Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Steven M. Silverberg is a partner in Silverberg Zalantis LLP. He has extensive experience in representing developers and municipalities in land use, zoning and environmental law matters including litigation and appeals in the New York State and Federal Courts. Starting his career as an assistant district attorney and then working as a town attorney, providing counsel in such diverse areas as contracts, construction, telecommunications and employment law, prepared him for the services he continues to provide to businesses, municipalities and individuals. In addition to his experience with the approval process for residential and commercial developments and related litigation, he has negotiated complex development agreements and counseled clients in the financing of commercial projects.

Ryan Blanch is the Founding Partner of The Blanch Law Firm, P.C., a Manhattan-based boutique criminal and business litigation firm. The firm services some of New York's most prominent political figures and business executives and has developed a reputation for exceptional results and unparalleled customer service.

Criminal attorneys at The Blanch Law Firm provide aggressive legal representation for those facing allegations or government investigations for major felonies or white collar crimes.

We apply a truly unique team approach to each and every criminal case, which offers our clients the benefit of five of Manhattan's most experienced and well-regarded criminal defense attorneys.

The Blanch Law Firm's team of commercial litigators represent principles and executives in critical and notorious commercial litigation matters. Our team of commercial litigators (hand-picked from large New York litigation houses) provides early interventioned and seasoned, thorough representation through commercial disputes of any kind.

If you are facing criminal allegations or business litigation, contact The Blanch Law Firm at (646) 350-0390 for a free initial consultation.

We offer representation for those facing government investigations or commercial litigation in the following areas of law:

Mail Fraud
Wire Fraud
Tax Fraud
Securities Crimes
Investment Fraud
Antitrust & Trade Regulation
Contract Disputes
Accounting Fraud
Insurance & Healthcare Fraud
Embezzlement
Money Laundering
Blackmail, Bribery & Extortion
Identity Theft
Computer Crimes
Internet Fraud
RICO/Racketeering
Enterprise Corruption
Organized Crime
Murder
Assault
Kidnapping
Rape
Sexual Assault
Drug Possession & Trafficking
Weapons Possession & Trafficking
DUI/DWI

I wear many hats in the legal industry. As a lawyer, I provide freelance legal research and writing services to other lawyers through Lisa Solomon, Esq. Legal Research and Writing. As a business owner, I am a partner in The Billable Hour Company, which sells humorous gifts and greeting cards for lawyers and legal professionals. And as a consultant, through Legal Research & Writing Pro, I help lawyers improve their legal writing skills, and I also teach other lawyers how to start and run successful practices as freelance (a/k/a contract) attorneys.

Lisa Solomon, Esq. Legal Research and Writing

Comprehensive Legal Research and Writing Services for Attorneys
As you manage every other aspect of your clients' complex matters, you may find that comprehensive, in-depth legal research and concise, well-reasoned legal writing are just too labor intensive to take on yourself.

In some cases, it may simply be a matter of time—you're in the middle of a trial and need case law to support an evidentiary or substantive point; or you have to make or respond to a post-trial motion in a timely manner. In other instances, your decision whether to even take on a case depends on the answers to legal issues you've identified, and you need help finding those answers.

Since 1996, I have focused my practice exclusively on assisting attorneys with all of their legal research and writing needs, including preparing and arguing appeals and drafting substantive motions and trial memoranda. I work in almost every area of law, teaming with my clients to determine the best strategy to apply to the unique facts and legal issues in each case.

A Proactive and Personalized Approach to Legal Analysis
When you are faced with a motion, appeal, or legal research issue, you need to know more than the black letter law—you need to know how that law applies to the unique facts of your case. I never give you a "canned" brief; all of my work is customized, to be of most use to the busy attorneys who use my services.

I also take a proactive approach to identifying legal issues beyond the scope of the original assignment that may be crucial to the ultimate success of the project, helping you to be the most effective advocate for your client.

Learn more at www.QuestionOfLaw.net.


The Billable Hour Company

Looking for that perfect gift or greeting card for a lawyer, paralegal, law student, or other legal professional? The Billable Hour Company sells unique clocks and watches with dials divided into six-minute increments; humorous CDs by and for lawyers; law-related books and games; desk accessories; personal accessories; and Survival Kits—gift baskets containing selections of our most popular products. We also offer gift certificates that never expire.

The Billable Hour Card Store is the world’s only online greeting card store featuring humorous and customizable printed greeting cards especially for lawyers and other legal professionals. The store uses print-on-demand technology that allows customers to send highly personalized cards to their clients, colleagues, prospects and friends.

We offer volume discounts and custom logo clocks and watches. Contact us at 815-346-3468 or info@TheBillableHour.com to discuss how we can assist with your corporate gift program.

The Billable Hour Company is run by practicing lawyers Mark and Lisa Solomon.

Visit us at www.TheBillableHour.com.


Legal Research & Writing Pro

I started Legal Research & Writing Pro to help other lawyers improve their legal writing skills, and to teach lawyers how to start and run successful legal research and writing practices.

Studies and surveys show that career satisfaction among lawyers is at an all-time low. Chief among the reasons for a lack of satisfaction is the inability of many lawyers to achieve a balance between the demands of their careers and their personal lives. I believe your law degree shouldn’t be a trap: it should be a liberating, empowering force.

Technology and the outsourcing revolution have joined forces to make this the best time in history to establish a legal research and writing practice.

I’ve been in the field of outsourced legal research and writing since its infancy. When I started my practice twelve years ago, a lot of lawyers didn’t even use e-mail: I had to drag some of my clients, kicking and screaming, into the internet age. Although I could do legal research online, my dial-up connection was painfully slow. But the most difficult challenge to overcome was lawyers’ unfamiliarity with the idea of outsourcing research and writing work to a contract attorney.

Today, all that has changed. E-mail use is well-nigh universal among lawyers. High-speed internet connections make online legal research a breeze. And, most importantly, lawyers are becoming more comfortable with the idea of using contract attorneys to perform discrete tasks, whether the task is making a court appearance, defending a deposition, or researching and writing a brief.

For years, lawyers across the country have called and e-mailed me asking for advice on how to start and run a legal research and writing practice. I’m pleased that I’ve been able to help so many lawyers get their start in this practice area. But I realized that I could help so many more people in a much more comprehensive way if I compiled everything I have learned over the past twelve years and made it widely available.

I can understand if you’re a little leery: after all, why should I share what I’ve learned with thousands of potential competitors? The answer is simple: I think there is amazing pent-up demand for high-quality outsourced legal research and writing services.

As a solo practitioner, I need only a handful of good clients to support my practice. According to the American Bar Association, as of December 31, 2005, there were over 1.1 million practicing lawyers in the United States. In a 2000 statistical survey, the American Bar Foundation found that 36% of lawyers were solo practitioners and 38% worked in small firms. Small firms and solos are the most likely potential clients for a legal research and writing practitioner. As these lawyers search for their own work/life balance, they’ll be more and more interested in outsourcing their excess workload to specially-trained legal research and writing providers.

At the same time, based on my research, there currently are very few lawyers out there who actively promote themselves as dedicated legal research and writing service providers. In fact, I have located fewer than 100 lawyers in the United States whose web sites indicate that they perform legal research and writing services of any sort on a contract basis. (Of course, it’s likely that many more lawyers take on contract work, including legal research and writing projects, but do not advertise that fact.

All this talk of work/life balance and professional satisfaction might sound very “pie-in-the-sky”—even utopian—to most of us, almost too good to be true. You suspect that this kind of work must pay a pittance. But you really can have it all: a challenging career, the flexibility to enjoy personal and family time and a comfortable living.

To find out more about how LRWP can help you achieve the professional satisfaction you're looking for, visit our products page. There, you'll find more information about my new book, Contract Lawyering Success; our monthly group coaching calls; our library of recorded teleseminars and expert interviews; and personal, one-on-one private coaching sessions. These resources—in various combinations—are the keystones of our Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum Plus Memberships.

Visit us at www.LegalResearchandWritingPro.com

Land Use and Zoning, Environmental and Municipal Law
Real Estate Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Civil Rights (Property Rights) Litigation

Bruce Barket is well known for successfully handling high-profile cases and for his many trial victories. When the stakes are high, he has been the trial lawyer of choice. He has been frequently covered by the national media, including CNN, USA Today, Court TV, Fox News, The New York Times, and PBS’ Frontline.

Mr. Barket has won numerous acquittals in high-profile cases involving such crimes as securities / mail fraud, murder, and racketeering. Through grit, tenacity, and the use of his courtroom skills, he has put together an impressive string of both criminal and civil trial victories that span more than two decades.

He is also known for obtaining uncanny results in the appellate and post-judgment process for clients previously convicted. Based upon his energetic and highly skilled re-investigation of these “cold cases”, he has won motions and hearings resulting in the overturning of criminal convictions where prior attorneys had failed and the clients were serving a prison sentence.

Mr. Barket is a sought-after lecturer at Continuing Legal Education seminars where he teaches various aspects of trial practice and criminal defense to other lawyers. He has spoken at bar associations and law schools on such topics as delivering effective summations, the art of cross examining government witnesses, cross examining law enforcement agents, and confronting and defeating eye witness testimony. He is also well known for his work and lectures regarding how to attack confessions taken by law enforcement personnel.

The New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers bestowed upon him the prestigious Gideon Award in 2003 and 2008 for his outstanding work on behalf of his clients. He was also named Practitioner of the Year in 2005 by the Nassau County Criminal Courts Bar Association.

Mr. Barket was an Assistant District Attorney in Nassau County from 1986 to 1991 and has been in private practice for nearly 20 years. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers from 1999 to 2008 and remains an active member of the Association. He is also a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Mr. Barket served as President of the Nassau County Legal Aid Society from 2005 to 2006 and has been a member of its Board of Directors from 2000 to the present. He also served as President of the Nassau County Criminal Courts Bar Association from 2002 to 2003.

He now serves as the leader of the White Collar / Criminal Defense & Investigations Group at Quadrino Schwartz and is a leader in the firm’s Trial Practice Group. He represents individuals and businesses facing allegations involving all types of federal and state offenses.

Mr. Willstatter is a criminal defense lawyer. He represents people in the New York state and federal courts. He has been a criminal defense attorney for nearly thirty years and has been in private practice since 1989. He serves as Vice President of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. As a partner at the Law Office of Green & Willstatter in White Plains, New York, he handles criminal cases in the Westchester County courts and those of the surrounding counties, including New York City. He also represents people who are accused of offenses in the United States District Courts. In addition, Mr. Willstatter has argued many cases in the appellate courts of New York and in the Second Cicruit Court of Appeals.

Patrick W. Begos is a founding member of the firm and senior partner in the Westport office. He heads the firm's trial and appellate group. Pat brings 19 years of litigation, arbitration, mediation and negotiation experience to the firm.

Prior to forming Begos Horgan & Brown, Patrick was a partner in the New York City litigation firm Molton & Meekins (1995-1998), and he was previously associated with Weil, Gotshal & Manges (1990-1995); and Lane & Mittendorf (1988-1990).

He is a current member of the Trial Tactics and the Life, Health and Disability Sections of the Defense Research Institute, and a member of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association. He is also a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution and Trial Evidence subcommittees of the American Bar Association. He is a past member of the Committee on Art Law of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and he is admitted to the bar in New York and Connecticut.

Patrick received his legal education from Columbia University School of Law (J.D) and did his undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University (BA with honors).

Pat works primarily on cases involving business and personal disputes in a wide variety of commercial areas including:
- ERISA benefits
- insurance coverage
- securities transactions
- real estate development and property management
- employment
- copyright and trademark
- internet commerce
- secured lending
- fine art acquisitions and sales
- products liability
- real estate transactions
- bankruptcy
- corporate governance

His day-to-day practice includes:
- Defending ERISA claim administrators and disability insurers at trial and in appellate courts
- Pursuing lender liability and predatory lending claims on behalf of borrowers
- Representing real estate owners, buyers and sellers in disputes over sales, construction and land use
- Assisting business owners in solving problems with partners, shareholders, creditors and suppliers

David S. Rich is the founding member of the Law Offices of David S. Rich, LLC. Mr. Rich litigates civil, commercial, employment, and securities matters in federal and state courts in New York and New Jersey, and arbitrates such matters before FINRA and other arbitral bodies. Mr. Rich also litigates appeals.

Mr. Rich has represented clients in, among other civil and commercial matters, breach of contract actions, business torts cases, bankruptcy and adversary proceedings, civil racketeering actions, oppressed minority shareholder disputes, product liability litigation, franchisor-franchisee litigation, qui tam actions, divorce actions and post-divorce judgment proceedings.

Mr. Rich has represented clients in, among other among other labor, employment, and employee benefits matters, breach of employment contract actions, employment discrimination cases, retaliatory discharge actions, sexual harassment cases, actions for breach of non-competition or non-solicitation agreements, ERISA actions to recover pension or health benefits, and employee benefit funds' actions to recover withdrawal liability payments and delinquent ERISA contributions.

Mr. Rich has represented clients in, among other securities matters, securities fraud cases, breach of fiduciary duty actions, actions for breach of investment management contracts, and arbitration proceedings to recover unpaid bonuses.

Before founding Law Offices of David S. Rich, LLC, Mr. Rich was a partner of a boutique litigation firm in New York City. Mr. Rich has also served as an associate of two prominent, mid-sized law firms in New York City and New Jersey, respectively. Mr. Rich has litigated many noteworthy cases, such as JLM Chems., Inc. v. Summit Resource Group, Inc., No. 08-CV-10296, 2009 WL 1108662 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 24, 2009); Barron Partners, LP v. Lab123, Inc., No. 07-CV-11135, 2009 WL 129043 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 20, 2009); Barron Partners, LP v. Lab123, Inc., No. 07-CV-11135, 2008 WL 2902187 (S.D.N.Y. July 25, 2008); Pastore v. Witco Corporation Severance Plan, 196 Fed.Appx. 18, 2006 WL 2335161 (2d Cir. 2006); and Donohue v. Teamsters Local 282 Welfare, Pension, Annuity, Job Training & Vacation & Sick Leave Trust Funds, 12 F. Supp.2d 273 (E.D.N.Y. 1998).

Mr. Rich earned his Juris Doctor Degree from the Columbia University School of Law. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors in English from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar. Mr. Rich is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia, and in the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and for the District of New Jersey. He is a member of the New York City Bar Association.

Michael Pollok is an experienced criminal defense attorney who focuses his practice on criminal matters in federal and state courts, as well as regulatory investigations and hearings. Mr. Pollok understands that, whether a matter involves a complex white-collar investigation or a misdemeanor or domestic dispute, a client involved in criminal or regulatory proceedings deserves sensitive, effective counsel with the experience and judgment to handle all aspects of the judicial process.

The Law Offices of Ronny Buni offers boutique services to a select clientele. We formulate unique, tough-minded and practical tax and business solutions. Our work is grounded in a detailed understanding of the facts, thorough legal research, and a critical analysis of the law as it applies to our client's specific facts.

Our practice is based on years of experience in tax and business law. In every case we work on, we formulate a methodical approach calculated to deliver the result our client needs. We expect difficulties and know how to work through them. We emphasize tenacity and vision in everything we do.

Whether you're an individual or a business, you need an attorney who understands your needs in the full context of your facts and circumstances. You need an attorney who informs himself of the law. You need someone who is responsive and who gets results.