Highmount Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

Joel R. Brandes, of the New York Bar, concentrates his practice in New York divorce and family law appeals. He also consults with and advises attorneys on appellate, trial court and international child abduction matters in all of the New York state and federal courts. He has been recognized by the New York Appellate Division as a "noted authority and expert on New York family law and divorce .” He is the author of the treatise Law and the Family New York 2024-2025 Edition (12 Volumes), Law and The Family New York, 2d (9 volumes), Law and the Family...

Practicing law since 1982. Serving people with top-quality legal services. Providing personal service and quick access. Offering deep experience for civil cases in the areas of civil litigation, tort-personal injury-wrongful death claims, commercial litigation and business disputes, employment law-FLSA-ERISA, insurance claims and coverage, intellectual property-trademark-trade secret infringements, real estate litigation and estates litigation.
Also handling appeals, arbitration, international arbitration and mediation.

Attorney Jeffrey Benjamin is enjoying his third decade of practicing law. In 1997, he started practicing law in the field of consumer protection and class actions. Out of the starting gate, he was trying cases, arguing substantial motions and appeals, and building a practice under the motto: “Doing Well, by Doing Good.”

Today, he continues to develop skill and expertise in trial and appellate advocacy. Adversary counsel against him come from some of the largest and most resourceful firms in New York City down to competent and capable sole practitioners. From the beginning of his practice, Mr. Benjamin has felt that...

André G. Castaybert is the founder and principal attorney at CASTAYBERT PLLC. His experience as a commercial trial court and appellate lawyer spans two and a half decades. He started his career as a litigator in New York City, at the international law firm of Proskauer Rose LLP where he worked for twenty years in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department on a wide range of commercial disputes in the Federal courts across the United States, in the New York State courts, and in domestic and international arbitration. André has also been Counsel to several highly regarded boutique business...

Joseph Kilada began his career at one of the most prestigious public interest law firms in Manhattan handling complex legal issues and trials. Thereafter, he entered private practice starting a litigation law firm devoted to zealously serving the needs of his clients.

Joseph Kilada is admitted to practice in New York State and is also admitted to practice before various federal courts including the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2006, Mr. Kilada was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court where he had the pleasure of personally meeting several Supreme Court Justices including newly appointed, Chief Judge John...

Steven is a seasoned litigator with more than 30 years of experience litigating commercial matters in federal and state courts. He has litigated a wide array of matters, including high value collection, breach of contract, fraud, and common carrier cases.

Representing clients in industries as diverse as logistics, insurance, finance, construction, and consumer products, Steven has conducted jury and non-jury trials, argued many appeals, and engaged in all aspects of managing and handling complex commercial litigation matters. Recently, Steven was co-lead counsel in a three-week, state court jury trial where he and his team won a multi-million dollar verdict for clients...

Daniel H. Erskine, a New York and Connecticut admitted attorney and solicitor of England and Wales, represents U.S. individuals, companies, joint ventures, foreign businesses, and foreign nationals on complex legal matters under U.S. and U.K. law. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Erskine served as a shareholder and counsel to a business involved in relocating large scale production facilities from either US or foreign locations. Mr. Erskine also completed a judicial clerkship at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC. He now operates a solo practice focused on international business transactions, advising on US and English...

I spent over 20 years in the trenches as a trial attorney, but my passion is in the areas of special education and disability law. Wanting to help clients in a more sustainable way, I have transitioned into a new type of practice.

My goal is to empathize, collaborate, and advocate for clients to find them resolutions, in special education, discriminatory conflicts, and other areas. I am a trained mediator, and have extensive experience in negotiations. I offer services to anyone looking to mediate a dispute, or who may benefit from training in conflict resolution. I offer consulting services to school...

Robert M. Schechter focuses much of his practice in the areas of gun rights, civil and criminal litigation, contract law, appeals, as well as helping startups. He enjoys the courtroom and has always wanted to be a litigator. A significant portion of his practice is spent helping clients navigate the various licensing authorities that New York has involved in deciding to grant or deny CCW (gun) Licenses. He takes an individualized approach to each and every appeal and Article 78 proceeding. Additionally this has further opened his eyes to clear disparate treatment many members of our country face. This unique...

Justin Salkin has experience in all phases of litigation in medical malpractice and insurance defense matters. He handles motions, depositions, and has achieved the dismissal of cases and strong settlements for his clients. He routinely defends civil service employees at arbitration as well.

CONRAD E. POLLACK is the Managing Partner of Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco, LLP. He heads the firm’s immigration department. He graduated from New York University in 1981 and from Brooklyn Law School in 1984 with great honors. He was admitted in New York in 1985. Over the course of his career, Mr. Pollack has acquired experience in all aspects of immigration law, including deportation & removal matters, work, trainee and seasonal visas, family-based visas, political asylum and citizenship matters. He is a member of the New York Court Lawyers Association, ILW.com, American Bar Association...

Bruce J. Wagner practices exclusively in the field of matrimonial and family law, and represents clients in the negotiation and litigation of pre-nuptial agreements, separation and divorce. His areas of concentration include divorce; high net worth property cases; prenuptial agreements; interstate support; and international custody.

Bruce joined the firm in 1987, has been a principal since 1994, and chairs the firm's Matrimonial and Family Law Department. He also has a successful statewide appellate practice before the Appellate Divisions and the New York Court of Appeals. In January 2005, he began a two-year term as President of the American...

John is a international lawyer with multiple post graduate degrees from both U.S. and European schools. He is a certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Controls Specialist. He has extensive multifaceted experience in business law and litigation.

David S. Rich is the founding member of the Law Offices of David S. Rich, LLC. Mr. Rich is a New York City Business Litigation Attorney. 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...

Antonia Kousoulas is a seasoned litigator, with over 26 years of experience in federal and state courts. Her legal skills and tenacity have been instrumental in her effective advocacy of claims ranging from civil service appeals to whistleblower claims under Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In addition to litigating, Ms. Kousoulas has established a sizable practice negotiating executive contracts and severance agreements, and counseling professionals and closely held businesses in employment matters and labor law compliance. She has practiced extensively in the U.S. District Courts of New York and New Jersey, and before the NYC...

Michael J. Duffy is an associate in Montgomery McCracken’s Business Department. He focuses his practice on general corporate matters, with a concentration on government contracting, intellectual property, finance, consulting, employment, real estate, and corporate governance. Michael has extensive experience with a wide variety of business transactions, from initial contact with transaction targets and indications of interest, through to closing and post-transactional events. Michael has represented businesses in a broad range of industries including pharmaceutical distribution and research, technology, construction, and real estate, in matters of negotiating and drafting organizational documents, distribution agreements, independent contractor agreements, construction agreements and purchase agreements, as...

Mr. Castro is a dedicated attorney with a strong team of professionals around him. Angel's law firm, A. A. Castro C.L.A.N. PLLC, has attorneys available to represent clients all over New York State with Offices in Manhattan and Syracuse, New York. Hablamos Espanol!

Mr. Castro's focus is on Education Law (Special Ed., General Ed. and Higher Ed.) including issues surrounding educational placement, related services, accommodations, discrimination, discipline/suspension/expulsion, personal injuries, and criminal cases related to education institutions.

Angel has also launched a new practice group solely focused on issues related to higher education (University, College, Professional Schools) including grade appeals, overturning dismissals from...

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...

Elysa Greenblatt has been practicing matrimonial law exclusively since 2004. She specializes in complex high net worth divorce cases and high conflict custody disputes, and also has considerable experience in all aspects of matrimonial and family law, including pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, equitable distribution, spousal and child support, parenting time and post-judgment litigation. While Elysa is a seasoned litigator, she also is trained in mediation and collaborative law. She regularly uses these alternative dispute resolution skills to reach favorable settlements for her clients. Elysa also serves as a court-appointed lawyer for children of divorcing parents.

Elysa began her career at the...

Principal - Simon Lesser PC www.simonlesser.com

Simone Bertollini is a top rated criminal and immigration attorney. As an experienced counsel, Mr. Bertollini has extensive trial, appellate, and motion practice experience. Mr. Bertollini strong track-record includes obtaining a "not guilty" verdict on all the felony charges of the first ever “click fraud” Federal criminal trial.
Mr. Bertollini is licensed in New York and New Jersey, included Federal District Courts, Federal Court of Appeals for the First, Second and Third Circuit. Mr. Bertollini is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In addition to maritime, U.S. customs and trade law and regulation, I also focus on Investment Contractual Disputes, Investment Negligence and Fraud in the Area of Immigration (EB-5), Overseas Education, Real Estate Transaction, and Partnership. Bilingual-Chinese. Disclaimer: The painting of Hanbin Wang in the traditional barrister wig and uniform by itself does not imply Mr. Wang's ability to obtain results.

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...

Mr. Preziosi established the Appellate Law Firm after years of extensive experience working for law firms in New York City and throughout New York. He is admitted to the following jurisdictions: The New York State Bar The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Northern District of New York The United States District Court for the Western District of New York The First Circuit Court of Appeals The Second Circuit Court of Appeals The Third...

Peter D. Rigelhaupt, an experienced attorney at The Perecman Firm, PLLC since 2009, brings over 20 years of defense practice expertise to his role. His background offers him unique insights into the defense bar and insurance industry, enhancing his effectiveness as a negotiator and attorney. Specializing in personal injury cases, Rigelhaupt vigorously represents clients harmed by negligence, particularly focusing on injured construction workers but also handling premises liability, product liability, and motor vehicle accident cases. He also champions civil rights cases, advocating for victims of police brutality, wrongful arrest, and malicious prosecution, with a successful track record. Additionally, he leads...

Troy A. Smith focuses his legal practice in the area of Criminal Defense in the State of New York, Federal Courts and all Military Courts. With more than 19 years of litigation and appellate experience as both a former New York City homicide prosecutor and a criminal defense counsel in the United States Army, Mr. Smith has served as lead counsel on more than one hundred trials on charges to include murder, manslaughter, vehicular homicides, armed robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, drug distribution, rape, child molestation, child pornography, rape and aggravated sexual offenses, grand larceny, embezzlement and fraud on the...

Medical malpractice defense, personal injury and appellate attorney Ellen A. Fischer has extensive experience in state appellate and motion practice. She also is well versed in mental hygiene law, including involuntary retention and medication hearings; federal motion practice; defense of physicians in civil rights actions by prisoners; and defense of premises liability actions. Mrs. Fischer graduated with honors from Binghamton University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and General Literature. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Villanova University School of Law in 1993. She has more than twenty-five years of experience as an attorney. Mrs. Fischer has practiced primarily...

My background combines experience both as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, as well as experience as an academic, concentrating on appellate practice and civil and criminal procedure. After graduating from the University of Michigan Law School, I served a clerkship to a federal judge; thereafter, I was a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office for 5 years. Following a tour as a full time law professor at Washington & Lee University, I entered private practice in 1975, where I have remained to date; my areas of practice consist mainly of criminal and civil litigation with a specialty in appeals; family...

Jonathan Gill, a native New Yorker, graduated Cum Laude from SUNY Oswego in 1985. He then received his J. D. degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 1988. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1989, and is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court [Southern, Eastern Districts].
Mr. Gill served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office from 1988 through 1997. In addition to serving as a Senior Trial Attorney in the Major Offense & Homicide Trial Bureaus, Mr. Gill was also Deputy Director of Litigation...

Aaron M. Zeisler, founding member of Zeisler PLLC, is a trial and appellate lawyer who counsels clients on litigation matters, dispute resolution, trade secrets, real property and intellectual property law. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial disputes, trade secret claims, business torts, real estate disputes and claims of copyright, libel and slander. Mr. Zeisler has represented clients in numerous state and federal courts throughout the country, both at the trial and appellate level, and has handled arbitrations and mediations before the AAA, ICDR, private mediation services and court-assisted mediation programs. He has specific experience in disputes...

Thomas is a co-founding partner of SavicFoley and managing partner of the firm’s London office. Thomas is a dual-qualified attorney and solicitor with substantial international, litigation, and investigation experience. In London, Thomas advises clients on cross-border litigations, international dispute resolution issues, international law, US federal and state laws, UK and EU law, and assists on government investigations including advising participants. Thomas advises UK business establishing and conducting businesses and joint ventures in the US and abroad. He counsels businesses and individuals concerning contractual and business relationship disputes and is frequently sought for advice on jurisdictional questions, investigations, international law and human...