Civil Rights

Paul F. Oliveri proudly serves as Director Emeritus in the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, whose organizational mission is “to promote a safer and healthier society, to assure access to the civil justice system by those who are wrongfully injured and to advance representation of the public by ethical, well-trained lawyers. ”Mr. Oliveri has served on several of its committees, including the New York State Trial Lawyers Association’s Judicial Screening Committee. Mr. Oliveri has addressed legislators and lectured before citizen groups about issues facing accident victims, consumers, the civil justice system, and has actively fought to preserve the rights of the injured. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice, the National Crime Victims Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the New York County Lawyers Association and several other Bar groups and associations. Mr. Oliveri has been honored on various occasions by being featured in Who’s Who in American Law and has been recognized by the respected legal services company of LexisNexis® in its Martindale- Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers™ with an “AV” rating in the practice areas of Motor Vehicle law, Premises Liability Law, Medical and Dental Malpractice law, Personal Injury Law. Less than 5% of all law firms qualify for this rating, making Oliveri & Schwartz, P.C. one of the most distinguished and respected law firms in the country.

Frank concentrates his practice on civil litigation, with an emphasis on medical malpractice injury, general injury cases, civil rights and class actions. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1992 from the State University of New York at Albany where he also played rugby. Frank then attended St. John’s University School of Law in Queens, New York, during the evening while working as an investigator for the State of New York, followed by the New York City Corporation Counsel, and then AIG Insurance Company as a litigation claims adjuster. Frank obtained his law degree in 1998, was admitted to the New York State bar in 1999, and eventually all four federal district court bars for New York, as well as the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He began his legal career in the New York City office of one of his law school professors representing injury victims and then moved on to a large firm representing corporations in product liability litigation. Frank then relocated to Massachusetts where he had to take two additional bar exams to be admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 2002 and the Rhode Island bar in 2003. Frank continued with injury law there, particularly construction and maritime cases under the Jones Act involving accidents at sea, including several death cases. Frank relocated to Central New York in 2006 and worked for the litigation firm of O’Hara, O’Connell & Ciotoli representing victims of medical malpractice, workplace injuries, general injuries and wrongful labor and employment practices. Frank has been appointed class counsel in several class action cases and achieved over $17,000,000 in class action settlements since 2015 for FLSA and New York Labor Law violations. In all, since 2008 Frank has recovered over $27,000,000 in damages for his injury and employment clients. Frank lives in Fayetteville, N.Y. with his wife and children. He is active in the Fayetteville-Manlius community with coaching soccer and basketball. He has served on the boards of FEAT of Central New York and Enable, Inc., now known as Access CNY. He also remains active with the University at Albany rugby alumni. Learn more about Frank Gattuso. He has more than 20 years of experience in the legal industry. The cases he takes on include, but are not limited to: -Injury Cases -Medical Malpractice Injuries -Wage & Hour Violations -Defective Product Injuries -Slip & Fall Injuries -FLSA & New York Labor Violations -Car Accident Injuries -Workplace Injuries -Unpaid Wages

I grew up in Lakewood, Ohio, the younger brother of two sisters and the son of immigrants. My mom was born in Germany and my dad was a Gottscheer. Gottschee was once a settlement of Austrians in what's now Slovenia; a settlement of German speakers that existed for about 600 years until 1941 ​ I started my legal career working as a law clerk for the Hon. Judge Harry Hanna and the Hon. Judge Leo Spellacy and visiting Judges assigned to preside over civil Jury Trials. During my time with the Court, I gained valuable experience observing lawyers handling Trials and insight in how Judges preside over Trials. As a law clerk, I assisted Judges with legal issues arose during those Trials. ​ After working for the Court, I practiced law for more than 18 years with a large regional defense firm representing insurance companies and insureds in a wide-variety of civil lawsuits including cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, mass tort, retail and hospitality, trucking and commercial transportation, commercial litigation, creditor's rights, and condominium law. ​ A few years ago, I had an opportunity to represent a woman who suffered a wrist injury and a unique, but serious condition when an airbag caused abrasions on her neck and face. Over-the-counter medications used to treat the abrasions caused my client to develop an allergy to propylene glycol. When I first got involved, the insurance company for the individual who caused that accident offered a mere $5,000 and denied that her condition was related to the accident. After working on the case, I obtained a significant six figure settlement. I gained a satisfaction that made me realize I wanted to represent individuals and families.

Joseph M. Marrone, Esquire founded the Marrone Law Firm, LLC in 1993. Since its establishment, Joseph has successfully served as the firm’s Managing Partner. He has worked tirelessly to build his firm from the ground up, developing a reputation for dedication and the willingness to fight for the needs of those he represents. The heart of the Marrone Law Firm, LLC is based in Center City Philadelphia which has allowed Joseph to cultivate a strong foundation in the Philadelphia metro area. In order to better serve clients, Joseph expanded his practice into New Jersey, with an additional office in Cherry Hill. Joseph a native of Philadelphia, received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He went on to pursue his Juris Doctor from Western Michigan University. Joseph graduated from law school in 1991, moving on to earn bar admissions in New Jersey (1991), Pennsylvania (1992), and New York (2004). He is also licensed to practice in the U.S. District Courts of the aforementioned states, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. After graduating from law school, Joseph worked as a political advisor to former Governor of Pennsylvania, Edward Rendell for his mayoral campaign in Philadelphia. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Assistant City Solicitor in the Rendell administration and spent countless hours representing the City of Philadelphia. Over the past two decades, Joseph Marrone has consistently represented clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region in a variety of legal matters. Marrone Law Firm, LLC has developed into a high-end, high-powered litigation firm that focuses on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Joseph has extensive experience and has achieved impressive results trying cases involving catastrophic personal injury, products & premises liability, medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, wrongful conviction, and civil matters. Additionally, Joseph has a long-standing career as a criminal defense attorney winning many notable verdicts. His legal acumen also extends to representing many prominent clients in the music and film industries. During his professional career, Joseph has taken on a number of high-profile cases resulting in multi-million dollar verdicts or settlements. Some of Joseph’s most noteworthy settlements include but are not limited to a $227 million unprecedented settlement for a building collapse case in Philadelphia, a confidential premises liability settlement for $30 million dollars, a $17 million settlement for a medical malpractice lawsuit when a man was admitted to a local hospital for an elective heart procedure which left him permanently incapacitated, a wrongful conviction settlement with the City of Philadelphia for $9.1 million, a $4 million settlement for the estate of a woman that died as a result of hospital malpractice, a $2.9 million settlement for a man who drowned in a New York resort, a $2 million settlement for the estate of a New Jersey State Trooper killed in a car accident, a $2 million settlement against a major casino corporation on behalf of a noteworthy entertainer involved in a limo accident, a $1.5 million settlement following the death of a newborn due to the hospital’s failure to maintain proper records and a $1.2 million verdict in a civil rights lawsuit against an Atlantic City police officer. To review a complete list of Joseph’s verdicts and settlements, visit the Results page on the firm’s website at marronelaw.com. In addition to achieving impressive results for his clients, Joseph was selected as an “Awesome Attorney’” in South Jersey Magazine by reader’s choice in 2014, 2016 & 2017; and as a 2014 “Top Attorney” in Philadelphia Life/Suburban Life Magazine during December 2014. Joseph was also honored by U.S. News and World Report in 2016 -2023 in the category of “Best Law Firms” for the areas of Plaintiff Personal Injury Litigation and Plaintiff Medical Malpractice Law. In both 2016 & 2017, The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys recognized his achievements by awarding him the prestigious “10 Best” Personal Injury Attorneys for Client Satisfaction in Pennsylvania. Also in 2017, Joseph Marrone was invited for membership to the prestigious “Million Dollar Advocates Forum” in recognition of achieving multiple settlements in excess of a million dollars or more for his clients. Membership in this elite group consists of less than 1% of attorneys in the United States. He has been selected to the Philadelphia Business Journal’s “Best of The Bar” in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023 for his pro bono work in the community. In recognition of Joseph Marrone’s efforts in the area of community outreach, he was selected in 2017 to become a member of the Governing Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Philadelphia – Independence Region. This organization is a one-to-one, non-profit, mentoring organization which is making a significant impact on youth in need, nationally. Due to his impressive level of achievement and the incredible amount of respect gained among his peers during his tenure in the legal field, Joseph has appeared numerous times on ABC, CBS, NBC FOX, CBC Toronto, and Court TV as a legal analyst. In addition to television, Joseph has been invited to speak on multiple radio shows including becoming a regular legal contributor on the nationally syndicated, iHeart Radio show, “This Morning – America’s First News with Gordon Deal”, speaking on a variety of legal topics making today’s headlines.

John Stocks has represented a lot of high profile clients and argued ground-breaking cases before the biggest courts (WA Supreme Court, 9th Circuit, and all 3 Courts of Appeals). He has been the lead trial attorney in several complex trials, including family law, criminal defense, and civil cases. He has also settled a lot of cases through mediation, which requires a thorough preparation of the case from the outset.

I have been a practicing attorney for the past 37 years, concentrating in Family Law, Personal Injury, Probate and Civil Litigation. If your case is contested, whether it be a divorce, custody, personal injury, or almost any matter requiring litigation, you need a trial lawyer in your corner. I have successfully litigated numerous jury trial (injury cases), and non-jury matters(divorce, custody etc.) Call me for a free initial consult.

I am the proud father of three wonderful young men, two of whom are now in practice with me, and the youngest, who is a junior in high school, who have the best characteristics of their mother, who I have been married to for almost 30 years. I am an aggressive lawyer who vigorously defends the rights of those accused. I am relentless in pursuing truth and justice and believe that all people are entitled to the protections of the Constitution and the Laws that govern our way of life. I have been defending people for 21 years after starting as a deputy prosecutor. I have a diverse criminal practice but find particular challenge in successfully fighting Dui/Dwi cases throughout Indiana. We also are civil and criminal trial lawyers.

Gene M. Connell, Jr. has been a member of the law firm since 1983. With his vast experience in many legal areas, he has received an “AV” rating with Martindale Hubbell, the most prestigious lawyer rating service in the country. He has been involved in some of the largest class-action suits ever brought in South Carolina, one of which (Bass v. State of South Carolina) went all the way to the United States Supreme Court before it was successfully settled. He has also argued numerous appeals before the South Carolina Supreme Court, the South Carolina Court of Appeals, the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission Appellate Division, the United States District Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Additionally, he has served as an expert witness in class actions on the issue of attorneys’ fees in both state and federal courts. Mr. Connell’s trial practice has included being a Mediator for other lawyers and being appointed by the Circuit Court as a Special Referee (Special Judge) to hear cases. He was also selected as the “National Trial Lawyers Top 100” in 2014 and chosen ” Best of The Beach” Lawyer.

Bill Hopkins was born and raised in Bishopville, South Carolina. He attended North Carolina State University where he received his B.S. degree in Textile Chemistry in 1988. After graduation, Bill worked for nearly three years for Springs Industries, Inc., a large textile company, at a dyeing and finishing plant in Lancaster, South Carolina. Bill was working as a third shift superintendent at the time he was accepted into law school at the University of South Carolina. During law school, Bill served as the Research Editor for the South Carolina Environmental Law Journal. It was also during law school that he began clerking for the law firm of Whaley, McCutchen, Blanton & Rhodes, LLP, one of the oldest and most prestigious litigation firms in South Carolina, which had originally been founded in 1936. Bill continued to work at the firm after graduation and ultimately became a partner in the firm and then was elected Managing Partner in 2005. Bill and the firm were selected by South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster to represent the State of South Carolina in lawsuits brought against several pharmaceutical companies regarding their reporting of false and inflated prices for drugs which resulted in overpayments by the State Medicaid and State Health Plan programs, known as the AWP litigation. Bill remained as the Managing Partner until December 31, 2007 when the firm dissolved after 71 years of continuous practice. Bill founded and started a new law firm called McCutchen Blanton Hopkins & Campbell, LLP, where he continued to practice with Thomas McCutchen and Hoover Blanton, two of the most well known leaders and stewards of the South Carolina Bar. Bill ran this law firm until November 1, 2010, when he joined the national law firm Beasley Allen Crow Methvin Portis & Miles, P.C. in Mongomery, Alabama in the Consumer Fraud section with an emphasis and focus on class action litigation. Bill has been active in various bar associations and organizations, including the South Carolina Bar. At the time he joined Beasley Allen, Bill was serving on the Professional Responsibility Committee and the Conventions Committee of the South Carolina Bar. Bill is currently serving as the Co-Chairman of the Class Action Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice. Bill served as the Chairman of the Employment Rights Section of the South Carolina Association for Justice for three years. In 2010 Bill Hopkins was elected to the South Carolina Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which is a distinct recognition and privilege. ABOTA is a national organization of both plaintiff and defense trial attorneys which is committed to the preservation of trial by jury. To be eligible for consideration, an attorney must have tried at least 20 civil jury trials to jury verdict as lead counsel. Bill has tried over 70 civil cases to jury verdict as sole or lead counsel, in areas such as personal injury, business torts, fraud, products liability, trade secrets, unfair trade practices, insurance matters and employment. Bill has also had an active appellate practice and has argued 8 cases before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, including an en banc argument in the case of Ocheltree v. Scollon Productions, Inc., a seminal case regarding the law of sexual harassment, in which many organizations (including the EEOC) made appearances and submitted amicus briefs, and which case was the subject of numerous articles, including an article in the New York Times. Bill has also argued several cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court. Bill has also developed a successful class action practice, being appointed by several different courts as lead counsel or liaison counsel in many different class action cases.

In 2002, attorneys Andrew Hollis and Josh Wright joined together to form the Hollis Wright Law Firm. The two attorneys had one simple philosophy in starting the firm: to put clients first at the law firm and to work hard each and every day to protect the client’s interests by seeking compensation for the injuries they sustained. This goal has served them and the other attorneys at the firm incredibly well throughout the years and has helped them achieve some outstanding and fulfilling results. Hollis Wright has become one of the leading personal injury firms in the State of Alabama and has already established itself as a key law firm nationally in the area of mass torts. Our attorneys are aggressive, zealous advocates for the clients we represent. We are highly skilled in litigating and trying complex and contentious cases while always maintaining a sense of professionalism, integrity and respect for others. Our attorneys have literally tried or settled hundreds of million-dollar cases. However, our efforts are not only directed at achieving great monetary results for our clients. We understand that when you contact our firm, either you or a loved one has sustained an injury, oftentimes life altering. It is a time such as this that you need an attorney who will demonstrate compassion and take the time to truly understand your situation and the difficult challenges that you face. Our attorneys and staff members are dedicated to helping you through the litigation process and communicating with you about the developments in your case every step of the way.