MEMBERS OF FIRM
Stanley J. Levy (Member) born Brooklyn, New York, January 22, 1935; admitted to bar, 1959, New York; 1961, U.S. District Courts, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit; 1969, U.S. Court of Appeals, First, Third, Fourth and Fifth Circuits; 1970, U.S. Supreme Court; 1984, U.S. District Court, District of Maryland. Education: Harvard University (B.A., 1956); Columbia University (J.D., 1959). Author: "Scientific Development and Judicial Change," Environmental Law Symposium, 1982; "Radiation LitigationAn Emerging Tort Field," Trial Lawyers Guide, Vol. 25, No. 4, 1982; "Handling Chemical and Toxic Tort Cases," Personal Injury Annual, 1981. Southern District of New York Member, U.S. District Court, Civil Justice Reform Committee, 1996-1998; Member, Joint Southern and Eastern District of New York, Local Rules Revision Committee, (1996-2003). Chairman, Claimants Committee, Manville Bankruptcy, 1984-1988; Keene Bankruptcy, 1993-1996. Member, Legal Panel, Center for Public Resources, 1983. Member, National Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association. Assistant Attorney General, New York State, 1959-1962. Member: The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Member: Products Liability Committee, 2003; Environmental Law Committee, 1984-1987; Toxic Litigation Committee, 1991-1995); New York State and American (Vice Chairman: Aviation and Space Law Committee, 1973-1983; Toxic Tort Committee, TIPS, 1988-1995) Bar Associations; Association of Trial Lawyers of America. (Also at Lawrenceville, New Jersey Office). Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation; Toxic Torts; Products Liability; Personal Injury; Business Torts.Email: Stanley J. Levy
Steven J. Phillips (Member) born New York, N.Y., June 26, 1947; admitted to bar, 1971, New York; 1972, U.S. District Courts, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit; 1975, U.S. Supreme Court; 1980, U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit; 1983, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; 1984, New Jersey, U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit and U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey. Education: Williams College (B.A., 1968); Columbia University (J.D., 1971). Member: The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Member, Committee on Law and Medicine); American Bar Association (Vice Chairman, Committee on Toxic Substances, 1983-1984; Tort and Insurance Practice Section); New York Trial Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; New York District Attorneys Association. (Also at Lawrenceville, New Jersey Office). Practice Areas: Toxic Substances Law; Environmental Law; Medical Law; Professional Malpractice; Appellate Practice; Products Liability Law.Email: Steven J. Phillips
Alan J. Konigsberg (Member) born New York, N.Y., June 11, 1942; admitted to bar, 1967, New York; 1971, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. District Court, Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second, Fourth Fifth and Sixth Circuits. Education: New York University (B.A., 1965); St. John's University (J.D., 1967). Member: New York State (Chairman, Aviation Law Section, 1979-1986; Member, Trial Lawyers Section) and American Bar Associations; New York State Trial Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; World Jurist Association (Member, Planning and Goals Committee); Union Internationale des Avocats. (Also at Lawrenceville, New Jersey Office). Practice Areas: Aviation Law; Products Liability Law; Lead Poisoning; Medical Malpractice; Qui Tam Litigation.Email: Alan J. Konigsberg
Robert I. Komitor (Member) born New York, N.Y., April 28, 1954; admitted to bar, 1981, New York and U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; 1983, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Education: State University of New York at Stony Brook (B.S., 1976; M.S., 1979); Hofstra University (J.D., 1980). Notes and Comments Editor, Hofstra Law Review, 1979-1980. Author: "Construction Contracts: Are Indemnification Clauses Still Enforceable?" New York State Bar Journal, Vol 61, No. 6, October, 1989; "Fewer Foreign Forums for New York Toxic Tort Victims," New York State Bar Journal, Vol. 59, No. 2, February, 1987; "Stemming the Tide of Offshore Oil Development Through Preliminary Injunctive Relief: The Key to Effective Legal Challenges," 7 Hofstra Law Review 499, 1979. Chairman, Town of Mamaroneck Conservation Advisory Commission, 1986-1988. Chairman, Claimants Committee, GI Holdings/Bankruptcy, 2001. Member: The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Member, Products Liability Committee, 1992-1995); New York State Bar Association (Co-Chairman, Environmental Law, Civil Litigation Committee, 1986-1988); The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Officer, Section on Toxic, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Torts, 2000); New York Association of Trial Lawyers. (Also at Lawrenceville, New Jersey Office). Practice Areas: Asbestos Law; Toxic Substances Litigation; Products Liability Law; Negligence Law.Email: Robert I. Komitor
Diane Paolicelli (Member) born New York, N.Y., July 5, 1956; admitted to bar, 1982, New York; 1984, New Jersey. Education: New York University (B.A., 1978; J.D., cum laude, 1981). Phi Beta Kappa; Order of the Coif. Member, New York University Law Review, 1979-1980. Member: The Association of the Bar of the City of New York; American Bar Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; National Employment Lawyers Association. (Also at Lawrenceville, New Jersey Office). Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Employment Discrimination Law; Negligence Law; Toxic Substances; Products Liability Law.Email: Diane Paolicelli
Moshe Maimon (Member) born Seattle, Washington, September 15, 1961; admitted to bar, 1987, New York and U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; 1986, New Jersey and U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey; 1988, Washington and U.S. District Court, District of Washington; 1992, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit; 1999, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of Washington; Bernard Baruch College (B.B.A., 1983); Brooklyn Law School (J.D., 1986). Member: New Jersey State, New York State, Washington State and American Bar Associations; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. (Also at Lawrenceville, New Jersey Office). Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation; Products Liability Law; Toxic Substances Law; Negligence Law.Email: Moshe Maimon
Jerome H. Block (Member) born St. Louis, Missouri, May 19, 1972; admitted to bar, 1997, Missouri; 2001, New York; U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Education: Indiana University (B.A., 1994); Emory University School of Law (J.D., 1997). Order of the Coif. Notes and Comments Editor, Emory Law Journal, 1998-1999. Listed, Woodward/White Publication of Best Lawyers in America, Mass Torts Area, 2006 and 2007. Invited Speaker, LexisNexis Mealey's Publication, Asbestos Litigation 101, Trial Tactics, 2005. Law Clerk to the Honorable Jean C. Hamilton, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, 1997-1999. Faculty Member, Emory University School of Law Kessler-Eidson Trial Techniques Program, 2007. Member: New York State Trial Lawyers Association; American Association of Justice. Practice Areas: Mass Torts; Products Liability; Asbestos Litigation; Tobacco Litigation; Toxic Torts; Pharmaceutical Liability; Class Actions; Personal Injury.Email: Jerome H. Block
COUNSEL
Audrey Perlman Raphael (Counsel) born Brooklyn, New York, November 6, 1960; admitted to bar, 1990, New York and Connecticut; 1991, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit and U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Education: State University of New York at Buffalo (B.A., 1982); New York University (M.A., 1984); Fordham Law School (J.D., 1989). Phi Beta Kappa. Member, Fordham University School of Law Urban Law Journal. Practice Areas: Asbestos Law; Negligence Law; Toxic Torts Law; Products Liability Law.Email: Audrey Perlman Raphael
Philip Monier, III (Counsel) born Brooklyn, New York, September 16, 1966; admitted to bar, 1991, New Jersey; 1992, New York; 1993, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and District of New Jersey. Education: St. John's University (B.S., 1988; J.D., cum laude, 1991). Member, St. John's Law Review, 1990-1991. Member: Richmond County Bar Association; New York State Trial Lawyers Association. (Also at Lawrenceville, New Jersey Office). Practice Areas: Toxic Substances; Products Liability; Negligence Litigation; Insurance Litigation; Appellate Practice.Email: Philip Monier, III
ASSOCIATES
Salvatore V. Azzoline (Associate) born Hoboken, New Jersey, July 30, 1966; admitted to bar, 1994, New Jersey and U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey; 1995, New York. Education: William Patterson College of New Jersey (B.A., 1989); Brooklyn Law School (J.D., 1994). Assistant District Attorney, Bronx County, New York, 1994-2001. Member, Bronx County Bar Association, 1995-1998; New York State Bar Association, 1995-1997; New Jersey Bar Association, 1995-1997: American Bar Association, 1995-1997. (Also at Lawrenceville, New Jersey Office). Practice Areas: Toxic Substances; Products Liability; Personal Injury; Negligence; Trial Practice.Email: Salvatore V. Azzoline
Erica V. Cesaro (Associate) born Englewood, New Jersey, March 14, 1980; admitted to bar, 2005, New Jersey and U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey; 2006, New York. Education: George Washington University (B.A., 2002); New York Law School (J.D., 2005). Formerly with Law Offices of Robert J. McGuirl. Member: Bergen County and New York City Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Personal Injury - Asbestos(95%); Personal Injury - General(5%).Email: Erica V. Cesaro
Roxanne De Francesco (Associate) born Elizabeth, New Jersey, March 14, 1977; admitted to bar, 2003, New Jersey; 2004, New York; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York; U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey. Education: George Washington University (B.A., 1999); Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (J.D., 2002). Law Clerk, Hon. Ross R. Anzaldi, Civil Division, Superior Court of New Jersey, 2002-2003. Articles Editor, Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law. Member: Association of the Bar of the City of New York; New York Democratic Lawyers Council; American Association for Justice. Practice Areas: Mass Torts; Employment Law; Commercial Litigation; Negligence Law.Email: Roxanne De Francesco
Nathaniel N. Falda (Associate) born Brooklyn, New York, September 23, 1976; admitted to bar, 2002, New Jersey, New York and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York. Education: Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (B.A., 1998); Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (J.D., 2001). Formerly with: Napoli Bern Ripka, LLP; Martin Clearwater & Bell, LLP. Member: American Bar Association. Languages: Hebrew. Practice Areas: Litigation; Toxic Torts; Products Liability.Email: Nathaniel N. Falda
Danielle George (Associate) born Brooklyn, New York, February 3, 1967; admitted to bar, 1992, New Jersey and U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey; 1993, New York and U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Education: New York University (B.A., 1989); New York Law School (J.D., 1992). Adjunct Professor, New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies, 2002. Member, Richmond County Bar Association, 1993-1997. Member: New York State Bar Association; New York State Trial Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Reported Cases: Cosgriff v. Manshul Construction Corp., 657 NY S2d 999; Djumich v. New York State Freshwater Wetlands Appeals Bd., 659 N.Y.S.2d 310; Abadinsky v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., 672 NY S2d 424; Daniels v. Standard Marine Transport Service, 680 NY S2d 41; Daniels v. Standard Marine Transport Services, Inc., 680 N.Y.S.2d 41; Hutchinson v. United States of America, 2006 WL 11154822 (E.D.N.Y.). Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Negligence; Products Liability; Litigation.Email: Danielle George
Amber R. Long (Associate) born Worthington, Minnesota, May 30, 1980; admitted to bar, 2005, New Jersey. (Not admitted in New York). Education: Cornell University (B.A., 2002); Brooklyn Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 2005). Dean's List. Member, Student Bar Association. Member: American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Toxic Torts; Products Liability.Email: Amber R. Long
Nancy A. Perry (Associate) born Derry, New Hampshire, June 9, 1960; admitted to bar, 1994, New Jersey; 1995, New York, U.S. District Court, Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of New York and District of New Jersey. Education: Colby College (B.A., 1982); Rutgers School of Law (J.D., with honors, 1994). Law Clerk to: Hon. Sylvia B. Pressler, Appellate Division Superior Court of New Jersey, 1994-1995. Member: The Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Practice Areas: Toxic Substances; Products Liability; Negligence.Email: Nancy A. Perry
Holly C. Peterson (Associate) born Galveston, Texas, September 7, 1970; admitted to bar, 2004, New Jersey, New York and Texas; 2005, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey; 2006, U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit. Education: Southern Methodist University (B.A., 1993); Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., 2003). Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International, 2000. Justice, Phi Alpha Delta, William Paterson Chapter, 2001-2003. Justice, Phi Alpha Delta, New Jersey Statewide Alumni, 2005-2006. Assistant District Justice, Phi Alpha Delta District XXII, 2003-2005. Alumni Advisory Committee, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International, 2004. Recipient: National Association of Women Lawyers' Outstanding Law Student Award, 2003; Mary Franzese Humanitarian Achievement Award, 2003. Centennial Scholar, 2000-2003. Honor Council, Seton Hall University School of Law, 2002-2003. Member: Hudson County, Essex County, Bergen County, New Jersey State, New York State (Member: Trial Lawyers, Torts, Insurance & Compensation Law, Labor and Employment, 2004) and American Bar Associations; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; National Association of Women Lawyers; New York State Trial Lawyers Association; The Association of the Bar of the City of New York; Women's Bar Association of the State of New York; New York County Lawyers' Association. Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation; Products Liability Litigation; Personal Injury; Toxic Substances; Negligence Law; Employment Law.Email: Holly C. Peterson
G. Russell Ragland (Associate) admitted to bar, 1994, Texas; 2002, New York; 2005, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Education: University of Richmond (B.A., 1990); Southern Methodist University (J.D., 1993). Formerly with Morell, Ratnel, Neitz and Luxenberg. Member, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 2005. Practice Areas: Personal Injury(50%); Toxic Torts(50%).Email: G. Russell Ragland
Melissa L. Stewart (Associate) born Texas, 1968; admitted to bar, 2004, New York. Education: University of Texas (B.A., 1991; M.S., 1998); Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (J.D., 2002). Executive Editor, Cardozo Journal of International Law, 2001-2002. Outstanding Graduate, National Association of Women Lawyers, 2002. Formerly with: Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman, LLP; Seager Weiss LLP. Member: American Bar Association; New York State Trial Lawyers Association; American Association for Justice. Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Consumer Fraud Litigation; Toxic Tort Litigation.Email: Melissa L. Stewart
Carmen V. St. George (Associate) born New York, New York, June 16, 1972; admitted to bar, 1998, New York; 1999, New Jersey; 2002, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Education: St. John's University (B.S., 1993); Fordham University Law School (J.D., 1997). Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. Dean's List, Fordham Law School and St. John's University. St. John's National Criminal Justice Honor Society. Queen County District Attorney's Office, 1997-2003. Member: Nassau County Bar Association. Languages: Spanish and Greek. Practice Areas: Torts; Asbestos Litigation; Negligence; Personal Injury; Employment Discrimination.Email: Carmen V. St. George
Patrick J. Timmins (Associate) born New York, New York, August 1, 1955; admitted to bar, 1992, New York, New Jersey and U.S. District Court, Northern District of New Jersey; 1993, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Education: Manhattan College (B.S., 1977); Pace University (J.D., 1989). Adjunct Professor of Law, John Jay College, City University of New York, 2004. Bronx District Attorney, Assistant District Attorney, Felony Bureau, 1996-1999. Member: New York County Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Products Liability; Personal Injury.Email: Patrick J. Timmins
Brendan J. Tully (Associate) admitted to bar, 2006, New York and U.S. District Court, Northern and Eastern Districts of New York. Education: Fordham University (B.A., 2002); Albany Law School (J.D., 2005). Formerly with O'Connell & Aronowitz. Practice Areas: Litigation.
Theresa A. Vitello (Associate) born Brooklyn, New York, March 18, 1977; admitted to bar, 2002, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania; 2005, New York. Education: Fairfield University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1999); Villanova University School of Law (J.D., 2002). Phi Beta Kappa. Executive Board Member, Moot Court. Member: Pennsylvania, New York State and American Bar Associations. Languages: Italian. Practice Areas: Qui Tam Litigation; Whistleblower Litigation; Employment; Consumer Fraud; Class Action.Email: Theresa A. Vitello
Daniel J. Woodard (Associate) born Manhasset, New York, January 31, 1974; admitted to bar, 2000, New York; 2001, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. Education: State University of New York at Binghamton (B.A., 1996); Brooklyn Law School (J.D., 1999). Reported Cases: Reitman v. St. Francis Hospital 2 AD 3rd 429; Putter v. North Shore University Hospital 1807 NYS 2d Ed 4. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Premises Liability; Lead Poisoning; Products Liability; Torts.Email: Daniel J. Woodard
Sharon J. Zinns (Associate) born New York, September 2, 1980; admitted to bar, 2005, California; 2007, District of Columbia and Georgia. (Not admitted in New York). Education: Emory University (B.A., 2002); Emory University School of Law (J.D., 2005). Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation; Personal Injury; Toxic Torts; Products Liability.Email: Sharon J. Zinns