Accident & Injury

Keith Gilman grew up in Queens County, New York. He attended Hunter College High School in Manhattan, where he lettered in baseball and bowling. Mr. Gilman graduated with honors from the University of Miami, and completed a year of undergraduate study at Oxford University in England. While in law school at St. John's University, Keith was a published author and editor for the St. John's Journal of Legal Commentary, and worked in the Litigation Bureau at the New York State Attorney General's Office. Mr. Gilman has specialized in the field of plaintiff's personal injury law over the past three decades and has recovered millions of dollars for clients during that span including substantial verdicts that have been published in the Jury Verdict Reporter. Because he is bilingual, Mr. Gilman is able to provide direct, face to face counsel to our Spanish speaking clientele. Mr. Gilman is an active member of the Queens County Bar Association and has served as an Arbitrator and Mediator in resolving attorney-client conflicts. He is admitted to the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. In his spare time, Mr. Gilman volunteers as President of the Board of Managers at his Homeowners Association. He also enjoys traveling with his wife and two children.

Marcia Murphy Biondo is a practicing lawyer in the state of New York handling personal injury cases.

Mr. Minotti received his Bachelors Degree from Pace University in 1995 and his Juris Doctor Degree from Pace University School of Law in 1998. Upon graduation, Tom was a member of the firm Minotti & Iaia, LLP in White Plains, New York primarily practicing in the area of Federal Civil Litigation and Personal Injury. In 2009, Tom opened the Law Offices of Thomas J. Minotti, P.C., with offices currently in the Hudson Valley and Saratoga Regions of New York. Mr. Minotti is licensed to practice in the States of New York and Connecticut and is admitted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York. Mr. Minotti is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Hudson Valley Bankruptcy Bar Association. Tom is an experienced attorney concentrating his practice in the areas of bankruptcy, mortgage modifications and civil litigation. His extensive knowledge of the current and ever-changing modification programs assures his clients the best chances of receiving mortgage modifications for which they are eligible. Tom has helped hundreds of families get a fresh start after suffering financial hardship by using the tools available through bankruptcy to rebuild their finances and by successfully negotiating mortgage modifications with lenders.

Herbert Mendelsohn is a personal injury lawyer proudly serving clients in New Haven, Connecticut and the neighboring communities.

“When a client selects our office to represent them, it is a great honor. Our clients trust us to navigate them through the rigors of a high-stakes legal system. There is nothing more professionally satisfying to me than rewarding that trust by achieving a successful result.” Tim is experienced in all areas of complex litigation and alternative dispute resolution and focuses his practice on medical malpractice, personal injury, and appellate law. A partner in Phelan, Phelan & Danek and head of the Appellate Law practice, his strength is a comprehensive knowledge of the law and understanding of the legal process. Prior to entering private practice, Tim served as an Appellate Court Attorney for the Appellate Division Third Department. This experience provided him an insider's perspective of the different courts, and how the court decision process works. He has been with Phelan, Phelan & Danek from the beginning, and values its big firm experience, small firm relationships, and the family environment. Tim is very active with his family and community. He serves as Board President with Niskayuna Youth Football & Cheerleading, works with the Niskayuna Town Parks & Recreation Committee, and coaches his daughter's travel softball team. Married for 14 years to his high school sweetheart Jessica, he has 3 children, softball player Cadence, 11, footballer Brooks, 10, and 6-year-old Lilly, who specializes in 'trouble'. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. I received a call from a 10 year old girl who broke her wrists using monkey bars at school.  After falling, her teacher declined to let her see the nurse and she completed the school day.  She was healing well, but several attorneys turned down her case believing that her damages were limited.  The School District’s insurance company claimed that they were only responsible for a couple of hours of pain and suffering and offered nuisance value.  I took the case and sued the School District for depriving the child of her civil rights under 42 U.S.C. section 1983, by depriving the child of her basic human right to medical care.  The case settled quickly after that for a substantial settlement. How did you build a successful practice? The cornerstone of my practice, as with most, is to listen specifically to my client’s needs.  I believe what sets my practice apart, is creativity in designing approaches to reach a client’s goals using all available avenues.  To achieve this goal, I have developed expertise in all means available.  From trial to alternative dispute resolution, I have the expertise to achieve the goals of my clients in the means that best suits their objectives. What should clients look for in a lawyer? First and foremost, clients should look for an experienced lawyer who listens to them and understands their core objectives.  I believe that a fundamental component to the lawyer’s job is to ensure that he or she understands exactly what the client’s objectives are.  Once the objectives are clearly identified, the attorney’s responsibility to provide the client with available options to achieve that goal and an honest evaluation of the case. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? During our initial telephone conversation, we will discuss the aspects of your case and get an understanding of not only what happened, but what you would like to have happen moving forward.  At this point, we will determine if my firm is an appropriate match for you.  If so, we will make a plan to meet and discuss what materials, if necessary, we should review as we continue to develop a plan. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? During the initial telephone conversation, clients should be prepared to generally discuss the nature of their case and be prepared with as many details as possible.  We need to know what happened, and how it has impacted you.  In addition, we need to know the timing of the occurrences that give rise to your potential claim.  Time may be of the essence, so please call as soon as possible.  We are here and ready to help you. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? What differentiates me from other lawyers in this field is the perspectives on the law and the system that I have honed over the course of my career.  One of the keys to the development of my practice was my time as a clerk with the Appellate Division, Third Department.  Not only was I exposed to several types of cases while there, but I gained the valuable and rare perspective of the cases from the Court’s view.  Using these experiences, I have endeavored to create a practice model that is friendly to the Court’s needs.  I find that this approach has been helpful to achieve client goals. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is the satisfaction that I take away from making a difference in my client’s lives.  Clients come to our firm with a need, and often in distress.  We work hard to reach a conclusion of their case that meets their needs and improves their lives.  The opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of others is what sparked my interest in the law years ago and still fuels my practice today. What are your other interests in addition to law? I am an active volunteer in the Community.  I have four children and coach youth football.

Over the last 35 years I have had the privilege of representing numerous friends, clients and family members in many different areas of law. I primarily am a litigator in a general practice of law dealing with issues that the average family, person or small company runs into. I have been fortunate enough to have a successful practice handling numerous and interesting cases. My office is across the street from the Hamilton County Courthouse at 917 Main Street in an historic building which I own in conjunction with an associate. My practice areas primarily are concentrated in Hamilton County as well as Butler, Clermont and Warren Counties. I am licensed not only in Ohio, but in Federal District Court, Southern District of Ohio as well as in the Eastern District of Kentucky and recently represented an individual in the Federal District Court in Indianapolis on a Pro Hac Vice basis. As a workaholic I tend to be in my office almost seven days a week and attempt to provide a benefit for every client irrespective of the facts of the case, the culpability or liability of my client. It has been my experience that things are very rarely black and white, there are always at least two sides or more to every dispute or issue and I do my best to advocate zealously on behalf of my client. Over the years I have made numerous close friends who start out as clients and have maintained those relationships. I am a life-long resident of Cincinnati, with three children, graduated from St. X High School, Xavier University and UC Law School with a third year of college at Loyola in Rome, Italy. You might say it is very difficult for me to go anywhere in the city without running into someone I know. I hope to maintain a good reputation with all my clients and in the legal community and want to continue that goal. I derive great satisfaction helping my clients or their families through their legal troubles and difficult times. Specialties: Family law- divorce, custody, child support, etc. Criminal law-traffic offenses to murder & strong emphasis on DUI/OVI & driving under suspension. Personal injury cases-auto accidents, slip & fall, dog bite & other injuries. Civil litigation-insurance claims, property damage & strong emphasis on foreclosure defense. Preparation of simple Wills, Power of Attorney, etc. Small business consultation, preparation & filing for corporations & LLC’s, business disputes between companies or individuals.

Adam R. Leighton, Esq. (arl@cohenandcohen.net), an AV-Rated lawyer and Partner at Cohen & Cohen, PC, is a 1997 graduate of the University of Toledo School of Law. In 1993, he received a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a minor in Economics from Tulane University. During law school, Mr. Leighton was a clerk for the Sixth District Court of Appeals (Toledo, Ohio), an intern at the Lucas County Public Defender’s Office, and a clerk for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. He is a member of the District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio (inactive) and Maine (inactive) bars and the District of Columbia Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Leighton focuses his practice in the area of medical negligence, automobile, and premises matters. Mr. Leighton won the Cohen & Cohen Trial Lawyer of the Year Award for his exceptional work in the area of medical negligence cases. He was named one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in DC by the American Trial Lawyers Association, named as one of Washington DC’s Super Lawyers in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, and he was chosen by his peers to be recognized in the 23rd Edition of The Best lawyers in America for 2017. Mr. Leighton has served on the Tort Law Steering Committee and Steering Committee of the Injury to Persons and Property Section of the D.C. Bar. Mr. Leighton was the 2011-2012 President for the Trial Lawyers Association of Washington, D.C. He has served as a Board of Governor and as a Chair of the Education Committee. Mr. Leighton has also served as a trial judge at the George Washington University Law School.

Attorney Colleen M. Blinkoff received her undergraduate degree in Economics in 2002 from the University at Buffalo Honors Program, graduating in only three years and receiving the Dean’s Medal for being the top graduate of the Department of Economics. She went on to receive her Master of Arts degree in Applied Economics the following year. During this time, Colleen worked during the summers as a counselor and lifeguard at Cradle Beach Camp in Angola, NY. She also worked at a weekend respite program for individuals with developmental disabilities, also located at Cradle Beach. Colleen is a member of the American Association for Justice and the Erie County, New York State and Ohio State Bar Associations.

At The Law Office of Sofia Teren LLC, we represent clients in personal injury matters, business formation, contract disputes, criminal and juvenile defense cases, as well as various legal matters that arise under the Family Law and General Civil Litigation. Attorney Sofia Teren has extensive experience and excellent reputation in representing clients. In the courtroom, Ms. Teren fiercely and passionately represents clients’ best interests. Especially, in criminal and juvenile cases when the freedom of clients at stake, Attorney Sofia Teren protects the constitutional and due process rights of each client, and delivers justice clients deserve. Attorney Sofia Teren provides individualized legal services, and interacts directly with the clients from the commencement of the legal matter and until it is resolved. Ms. Teren answers the phone, gives clients advice and represents their best interests through the entire duration of the cases. Attorney Sofia Teren ensures that her clients are always well informed and updated on the status of their legal matter. At the Law Office of Sofia Teren LLC, we always evolve and find new tactics to provide effective legal representation in order to make it easier on our clients. Attorney Sofia Teren is fluent in Russian. Thank you for the interest in my practice and choosing to visit my website. I have been practicing law in the Greater Cleveland Area for almost a decade. I graduated Case Western Reserve University School of Law with the Master of Laws (LLM) Degree and Jurist Doctor (JD) Degree. In pursuit of my passion to practice law, I deliver justice and always represent people’s interests. I am proud to call myself a Clevelander. I live with my husband and together we raise two beautiful children.

Attorney Robert R. Simons began his legal career as a prosecutor for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. While working in the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, he tried complex criminal cases, including one of the first homicides in South Jersey utilizing DNA evidence, a serial rapist case, and multiple drug and weapons cases. After leaving the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, he switched sides and opened The Law Offices of Robert R. Simons, focusing on criminal defense. Over the years, our firm has aggressively represented hundreds of clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania against criminal charges. We also handle personal injury matters such as traffic accidents, product liability and dog bites. We are experienced at protecting our clients' rights and negotiating positive outcomes in high-stakes situations. In more than 25 years of practicing law, Robert R. Simons has acquired a vast knowledge of criminal law and procedure. This extensive trial experience and knowledge, coupled with high ethics, have earned a certification by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Criminal Trial Attorney, which is something only given to the top 5 percent of attorneys who have demonstrated the highest level of proficiency in the criminal law field. Mr. Simons has also had the honor of being admitted to the United States Supreme Court. Only a small number of practicing attorneys receive such an admission.