Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

As a former Assistant District Attorney in Westchester County, Andrew gained valuable experience while handling countless felony and misdemeanor cases. While an Assistant District Attorney he prosecuted a variety of criminal cases including murder, drug sale & possession, assault, DWI, theft and many others. Also, while a prosecutor he coordinated various investigations with state and local law enforcement, developing relationships he still maintains today.

Now as a criminal defense attorney Andrew has defended all types of criminal investigations and offenses including complex white collar crimes, million dollar thefts, grand and petit larcenies, assault, drug offenses, sex offenses, DWI/DUI, gun possession charges, or many other criminal actions. Andrew’s approach is aggressive and he skillfully defends those in New York State and Federal Court.

Andrew has a full understanding of various court programs such as TASC, Willard drug treatment, the WAVE Program and other programs related to violence and/or drug and alcohol use.

Andrew has represented various professional clients such as school principles, teachers, law enforcement officers, executives, recording producers, business owners, stock brokers and others with various employment or licenses that may be threatened by a criminal arrest or conviction.

In addition to criminal defense Andrew represents various clients in matrimonial and family law court proceedings. This includes prenuptial agreements, separation agreements and divorce matters both contested and uncontested. In family court Andrew regularly represents clients in matters involving child support, paternity, custody, visitation, orders of protection and relocation proceedings.

Andrew is a graduate from the State University of New York College at Brockport where he graduated with academic honors. He studied both criminal justice and political science obtaining a bachelors degree. Andrew served as vice-president of the student government and had authority of its million dollar budget. He also served at president of the criminal justice student association.

Andrew graduated from Western New England College School of Law, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. His coursework focused on criminal law and family law, he also served on the law school moot court team. As a student he was accepted at the local District Attorneys office to prosecute various criminal offenses, including conducting trials, even before graduation.

Upon graduation Andrew served as an Assistant District Attorney in Westchester County first in the motions and appeals bureau and then serving in the local criminal courts including the towns of Bedford, Briarcliff, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Ossining, Pleasantville, Pound Ridge, Somers, Harrison, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Port Chester, Rye, Scarsdale, Yonkers, White Plains, North Castle, Peekskill, Yorktown, New Rochelle, Eastchester, Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Hastings, Greenburgh, Elmsford, Dobbs Ferry, Mount Vernon and Pelham.

After serving with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Andrew was employed by a Westchester County civil defense firm as a senior Associate. He worked in the Supreme and County Courts of Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Bronx, New York, Queens, Brooklyn, Putnam, Dutchess and Rockland Counties. At the civil defense firm Andrew represented such clients as Allstate insurance company, Chubb, GMAC, Travelers, Putnam Hospital and Turner Construction.

Today, Andrew and his law partners at Riebling, Proto & Sachs, LLP now focus on a variety of legal matters including, criminal defense, family law (custody, support & visitation), divorce actions, traffic tickets, DWI and other general civil litigation.

Andrew is a member of the Westchester County Bar Association, New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and New York State Defender’s Association.

Andrew is admitted to all Courts in New York State as well as the United States Federal District Court for the Southern District.

Andrew is credited with over 30 successful trial verdicts throughout the Courts of New York and continues to successfully represent both his criminal and civil clients.

Harold Dee, a former New York City Traffic Court Judge, officiated at over twenty five thousand (25,000) hearings involving violations of the Vehicle and Traffic Law. Mr. Dee is based in the Hudson Valley in Westchester County, New York. He appears regularly in all Westchester, Rockland, NYC, Putnam, and Dutchess County Courts. The practice is limited to alcohol and operation related issues as well as violations of speeding and other traffic related issues throughout New York's Hudson Valley.

Jared Altman has nearly three decades of experience in the legal field. While still in law school he worked in the District Attorney's Office assisting with the prosecution of matters such as driving while intoxicated or impaired, assault and larceny. He also represented disabled persons seeking Social Security Disability benefits. Upon graduating Hofstra University Law School with distinction in 1981, he entered the litigation field with positions at law firms emphasizing personal injury and commercial litigation. There he was exposed to cases involving automobiles, buses, subways, false arrest, infantâs claims, burns and animal bites, to name a few. He was then recruited by what was then the worldâs oldest and largest insurance company to defend the companyâs insureds in various kinds of lawsuits, from falls and auto accidents through complex elevator and construction accident cases, including appellate work. He also represented the company itself in numerous lawsuits in both State and Federal courts, including the prosecution of subrogation claims, defending arbitrations and in declaratory judgment actions to determine insurance coverage. He rose through the ranks to become the Senior New York City Trial Attorney assigned primarily to the Manhattan Supreme Court.

Mr. Altman was then invited to join the litigation department of one of New Yorkâs preeminent real estate firms, whose practice focused on condominium and cooperative law. Mr. Altman handled complex real estate lawsuits and helped found the firmâs personal injury practice. While there he worked on all kinds of litigation, including personal injury and accident cases, medical malpractice actions, shareholderâs derivative lawsuits, commercial and residential landlord and tenant proceedings, regulatory hearings and more. Mr. Altman also handled residential and commercial real estate closings and such diverse matters as commercial leasing and tax certiorari (fighting real estate tax increases for apartment buildings and complexes). Mr. Altman even got involved in legal matters in such far flung places as England, Puerto Rico, California, Virginia and Florida. Mr. Altman further assisted one of the senior partners, a renowned criminal defense attorney, with the defense of various criminal prosecutions such as rape, conspiracy and grand larceny. He also handled estate planning and administration. He ultimately ascended to lead the litigation department as Senior Litigation Partner.

In 1996, Mr. Altman began relocating his practice to the greater Hudson Valley while remaining active in New York City. By 1999, Mr. Altman had moved his office to Peekskill and had shifted his practice from primarily New York City centered to focus more on Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland and Orange Counties, although he still handles matters in all five boroughs of New York City and in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Mr. Altman also has colleagues that handle out-of-state matters for him in places such as Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, California and Puerto Rico.

Mr. Altman's practice is now quite diverse and draws upon the wide expanse of experience he has gained over the years. He handles all kinds of personal injury cases, such as auto accidents and falls, medical and other professional malpractice, wrongful death, all kinds of real estate deals and real estate litigation such as closings and landlord and tenant proceedings, criminal law, including DWI, and wills, trusts and estates. Mr. Altman also qualified to and serves on the panel of criminal defense attorneys available for assignment to defendants who cannot afford their own attorney.

Mr. Altman is a broadly and thoroughly seasoned attorney who brings vast experience to bear in all matters he handles. His personal touch is on every file in the office. Mr. Altman takes pride in keeping his clients fully informed about the status of their matters and strives to educate them so that they can make informed decisions about the strategies to be employed and the merits and pitfalls of all possible resolutions. One hundred percent of clients surveyed have indicated that they would use him again and that they would recommend Mr. Altman to others. That is the kind of attorney that you want on your side.

Best of all, Mr. Altman offers free telephone consultations in any matter an there is no attorney fee unless and until there is a recovery in personal injury, accident, medical malpractice and wrongful death claims.

So please call right away for your free consultation!

Most people never imagine that they will be arrested and charged with a crime and assume that anyone who is arrested must be a criminal. The truth is that anyone can be arrested. A mistaken identification, a misunderstanding or dispute with the police or another party, even simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time can lead to being taken into custody by the police and charged with an offense. Being arrested can be one of the scariest moments in anyone's life. Suddenly your liberty is taken away and you may face the prospect of months or years of incarceration. The whole criminal adjudication process is both intimidating and confusing.

Dealing with the power of the State to arrest and prosecute you isn't something that anyone should try to deal with on their own. More important than any other factor, who you retain as a lawyer to defend you can determine how likely you are to have your case fairly and completely adjudicated. Fortunately, in the United States and particularly in New York State, the law provides you with a broad range of rights and protections that are designed to assure that the State does not abuse its tremendous police powers. Asserting and protecting all of these rights is the job of your attorney (for more information on your rights click here). Choosing an attorney who will aggressively assert your rights, listen to you and make sure that all the facts associated with the case are investigated is critical to minimizing the risk you will be convicted of an offense.

Glenn Magnell is available to provide energetic, knowledgeable and professional legal representation regarding arrests or tickets related to speeding and traffic violations, DWI, or misdemeanors and felonies throughout the mid-Hudson Valley area, including Orange County, Ulster County, Putnam County, Dutchess County, Sullivan County and Rockland County. .

Criminal defense lawyer Michael S. Pollok is an AV Peer Reviewed rated attorney who focuses his practice exclusively on criminal law in New York's local, state and federal courts. He has many years of expertise defending all types of criminal charges including DUI and is effective at handling plea negotiations, advanced motion practice, bail hearings, criminal trials, appeals, vacating warrants, post-conviction motions (including habeas corpus and other writs and petitions), regulatory investigations, post-conviction licensing hearings, applying for certificates of relief from civil disability and for good conduct, commutation or expungement proceedings, and mitigating other consequences resulting from a criminal conviction including minimizing the likelihood of deportation of permanent resident aliens and visa holders. Michael interned for two New York State Supreme Court justices and wrote 100% successful briefs for the Appeals Bureaus at the New York County District Attorney’s Office and The Kings County District Attorney’s Office. Michael was then an associate at Barrett, Gravante, Carpinello & Stern, LLP (now merged with Boies, Schiller and Flexner, LLP) in Manhattan, where his practice involved white collar criminal defense litigation and appeals, complex civil litigation, including investigations and litigation involving failed savings and loan institutions on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Resolution Trust Corporation. Michael also served on the Criminal Justice Act panel for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Assigned Counsel Plan for the Appellate Division, First Department and upon the pro-bono panel for the New York State Court of Appeals. After leaving Barrett, Gravante, Carpinello & Stern, LLP, he established a solo practice and later joined Hoffman & Pollok, LLP and Allegaert, Berger and Vogel, LLP as counsel. He is Currently counsel to Marvin and Marvin, PLLC where he practices exclusively in the area of criminal defense. His varied experience over the years allows him to handle cases in state and federal court that involve everything from basic DWI and misdemeanors to complex felonies and white collar fraud cases.

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

Primary practice fields are municipal, development, land use, and real estate law.

Stephen J. Penino is a graduate of both Fordham University and the Fordham University School of Law.

He commenced the practice of law in 1985 as an Assistant District Attorney at the Queens County District Attorneyâs Office in New York City. Mr. Penino served as a Prosecutor for nearly four years in both the Rackets & Economic Crime and Homicide Bureaus, where his litigation skills were developed and honed.

Subsequent to serving as a prosecutor Mr. Penino began his work in the Insurance Defense area. Initially he worked as an associate at a major Manhattan firm specializing in Medical Malpractice Defense litigation. In 1991 he relocated to the White Plains area of Westchester County where he has practiced to this day.

His work in Westchester centers around Insurance Defense and Commercial Insurance Defense matters and Real Estate Broker Errors & Omissions suits. He has conducted numerous Risk Management Seminars for local real estate brokers. These have been met with great enthusiasm by the local brokers. He also has conducted numerous seminars in the area of Labor Law and lead paint tort claims.

Mr. Penino is also a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association, the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the State Bar Association.

I provide per diem attorney services in Westchester (White Plains), New York. I have over fourteen years experience in civil litigation with a concentration in personal injury and medical malpractice.

Over the years, other firms have started offering generic per diem work throughout the state and country. They usually outsource their work. The result is a middle man and work that may vary from case to case. I personally handle the cases I take. The result is consistent and reliable service.
Below are some more differences you can expect from my firm.

* Your status report will usually be submitted by noon for a morning appearance.

* Do you need to send a last minute fax? I use an internet fax system and can retrieve your documents on the go.

* All invoices are handles by a professional online billing system. You have secure access to all your invoices in one place. You can even pay or dispute your bill right from the invoice page.

You can find out more information at sotomayorlawfirm.com.