Hello, and welcome to my Injury Board page. As a lawyer with
over twenty years of experience, I am proud to be a member of a group of
lawyers who are so qualified and take what they do so seriously. I believe in
taking a personal, dedicated approach to trial law, and so does Injury Board,
which I like.
I grew up in Rochelle, New York, and went to college at
Loyola University. By the time I earned my bachelor’s degree I was confident
that I wanted to go to law school, and so I immediately enrolled in Tulane Law
School, where I graduated from in 1985. I practiced law for a few years in New
Orleans, before moving to Florida, where I’ve practiced ever since.
I have wanted to be a trial lawyer ever since I decided to
practice law. As a boy I really didn’t understand what other types of lawyers
there were and once I learned about the different aspects of the law it was
clear that being a courtroom lawyer or trial lawyer was the only thing for me.
Even though I’ve always wanted to be a trial lawyer, I didn’t
always work for the side that I work for now. My first job out of law school
actually involved representing insurance companies and I found that to be very
frustrating and unrewarding, not only in terms of the work but also in terms of
how cold and callous the insurance companies were.
Not only was it very rewarding to switch “sides” of the law,
and start representing the average person who needed defense against the insurance
companies, but I also found that I had a great advantage as a personal injury
lawyer, since I knew how the insurance companies operated.
For me, the best part of practicing law is being in the
courtroom, and learning many new things in a wide range of subjects, depending
on what case I am working on. I also find great satisfaction in helping people who
are in difficult situation.
Last but not least, winning the case has always been very
important to me, since I do not like to let myself get walked all over by the
insurance companies. I believe that what I have tried to do the most was to
always provide clients with the best possible representation and always be
willing to try their cases.
I take my role as a trial lawyer very seriously, since my
profession plays an integral role in protecting our society. Many people think
that our government, or the “powers at be” in a corporation, will work to protect
them from the dangers that exist in the workplace, or will make sure that certain
products or medicines are safe to use or consume. Not only is that not true,
but in my opinion, the very people in the government who are charged with the
responsibility to protect citizen’s rights are the ones who most often let the
public down.
I have found the same to be true in the practice of
medicine. While doctors certainly
mean well, there is clearly a culture among them that when an error is
committed, everyone involved should cover it up. Furthermore, the medical profession is extremely active in
the legislature and many of the laws at least here in Florida are specifically
designed to limit the rights of those who are injured by medical professionals
not only in terms of their ability to sue in the first place but also as to the
amount they may recover.
That is why I feel so strongly about advocating for the
public, since the people we often trust the most are the people in a position
to break the law and hurt us. It is the responsibility of people who know the
law to stand up for those who would never think to defend themselves.
Therefore, no matter how many people make fun of my profession, or think that
we trial lawyers are only in this for the money, I am devoted to making this
world safer for each and every one of us.