“When other law firms are at the end of their rope…we tie a knot and keep fighting to get you justice. No employer, regardless of how powerful, can take away your fundamental right to work in an environment free of illegal discrimination and retaliation. If you suspect your rights have been violated, do not hesitate to call, we are here to help. Your employer, most likely has a team of lawyers who will fight aggressively to protect your employer’s interests. You must do the same. We will listen. We will investigate. And if you have a case, we will fight relentlessly on your behalf to get you justice.”
There are very few civil rights lawyers who can say they have tried 200 cases like Jon can. A fearless, battle-tested warrior, Jon will take on any type of case, no matter who the adversary may be. A true trial lawyer, he is not intimidated by the enormous challenges complex civil rights and constitutional law cases sometimes present. He relishes being in the trenches doing the hard work.
Jon puts his heart and soul in helping his clients achieve success. “I work seven days a week, all times of the day and night constantly thinking about my clients and ways to win their cases,” he explains. “I get tremendous satisfaction fighting for the little guy, giving voice to people who don’t have a voice. Most of these cases are David versus Goliath. Many of my clients are used to getting their rights trampled on and have no way of fighting back. I take on their fight for them.” Many are surprised by Jon’s aggressive nature in court as outside the courtroom he is easy going and down to earth. Highly approachable, his clients know he is there for them 365 days a year.
One case he is particularly proud of established a new precedent in the Second Circuit involving a prosecutor who was sued for fabricating evidence. This ten-year case wound up at the door step of the Supreme Court. This client had been turned down by six other law firms who said there was no case. Not Jon. Not only was he relentless but he was victorious as well, garnering this client a $7.4-million-dollar verdict.
Although his greatest accomplishments are victorious outcomes for his clients, other accolades include being featured on the front page of the New York Law Journal for his practice in civil rights litigation, being recognized as one of the top civil rights litigators in New York by the Super Lawyers, and being nominated by the Trial Lawyers Board of Regents for special recognition as a top litigator.
After finishing top in his class in 1990, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Georgetown University Law Center the following year. After graduation, he joined Proskauer, Rose, Goetz and Mendelsohn, a prominent commercial litigation firm in New York, where he was an associate in the firm’s litigation department for almost two years. In 1993, he joined the New York City Law Department and during his five years there, became one of the city’s top-level trial lawyers, receiving national recognition for several of his verdicts. He co-authored the Law Department’s Trial Notebook, a training manual still in use today, and was instrumental in creating the city’s trial training program.
During his stint with the New York City Law Department, he was tasked with defending the city on quite a few police brutality cases. He became interested in the side of the plaintiff, in fighting for the people getting harmed by the police, and formed his own law firm to specialize in this area.
His credentials are notable. A member of the New York and Connecticut state bars, Jon is also a member of the bar of the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He has been designated a Super Lawyer since 2015, a Multi-Million Dollar Advocate and member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Association, Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the Executive Committee of the National Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, New York State Bar Association, and New York State Trial Lawyers Association.
Jon resides in a suburb of New York City with his wife and three daughters.
