Immigration

Attorney Chalcia Rainford is a native of Jamaica, West Indies, who has practiced law since 1994. Mrs. Rainford earned her J.D. from John Marshall Law School of Atlanta, Georgia. She also studied in London, England at the Lay Cox College and is a professional registered nurse. Her success does not stop there; Attorney Rainford owns Eccentral, Inc., which is a professional nursing employment agency. She is known for being very intellectual and detail oriented.

Leno P. Thomas, is an attorney with an uncommon breadth of skills and experience that go well beyond his practice of law. Mr. Thomas was born in Ranni, Kerala, India, and speaks and understands Malayalam and English. Mr. Thomas graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in 1992 then received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1996. Mr. Thomas graduated with honors and received his Juris Doctor Cum Laude degree from Michigan State University in 2002. Mr. Thomas' practice is focused on personal injury cases, including medical malpractice, product liability, premises liability, auto accidents, and wrongful death. Mr. Thomas also handles a significant amount of criminal and family law cases. Mr. Thomas has tried and arbitrated hundreds of cases to successful verdicts and awards. Mr. Thomas has also negotiated and settled countless claims procuring millions of dollars in settlements for his clients. Mr. Thomas is licensed to practice law in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as Michigan. Mr. Thomas is an active member of the American Association for Justice, the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Thomas is also a member of Michigan Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. When someone has an accident or unfortunate occurrence, Mr. Thomas and his staff are prepared to investigate every aspect of the situation in order to discover not only what happened, but why. Using cutting edge technology, Mr. Thomas evaluates every option until he makes a determination as to who was responsible. Mr. Thomas is an aggressive litigator, as well as a skilled negotiator. Mr. Thomas is well known for employing innovative strategies and ground breaking courtroom techniques. He regularly consults with leading experts so that he can provide his clients with the most effective and efficient representation. Please allow Mr. Thomas and his staff to evaluate your case and get you the proper compensation that you deserve. As always, the initial consultation is free and there is never a fee unless Mr. Thomas recovers money for you.

Elaine Wilson is a practicing lawyer in the state of North Carolina.

With more than 30 years of litigation and appellate experience as both a former New York City homicide prosecutor and defense attorney, Mr. Gonzalez has served as lead counsel on more than two hundred trials on charges ranging from murder, manslaughter, vehicular homicides, armed robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, drug distribution, rape, child molestation, child pornography, rape and aggravated sexual offenses, grand larceny, embezzlement, and fraud. Mr. Gonzalez is also an accomplished civil litigator having appeared in State and Federal courts throughout New York State.

Eric L. Siegel has over 30 years of experience dedicating his practice to the litigation and resolution of business, employment, civil rights, disability rights and whistleblower disputes. Eric has tried jury and bench cases in both state and federal courts in numerous jurisdictions, including but not limited to the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, and Mississippi. He formerly served as a trial attorney in the Employment Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division where he enforced Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In addition, he spent the last decade working part-time in the real estate industry as an owner and developer, working on acquisition, financing, zoning, affordable housing, property management and leasing issues. Consequently, he understands first-hand the challenges facing owners, landlords and developers and approaches legal problems of real estate clients from a broader, results-driven and cost-effective perspective. He works closely with his clients to identify and fully understand their goals. Thinking strategically and creatively on behalf of clients, he uses all available tools to pursue a successful outcome for his clients. Mr. Siegel has been a frequent lecturer and author on a wide array of topics, including employee work eligibility under immigration laws; compliance with wage and hour laws; emerging sexual harassment law issues; English-only rules; arbitrability of jurisdictional disputes in tri-lateral arbitration, ADA case analyses and articles on mental disability, health insurance, pre-employment inquiries under the ADA, which was published in Disability Discrimination in the Workplace (Clark Boardman Callaghan), and medical examinations and reasonable accommodation under the ADA, and litigation tactics to avoid summary judgment, publishing in several employment-related treatises.

Leonard X. Gillespie is a practicing attorney serving Brooklyn, New York.

Eugene Litman, Esq. established Litman & Litman, P.C. in 1958. Eugene raised his four sons with aspirations that they would join him in the legal profession. He and his sons often discussed legal cases and argued their potential outcome over the dinner table. Eventually, all four of Eugene’s sons took up the legal profession by becoming lawyers. Two of Eugene’s sons, Jeffrey Litman and Kenneth Litman, joined their father’s firm. Today they have nearly 100 years of combined legal experience in personal injury law. Eugene Litman earned his degree from Brooklyn Law School while both Jeffrey Litman and Kenneth Litman earned their J.D. degrees from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. Jeffrey received a B.S. in Management from Boston University while Ken earned his B.S. in Management from Arizona State University. The Litman family has brought justice to thousands of clients by securing hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for them. With degrees in both law and business, they are more than qualified to defend your interests. They will accommodate your schedule with visits to your residence, hospital, or nursing home. They treat clients and their client’s circumstances with sensitivity. They understand that clients are potentially dealing with personal tragedies such as personal injury and wrongful death. The Litman team remains competitive and keeps apprised of the latest legal matters by extensive readings, attending conferences, and constant networking. They have met many leaders in American law, including United States Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Antonin Scalia.

Jason Stern is a top rated New York attorney with a proven track record of success. Featured on Good Morning America, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Fox News, Jason has earned national recognition for his expertise in navigating complex legal challenges. With over 150 five-star reviews from satisfied clients, he’s committed to delivering exceptional results. As an award-winning lawyer based in New York, Jason Stern combines deep legal knowledge with a client-first approach, ensuring your rights are fiercely protected. Contact us today for a lawyer you can trust.

Mr. Bottar is one of upstate New York's most experienced and accomplished trial lawyers, with a track record of extraordinary recoveries for his clients. As the founder and managing member of Bottar Law, PLLC, he brings nearly 45 years of experience to the pursuit of cases involving birth injuries, brain and nerve injuries, amputation, paralysis, and wrongful death due to medical negligence, complex accidents, workplace injuries and defective products. Mr. Bottar has been continuously listed in The Best Lawyers In America® since 2003, and received its 2020 Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year award for Syracuse. Previously, he was recognized three times by Best Lawyers® as Syracuse's Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year (2018, 2014-15, 2009). Mr. Bottar has attained an AV® Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating available for legal ability and professional ethics, is a fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America - Trial Lawyer Honorary Society™, and is a charter member and past-president of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers (2010-2011). In 2001, Mr. Bottar was appointed by the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department to serve as a member of the Character and Fitness Committee for the Fifth Judicial District. The Character and Fitness Committee is responsible for screening and interviewing all Central New York applicants who are seeking admission to the Bar. In 2018, Mr. Bottar was appointed by the Presiding Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department to serve as a member of the Grievance Committee of the Fifth Judicial District. In 2021, Mr. Bottar was appointed Chair of the Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee is responsible for the investigation, review and prosecution of complaints of attorney misconduct in Onondaga, Oneida, Oswego, Herkimer, Jefferson and Lewis Counties. Mr. Bottar has been listed in Upstate New York Super Lawyers® for plaintiff's medical malpractice and personal injury since the inaugural edition in 2007, and was named to its "Top 50" list for 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Since 2011, he has been recognized annually by The National Trial Lawyers as one of the "Top 100" trial lawyers in New York State. He has also been honored by Lawdragon as one of the top 3,000 attorneys in the United States, and has earned life memberships in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum® and the Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum®. Mr. Bottar regularly speaks or guest lectures at legal and non-legal functions, including ethics, tort and practice management classes at Syracuse University College of Law, and at annual updates on behalf of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is a past member of the Dean's Advisory Council at the University at Buffalo School of Law, a has been elected a Fellow of the New York Bar Foundation. Mr. Bottar has a long record of public service and is deeply invested in New York State's education system. He served as a Trustee of the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education from 1988 through 1989, and as the President of the Board from 1989 through 1996. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Onondaga Madison School Boards Association from 1994 through 1996. In 1996, 2001, 2006 and again in 2011, the New York State Legislature elected Mr. Bottar to serve as a Regent of the University of the State of New York, the most comprehensive and unified education system in the nation. Over his tenure as a Regent, Mr. Bottar was Chair of the College and Career Preparation Work Group, Chair of the P-12 Education Committee, and was a member of the Higher Education and Professional Practice Committees. He was also Vice Chancellor of the Board from 2012-2016. In 2016, after 20 years and more than 10,000 hours of pro bono service to the State of New York, Mr. Bottar retired from the Board. Mr. Bottar resides in Manlius, New York, with his wife, Nancy, a registered nurse.