Insurance

Kingston native, Eli B. Basch, has been helping Ulster County injury victims for over forty-five years. He has dedicated his career to helping injury victims and the families of individuals who were injured or killed in Ulster County and the Hudson Valley car accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, falls, fires, explosions, recreational accidents, boating accidents, plane crashes, construction accidents, defective products, and medical negligence. Mr. Basch is widely regarded as one of the most experienced and successful personal injury attorneys in Upstate New York. With over 300 trial verdicts and more than 6,000 settlements to his credit, Eli has represented injured clients in more trials than any other personal injury lawyer currently practicing in Ulster County. In fact, he has represented more injured clients than any other lawyer in the history of Ulster County. Eli Basch has been named a Super Lawyer of Upstate New York by Super Lawyers Magazine since 2011, and he’s been recognized among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers of New York State since 2007. His reputation has earned him a position on the Governor’s Screening Committee for Judicial Appointments, and he previously served on the Committee for Professional Standards in the Third Judicial Department from 1998 to 2004. Mr. Basch resides with his wife Susan in Kingston, less than two miles from his office. Mr. Basch welcomes the opportunity to sit down and visit with you to discuss how he can help you receive both physical and legal advice on your personal injuries or a wrongful death of your loved one. He can also represent you in a property or insurance claim.

“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.

Mr. Bruce’s legal career has focused on criminal litigation. For 37 years, Mr. Bruce worked as Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. During this time, he was Chief of the Organized Crime and the National Security Divisions of the office and served as Senior Litigation Counsel before retiring in 2016. He has extensive experience in investigations, trials of complex criminal cases, including RICO, tax, mail and wire fraud, false statements, perjury, and narcotics cases in United States District Court, and in appeals to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Over the last 20 years of Mr. Bruce’s career in the United States Attorney’s Office, he served as an Office Evaluator for the Executive Office for the United States Attorney’s Office, participating, as a member of a teams of seasoned Assistant United States Attorneys, in peer evaluations of United States Attorneys’ Offices throughout the United States. In 1998, Mr. Bruce took a temporary assignment as the Resident Legal Advisor in the United States Embassy in Moscow, where he was the liaison between Department of Justice Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training and the Russian Procurator’s Office to set up and run training by U.S. prosecutors and law enforcement agents for their Russian counterparts. From 2004 to 2006, Mr. Bruce also handled a complex ethics and misconduct investigation which involved an exhaustive review of two large scale narcotics prosecutions from another U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine if the lead Assistant United States Attorney in those cases had committed any violations of the law, acts of prosecutorial misconduct or ethical violations and prepared a report that was submitted to the Office of Professional Responsibility within the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. For four years prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Bruce worked with the Internal Revenue Service Office of District Counsel. During this time, he acted as in-house counsel to the Buffalo Internal Revenue District on tax examinations, collection matters and in ongoing criminal investigations. He reviewed results of criminal tax investigations to determine if they were factually and legally sufficient to be referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution. He also tried and briefed cases in the United States Tax Court. Since 1996, Mr. Bruce has also been an Adjunct Professor at the SUNY Buffalo School of Law. Since leaving government service, Mr. Bruce has become a member of the Erie County Bar Association Grievance Committee where he has been called on to review allegations of ethical violations by criminal defense attorneys. He has also been an on-air commentator for WGRZ, Channel 2, and WBEN Radio., providing commentary and insight on high-profile federal prosecutions.

James E. Morris is a graduate of the State University of New York College at Buffalo, Cum Laude, and the University at Buffalo Law School. Mr. Morris has been successfully practicing law in Western New York for more than 25 years. He has achieved the highest rating of “10.0 Superb” by national independent rating service Avvo and “AV Preeminent®” by Martindale-Hubbell. He has handled several cases with recoveries in excess of One Million Dollars. (Every case is distinct and past results do not guarantee future outcomes). Prior to founding the Law Offices of James Morris in 2004, Mr. Morris held senior and managing partner positions in firms focused on representing injured plaintiffs. These positions gave Mr. Morris valuable experience in case preparation and management through trial. The relationships built over the years with investigators, technical experts and physicians give him a unique ability to put together the team necessary to effectively present your case. Mr. Morris is retained by other attorneys to handle their personal injury cases. Recognizing Mr. Morris’s experience and expertise in handling significant personal injury cases, many of these attorneys have referred additional cases after being satisfied that their clients were well represented. In 2015, James Morris was named to the Top 50 Upstate New York Lawyers list. The list includes lawyers from all practice areas, with only a select few plaintiffs’ attorneys making the Top 50. Selection to the distinguished list follows a nomination, research and blue ribbon panel process. In short, these attorneys are considered the “best of the best.” Super Lawyers, a listing of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition, has selected Mr. Morris for the last 10 years straight from 2009 to 2019 for his work as a personal injury attorney in the Western Region of New York. Additionally, Mr. Morris has been selected by Business First’s Who’s Who in Law for his work as a personal injury lawyer. Mr. Morris was also selected by the Buffalo Law Journal (which replaced Who’s Who in Law in 2012) to the Legal Elite from 2014 to 2019 for personal injury. Mr. Morris was elected by his peers as President of the Western New York Trial Lawyers Association for the year 2013. Mr. Morris is a member of the New York Trial Lawyers Association, the Western New York Trial Lawyers Association, the Erie County Bar Association, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Attorney Giordano started his career in the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in its New York Regional Office. There, he participated in civil and administrative actions against broker-dealers and registered representatives for violations of federal securities laws; and conducted discovery and administrative investigations. ‍ After his employment with the SEC in New York City, between the 1980’s and the early 1990’s, he worked as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey where he investigated and prosecuted federal criminal matters with a concentration on federal securities fraud violations; presented evidence and witnesses before the U.S. Grand Jury. ‍ Attorney Giordano entered private practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in early 1990’s and acted as principal in various law firms for over three decades. In May 2005, Attorney Giordano along with Attorney Reed opened their law firm, Reed & Giordano, P.A. ‍ Attorney Giordano deals with various areas of commercial and complex litigation, securities litigation, arbitration and many more. He has over thirty years of experience representing businesses and individuals in a wide variety of legal disputes and transactions. Attorney Giordano is experienced in all phases of civil and commercial litigation, including trial and appellate practice in state and federal courts. Attorney Giordano is experienced in representing both individuals and companies in complex commercial matters, including shareholder disputes, buyouts, fraud and claims involving breach of fiduciary duty.

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.

Cincinnati personal injury lawyer Shawn M. Stepleton has dedicated his career to protecting the rights of injured men and women. After graduating, with honors, from the Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, Shawn established his law practice in the Cincinnati area. Over the years, he has recovered millions of dollars for his clients in a variety of personal injury cases. Shawn believes that you, as a client, are entitled to accessible, responsible, and reliable service. You can rest assured that Shawn will always give your concerns his personal attention, whether by meeting you at your convenience or by returning your calls promptly and consistently.

Russell has over 38 years of multi-state legal experience with both a local and national client base. He currently serves as outside General Counsel for several clients who own large Commercial Real Estate shopping centers both locally and nationally. Primary practice areas include financial institution and bank regulatory and compliance, representation of national creditors within general creditor’s rights enforcement, complex multi-state litigation, general commercial defense, Insurance Law corporate law, small business startups and general representation, and personal injury.

Leslie focuses her advocacy on student disciplinary processes, specifically at the college administrative level. This includes advisement in university conduct proceedings from investigations through appeals; academic misconduct accusations; Title IX cases; student organization defense; and specific hazing education and risk management advice for Greek organizations, sports teams, and clubs. Prior to starting Albeit Masters, LLC, Leslie co-founded and grew an education specific law firm for almost a decade, practiced as defense counsel to a prominent Columbus insurance litigation firm, and served as a defense attorney on criminal and traffic matters, gaining valuable litigation and courtroom experience.

In 1991, I earned a Juris Doctorate Degree (law degree) from the University of Dayton School of Law. While attending law school, I received the American Jurisprudence Award from my Insurance Law professor for obtaining the highest grade in the class. I was licensed to practice law in Ohio that same year (1991) and immediately established a private law practice in downtown Dayton, Ohio across the street from the courts. I have been in the same office building for over 32 years! I also proudly served as a Magistrate in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court from 1992 until 2000 for The Honorable Judge George Gounaris. During my 32 year career, I have focused my law practice on Divorce, Criminal Defense, OVI/DUI Defense, Traffic Law and Personal Injury cases so that I could become proficient in these areas and provide the best possible legal services. I received the Appointed Counsel Award from the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court for my representation of indigent defendants, and the Top 10 Attorney Award (for Ohio) from the National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys. I have been interviewed by local and national news media, including The Associated Press, and had the distinct privilege of arguing in the Supreme Court of Ohio. Some of my cases set legal precedent, which means they impacted the status of the law in Ohio. I was invited into the prestigious National Trial Lawyers, Top 100, and Ohio Super Lawyers which is only attainable by a small percentage of attorneys in Ohio. I am rated "Distinguished" by Martindale Hubbell, and "Superb" by Avvo.com which is the highest rating for attorneys. I am rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, and listed in Who's Who in American Law. I have earned the respect of my peers in the legal community, and have built long-lasting, professional relationships with judges, prosecutors, attorneys and other individuals that serve in our system of justice. My MISSION has always been, and will always be, to make sure my clients are treated fairly no matter their race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age or any other trait that sets them apart from others. I certainly have the experience and success that my clients need, and I am very happy to help them through difficult times.