation, capitalization and governance, compliance and contracts. Representative clients include technology companies, schools and other academic institutions, personal care and beauty companies, fashion and design companies, media, arts and entertainment companies, wholesalers, retailers and more. Prior to her work with RPJ, Ms. Merlen served as Law Clerk to The Honorable Roger J. Miner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, after which she joined Debevoise & Plimpton, where she practiced for over five years in the areas of corporate law and intellectual property. Ms. Merlen is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New York.

Robert Basil is the founding member of The Basil Law Group and has been a licensed attorney since 1988. He has been practicing in New York City since 2003. He is a graduate of Rutgers Law School and holds an LLM in Corporate Law from New York University School of Law, as well as an M.B.A. in Business Management from Fordham Graduate School of Business. Mr. Basil is an accomplished litigator with more than 25 years of litigation experience. He has represented individuals and companies in a variety of cases. His primary practice area encompasses commercial litigation and counseling across a broad spectrum of industries, including banking, manufacturing, personal services, fashion, real estate, and retail. Whether the case is large or small, Mr. Basil is committed to providing the highest quality legal services in a cost-effective manner. Mr. Basil’s practice covers all facets of litigation, including trials and appeals from state and federal courts, and arbitration, in cases involving: RICO Commercial contracts Restrictive covenants The Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act Fraudulent conveyances Piercing the corporate veil D&O issues Creditors’ rights Bankruptcy Indemnification issues Real estate Intellectual property Government regulations In addition to litigation, a key component of Mr. Basil’s practice is providing general counsel services on a wide range of business issues. He also manages litigation domestically and worldwide. As general counsel, Mr. Basil provides the following services: Conducting investigations when unlawful or unethical conducts has been alleged Drafting corporate documents, including commercial and employment contracts Advising clients on federal, state, and municipal regulations Counseling on labor and employment-related issues including compliance with state and federal employment and wage and hour laws