Marathon Lawyers

Shaw & Murphy is a general practice law firm focused on providing high-caliber, personal and commercial legal service to clients in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier of New York.

We are a general practice on purpose: We believe clients benefit from a broad view of the law. We understand, for example, how divorce, custody, visitation and child support impact your business or that buying a house can also impact your estate planning.

Our lawyers and paralegals work together to provide clients with cost-effective solutions. We offer our wide experience in many areas of the law and our varied life experiences as...

Cynthia Ann K. Manchester has over 25 years of experience in the handling of personal injury cases, including car, motorcycle and trucking accidents, slip or trip and fall accidents, wrongful death cases, sexual abuse cases and other complex personal injury claims in both state and federal court. In addition, she routinely represents clients in estate planning, Medicaid planning and estate litigation.

She regularly represents clients in the Binghamton, Whitney Point, Greene, Owego and Cortland, New York areas and serves clients throughout Broome, Tioga, Cortland, Tompkins and Delaware county.

Mike Bersani is an experienced and highly respected New York State trial lawyer concentrating his practice almost entirely on personal injury claims. He is a widely published author on personal injury law. He has published numerous articles on the subject, and wrote and published the book "Understanding Your New York Personal Injury Claim", which can be ordered on his website.

Mike Bersani graduated Magna Cum Laude (top 5% of his class) from Syracuse University College of Law in 1993. He went on to a two-year clerkship with an appellate court in Rochester, NY. Since then he has devoted...

Thank you for considering my firm for your divorce or family law matter. I know the system and how to save you both time and money on your divorce.

Please contact me by phone or by email to schedule a free consultation.

I enjoy helping people transition in a difficult part of their lives. On average, I help about 100 people (per year) get divorced.

The fastest divorce I have done was about 30 days but (on average), a divorce takes between 60-90 days.

I have a proven track record of success, sound judgment and discretion.

As for our firm, we are conveniently...

Introducing Tom Anelli, Your Expert Defender Against DWI Charges Unlocking nearly two decades of dedicated expertise, Tom Anelli stands as the Senior Partner at Tom Anelli & Associates—a distinguished practice entirely devoted to DWI defense. With a fervent commitment to refining the most effective strategies, Tom has honed his skills to protect individuals facing DWI allegations. Tom's remarkable achievements extend far and wide, including prestigious recognitions such as selection to Super Lawyers, the Nation’s Top One Percent, and the Nation’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers. Notably, Tom has received specialized training directly from National Patent Analytical Systems, the leading manufacturer of the breath-testing devices...

I am a Personal Injury and Malpractice Attorney practicing all over New York and Pennsylvania.

I started my career as a felony prosecutor with the Chemung County DA's Office, prosecuting the most serious crimes in Chemung County. From there, I became head of the legal department for the Chemung County Department of Social Services, where I supervised an office of seven attorney and was responsible for prosecuting all child abuse, child neglect, juvenile delinquent and PINS cases occurring in Chemung County

In 2004, I joined the Ziff Law Firm, where I handle all types of personal injury cases.

Throughout my...

Dennis Nave has been passionate about defending individuals facing DWI, traffic, and criminal charges for most of his legal career. Dennis approaches each of his client’s cases as unique and each person as his equal, always going the extra mile to ensure his clients are fully educated on their case and knowing they are receiving the best quality representation and best defense of their rights and interests. Dennis is the founding and managing partner for Nave Law Firm located in Syracuse, New York where he was born and raised. Dennis is devoted to staying in and serving his local community. Call him...

You deserve family law representation that is committed to you and which has the skills and experience to deliver the best possible results.

Facing a divorce or other type of family law matter on your own can be stressful and can create serious anxiety. We know what our clients are going through as they work through the family law matters they are confronting. This is why we focus on providing the most effective representation and the highest levels of personal service for our clients.

We know that ultimately people come to us for results. Our decades of combined experience negotiating and trying...

Led by Judge John Cherundolo, former Acting New York Supreme Court Justice and Super Lawyer, The Cherundolo Law Firm represents people who have suffered serious/catastrophic injuries. We have helped hundreds of clients win $1,000,000 and multi-$1,000,000 dollar verdicts and settlements. Our practice is limited to only the most catastrophic of cases and we do what it takes to WIN! We WIN BIG CASES for our seriously and catastrophically injured clients!!!

Here is an example of just a few of our Previous Cases:
$17,000,000 - for a client injured in a pedestrian bridge collapse
$7,100,000 - for the family of an...

Mary T. Colwell (nee Pasqualino) graduated from Albany Law School of University in Albany, New York in 2001 with a concentration in Criminal Law. While at Albany Law School, Mary was a member of the Moot Court Board, the Women’s Law Caucus and Vice-President of the Italian-American Law Students Association. Ms. Colwell was admitted to the New Jersey State bar in December of 2001 and the New York State bar in January of 2002. She is also admitted in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and the United States District Court for the Northern District...

I am a native of the Rocky Mountains, having grown up in Evergreen, Colorado. Since settling in New York, I have developed a broad and sophisticated client base. I concentrate my practice in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, and estate and gift taxation. It is important to me to consider each of my client’s values and background as I help them decide which type of estate plan will best fit their needs. I use a practical approach to my practice. Offering the assurance of complete confidentiality and responsive service, I try...

Our law office is a preeminent Personal Injury and Immigration law firm helping individuals for over 28 years with personalized attention and concrete, concise advice to achieve their Personal Injury and Immigration goals. With a dedicated practice concentration in car accidents, we limit our case intake to ensure each client we choose to represent will receive the qualities this law office was founded upon 28 years ago-Integrity. Attention to Detail. Making a Difference. Feel free to call for a free consultation.

Heather is a Senior Attorney at Nave Law where her practice focuses on family and matrimonial law and civil litigation. Heather came to Nave Law Firm after working at another Syracuse law firm, where she was the firm’s lead matrimonial attorney for the Syracuse office. Heather has extensive experience litigating family court and matrimonial matters, including complex matters of custody and equitable distribution. Heather’s other professional experience includes working as a journalist, editor, and marketing manager. Heather is a member of the Attorney for the Child panel in Onondaga County, the Onondaga County Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association,...

Brady and Nave Law have joined forces to strengthen the firm's expertise in Personal Injury law. As the Senior Attorney specializing in Personal Injury & Civil Litigation, Brady brings over ten years of courtroom experience across all regions of New York State. In the past nine years alone, he has successfully handled fourteen jury trials in twelve different counties, consistently achieving favorable outcomes in intricate and high-stakes litigation cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, and commercial disputes. During the initial decade of his career, Brady served as an associate and partner at the prominent statewide litigation firm, Smith, Sovik, Kendrick &...

Tim DeMore is an experienced trial attorney having successfully tried numerous high profile cases to verdict in State and Federal Courts since 2000. Tim’s practice is primarily focused on representing individuals who have been severely injured as a result of medical malpractice, automobile accidents, products liability claims, construction site accidents and wrongful death claims. Based upon Tim’s history of success with personal injury and medical malpractice claims, he has attained an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating available for legal ability and professional ethics. He has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in the Super...

Chris is a former prosecutor in the Broome County District Attorney's Office who handled thousands of criminal and domestic violence cases. From traffic tickets to Felony Driving While Intoxicated, Violent Assault and First Degree Rape. Chris has brought over 100 cases to trial. His work on both sides of the courtroom gives him the knowledge and experience to help you mount an aggressive defense against a wide range of charges.

Mr. Pinnisi provides dispute resolution and contract negotiation services for clients across the country. His clients most often are established businesses, including high technology companies. He is a "lawyer's lawyer," having advised and represented attorneys listed in "Best Lawyers in America" and "Super Lawyers." His legal experience includes service as an Honor Program Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York and Washington, D.C., as an associate with Shearman & Sterling and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, as in-house General Counsel of Kionix, Inc. and Cognitive...

I have received top ratings from five major lawyer peer rating services: Avvo.com (Superb); Martindale-Hubbell (AV Rating); Super Lawyers of Upstate New York (Environmental Law--six years running); Justia.com; and Best Lawyers in America (Land Use Law). I have more than 46 years of experience in helping clients resolve complex environmental, regulatory, land use, and economic development challenges. Prevailing legal fees in Upstate New York are significantly lower than those charged in New York City, Philadelphia, and other major cities.

I own and manage a LinkedIn group on Upstate NY Business: https://www.linkedincom/groups/5148843 (copy and paste in browser to join this...

Described by his clients as an attorney of the “highest quality”, Jeff DeFrancisco, Esq. has made a career achieving top results in his field of medical malpractice and personal injury. A few examples of his many great achievements include: PARALYSIS: $10,000,000 jury verdict following a 3-week trial against 3 defense lawyers for a case where an individual became paralyzed due to medical malpractice. BRAIN INJURY: $17,500,000 in payments: $3,000,000 cash; $12,000,000 expected payout between a lump sum payment and lifetime monthly payments to an individual who sustained a brain injury; and $2,500,000 in guaranteed lifetime payments to the child of the...

The Law Offices of Andrew T. Coyle provides zealous legal advocacy throughout New York State and New Jersey with a focus on matrimonial, family law, and commercial litigation matters. Andrew T. Coyle, Esq. began his legal career with the express purpose of helping others. He is passionate about achieving his client's goals and navigating them through any complex legal issue. He strives to maintain open, honest, and prompt communications so that clients know what is going on in their cases. He is a highly experienced and competent attorney with judicial clerkship experience in both federal and state court. The Law Offices...

Anthony Bottar is an experienced and accomplished Trial Attorney in Upstate New York. For more than 40 years, he has represented clients with legal needs including Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury and Products Liability. Mr. Bottar has a a track record of extraordinary recoveries for his clients, he is dedicated to the best possible outcomes.

Mr. Botar's honors include being listed in The Best Lawyers In America since 2001 and Upstate New York Super Lawyers since 2007. He has been named Best Lawyers's Syracuse Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year for multiple years. In 2018 and 2019, Mr. Bottar was listed in...

A lifelong resident of the Syracuse area, Charles L. Falgiatano, graduated from Nazareth College of Rochester with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a concentration in pre-law in 1994. Mr. Falgiatano was on the Nazareth College Men's Basketball team and a member of the Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society. Following his undergraduate work, Mr. Falgiatano worked as a legislative aid to State Senator John A. DeFrancisco concentrating on state budget matters, economic development projects and constituent service. Mr. Falgiatano received his Juris Doctor degree from Syracuse University in 2001 and was a member of the Syracuse Law...

JULIE V. MERSEREAU, ESQ. focuses her practice on Collaborative Family Law and Divorce Mediation. MEDIATION provides assistance to couples as they negotiate towards the resolution of divorce, separation, reconciliation, parenting and other family issues. Mediation is a cooperative settlement process entered into voluntarily. The mediator acts as a neutral professional who helps the participants make practical, informed decisions to resolve their differences. This process encourages the participants to reach a voluntary agreement that is mutually satisfactory. The goal is to accomplish a “win – win” outcome wherein both parties have their needs and goals addressed and are “okay”...

Mr. Leone is Senior Counsel at Bottar Law. He has over 30 years of experience advocating for clients with Personal Injury disputes. His practice areas include Automobile Accidents, Premises Liability and Medical Malpractice. Mr. Leone is committed to civil justice. He is dedicated to fighting for your rights and interests, focused on the best possible results.

Mr. Leone received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Cortland. In 1982, he graduated from Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law with a J.D. His jurisdictions include the State of New York and the United States District Court, Northern District...

Born and raised in Utica, NY, Attorney Nicholas A Passalacqua knows his clients. But more importantly he knows the law. Through his training and experience Mr. Passalacqua is ready to handle any of your even most complex legal matters.

Mr. Passalacqua’s education and training in trial law began back at T.R. Proctor High School as a member of the Mock Trial team. He then went on to Sacred Heart University, where he founded and led SHU’s first collegiate Mock Trial Team to two regional championship tournaments. Finally, at Michigan State University College of Law he was a member of the Moot...

I began my career in 1994 at the City of Syracuse Office of the Corporation Counsel representing the City in workers' compensation matters. I joined the firm of McDonough, Digby and Leiter in 1997, and ultimately formed Leiter and Brune in 2005. In 2006 I joined the firm of Wolff, Goodrich and Goldman specializing in New York Workers' Compensation matters, and was named a partner in 2008. In 2014 I formed The Brune Law Office and now dedicate the firm to representing injured workers.

Practicing since 1991 in Binghamton, Owego, Ithaca, Cortland, Norwich, Broome County, Tioga County, Tompkins County, Chenango County, Delaware County, and Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, as well as remotely via the internet.

Particularly interested in planning to minimize the erosion of assets due to common threats that we all face, such as incapacity, long term care costs, nursing home expenses, how to distribute your estate, keeping legacy camps in the family, planning for a disabled child, income and estate taxes, probate, and creditors claims.

Mr. Finkelstein is the Managing Partner of Finkelstein & Partners. He has become a noted consumer activist through his representation of injured individuals against corporate wrong doers and irresponsible parties. An accomplished litigator, Mr. Finkelstein has represented Plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury cases arising from defective drugs, dangerous consumer products, automobile, bus and motorcycle accidents, dog bites, fall down accidents and air craft crashes. He has successfully handled dozens of multi-million dollar cases, including a $9 million dollar recovery for catastrophic injuries from a construction accident, $3.5 million dollars for injuries sustained in a car...

Since his time at Syracuse University College of Law, David has had a passion for Criminal Defense and made his career about representing clients in need.

David prides himself on client-centered representation. He believes in the diligent and aggressive defense of the client’s rights and a maintains a strong commitment to the field of Criminal Defense.

Early in his career, David learned that often with criminal matters, clients also need assistance with Family Law matters.

As a result, David turned his focus not only on Criminal Matters but also on being able to provide premium Family Law services.

For over 35 years, George Hildebrandt has represented clients in federal and state courts in drug conspiracy and smuggling, murder, white collar, firearm and other serious cases, achieving many acquittals, dismissals and reductions to lesser charges. George has built his reputation on his hard work, preparation, substantial trial experience and knowledge of the law.

Attorney Goldenberg is the founder of the New York law firm, the Law Office of Simon Goldenberg, PLLC. Mr. Goldenberg acknowledges how stressful it is to be in a position of financial difficulty, and he strives to help every client obtain relief from their debts. Whether you are considering filing for bankruptcy or being harassed by debt collectors, you can trust that Attorney Goldenberg will provide you with trusted counsel and an effective solution. To find out more about retaining Mr. Goldenberg’s representation, contact the firm today!

Mr. Haibib has practiced criminal law for his entire career spanning over decades. As an Assistant District Attorney in Onondaga County for eight years, Mr. Habib prosecuted DWI and narcotics cases. Mr. Habib provides top quality criminal and traffic defense to thousands of criminal defendants in central New York.

Maddy, a Syracuse native, grew up in the area and graduated from Liverpool High School. She pursued her higher education at Le Moyne College, majoring in political science and minoring in legal studies, criminology, and philosophy. Maddy actively participated in Le Moyne College’s Integral Honors Program, where she conducted in-depth research, wrote, and successfully defended her honors thesis titled “The Land of the Incarcerated and the Home of Racial Inequality: Mass Incarceration in the United States.” Graduating summa cum laude with the highest distinction from the Honors Program, Maddy's academic journey also included an internship with DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Law...

Brent Xavier has been President at Anelli Xavier, since partnering with Tom Anelli in 2006. Over the year, he has helped bring in many former prosecutors and experienced criminal litigators together to form what he believes is the most powerful team of DWI defense lawyers in New York State. His goal is to make sure his team protects clients from the serious consequences of DWI charges. His firm philosophy is that as a whole, individual efforts add up to something bigger collectively for our clients in form of great representation. Brent Xavier received his B.A. degree from Cornell University...

Following admission to the New York State Bar, Andrew began his career as a criminal defense attorney. He worked with various public defender’s offices in the upstate New York area during this time, building his small practice in the process. Andrew is excited to be making this next step joining the team at the Nave Law firm and looks forward to aiding those who might need help in the Capital Region.

Janet has proven herself to be a trusted advisor to her clients, helping businesses, families and students navigate the immigration system. Janet can help your family come together through the green card or visa process, including fiancé visas, immigrant visas, adjustment, and citizenship processes. She helps international students transition from studying to working in the US. She also helps businesses build new locations in the US and retain talented people from around the world. Janet has experience preparing clients for interviews and hearings, handling denials, notices of intent to deny, requests for evidence and other problems that can arise...