Founding Partners
Jerrold S. Parker
Admitted to bar: 1984, New York; New Jersey; U.S. District Court, Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York; U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey; 1985, District of Columbia; 1993, U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Federal Claims; 2012, Colorado; U.S. District Court, District of Columbia: 2013. Martindale-Hubbell rating of “AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5”. Voted by peers into Best Lawyers® for Personal Injury Litigation.
Herbert L. Waichman (1993 – 2014)
Admitted to bar: 1984, New York; New Jersey; U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey; 1993, U.S. Supreme Court.
Partners
Raymond C. Silverman
Admitted to bar: 2000, New York; U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of New York.
Brett A. Zekowski
Admitted to bar: 2000, New York; 2005, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York; 2008, United States District Court, Northern and Western Districts of New York; 2016, U.S. Supreme Court.
Melanie H. Muhlstock
Admitted to bar: Bar of the State of New Jersey (1997), Bar of the State of New York (1998), United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (1997), United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (1998), United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (1998), United States District Court for the Western District of New York (2001), United States District Court for the Northern District of New York (2006),
United States Supreme Court (2019)
Francisco Albites
Admitted to bar: 2010, Florida;
U.S. District Court, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida; American Bar Association, Miami-Dade County Bar Association.
Senior Litigation Counsel
Charles Silverstein
Admitted to Bar: 1985, New York; 1989, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, US Military Court of Appeals.
Appellate Counsel
Jay L.T. Breakstone
Admitted to bar: New York (1977); Supreme Court of the United States (1986); United States Claims Court (1989); United States Courts of Appeal, 2d Cir. (1979), 3rd Cir. (1982), 8th Cir. (2014), 9th Cir. (2015) and 11th Cir. (2015); United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York (1977).
Mass Tort Associates
Anthony Mastroianni
Admitted to bar: 2017, New York; U.S. District Court Southern District of New York; 2018, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York.
Nursing Home Associates
Marie Costello
Admitted to bar: New York Bar 1993; Connecticut Bar 1993; United States District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts 1993.
Ryan McAllister
Admitted to bar: 2007, New York; 2015, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Paul Ulitsky
Admitted to bar: New York (2019).
General Liability Associates
S. Joonho Hong
Admitted to bar: New York State Bar in 2009. Admitted to U.S. District Court, SDNY and EDNY in 2016.
Gerard Ryan
Admitted to bar: 2013, New York, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York; 2014, New Jersey, U.S. District Court District of New Jersey.
Denny Tang
Admitted to New York Bar: 2016. United States District Court, Southern and Eastern District Court.
Alex Tovstolug
Admitted to bar: 2010, New Jersey, 2011, New York, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
Stephenie Lannigan Bross
Admitted to bar: 1989, New York. U.S. District Courts, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
Parker Waichman Divisions
Annmarie George – Law Firm Administrator
Ms. George has more than twenty years’ experience as a paralegal and has been employed by Parker Waichman since the firm’s inception in 1993. Ms. George is highly experienced in all aspects of plaintiff’s personal injury litigation, Surrogates Court proceedings and mass tort litigation. She is responsible for the day-to-day operation and management of non-legal personnel and communication with firm management. She also provides administrative leadership for the office and acts as a liaison between office staff and management. Ms. George additionally works on special projects including management, maintenance, and user training of SmartAdvocate, the firm’s proprietary state of the art case management system. Ms. George is also a Notary Public.
Tamika Parker – Intake Supervisor
Tamika Parker joined Parker Waichman LLP with more than 20 years of paralegal, law firm management and litigation experience. She currently overseas the firm’s Intake Department. Tamika attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice for both her undergraduate and graduate studies, holds a paralegal studies certification and is a licensed Notary Public.
Legal Nurse Consultants
Joanne Stevens
Ms. Stevens is a licensed practical nurse (LPN) who has worked for many years in her field at several local hospitals . She spent a considerable portion of that time as an orthopedic nurse frequently specializing in the area of surgery and wound care. Ms. Stevens has been employed by Parker Waichman as a nurse consultant since 2006. She reviews medical records and provides medical summaries for the firm’s clients as well as communicates regularly with clients regarding their medical condition, care and treatment. Ms. Stevens utilizes her vast knowledge and experience to help answer clients’ questions regarding medical conditions, treatments and test results. Ms. Stevens also volunteers in her community assisting the elderly with proper wound care.
Case Managers
Jillian Cantinieri
Ms. Cantinieri has been employed by Parker Waichman for more than eight years having brought fifteen years of experience in the personal injury field to our firm. Ms. Cantinieri oversees the development of negligence claims from inception to settlement or filing of suit. She maintains daily interaction with clients, attends mediations, and, under the supervision of our attorneys, negotiates claims with insurance carriers. Ms. Cantinieri was the executive assistant producer of the firm’s television advertising campaign and is a Notary Public.
Diana Ruinsky
Ms. Ruinsky has 5 years of experience in the field of personal injury law. Prior to joining Parker Waichman, she worked as a senior insurance adjuster for 14 years working with major insurance companies. Ms. Ruinsky worked as a claims field investigator for property and casualty claims negotiating settlements for bodily injury, premises liability, property damages, and product liability claims. Ms. Ruinsky currently overseas the development of Parker Waichman’s negligence claims involving automobile and premises liability from inception to settlement under supervision of our attorneys. Ms. Ruinsky holds an Associate’s degree in applied science in paralegal studies and a paralegal certification from Nassau Community College, real estate license, Notary public and is a volunteer EMT for the freeport fire dept. Mrs. Ruinsky is fluent in Russian.
Julie Trinidad
Ms. Trinidad has over fifteen years of extensive experience in the field of personal injury law. Prior to joining Parker Waichman she worked as a senior paralegal with a law office specializing in personal injury claims and gained valuable experience working as a bodily injury negotiator for a major insurance carrier . Ms. Trinidad currently oversees the development of Parker Waichman’s negligence claims involving automobile accidents and premise liability from inception to settlement under the supervision of our attorneys. Ms. Trinidad holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Manhattan College, paralegal certification from Queens College and personal training certification from Hofstra University.
Paralegals
Kelli A. Alexander
Ms. Alexander has over ten years’ experience in the field of personal injury law. Prior to joining the firm several years ago, Ms. Alexander gained valuable experience as a paralegal working on claims involving automobile accidents, slip and fall cases, construction accidents and defective products. Since joining Parker Waichman, Ms. Alexander has applied her knowledge and experience to our Mass Torts Division working on national litigation of defective pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other product liability claims.
Justyna Callanan
Prior to joining Parker Waichman’s Mass Torts Division, Mrs. Callanan amassed more than five years of paralegal experience. She previously worked on no fault accident claims as well as in mass torts, a division which litigates pharmaceutical and medical device claims nationwide. Mrs. Callanan holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Legal Studies in Business from Hofstra University.
Stacy Candalino
Ms. Candalino began working at Parker Waichman as a Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant in our Intake Unit several years ago after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from C.W. Post University. After graduating with honors from the Paralegal Program at Hofstra University in 2008, Ms. Candalino took on new responsibilities as a paralegal assisting several attorneys in our litigation department, working on cases from beginning to end including the preparation of legal documents, no-fault filings and arbitrations. In 2014 she began working in our Mass Tort Division assisting on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 claims providing assistance to first responders, resident and employees experiencing injuries as a result of exposure to toxins at the Ground Zero sites.
Teresa Carvelli
Teresa has been a paralegal in the field of personal injury law for over 10 years. Prior to joining Parker Waichman, she gained valuable paralegal experience working on claims involving automobile accidents, slip/trip and fall cases and insurance litigation. She is now applying this experience to our Mass Torts Division which litigates defective pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other product liability claims. Teresa also holds a Paralegal Certification from LIU Post and is a Notary Public.
Sofia Chilelli
Prior to joining Parker Waichman’s Mass Torts Division, Ms. Chilelli was employed as an Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant in the firm’s Intake Department. She has applied her knowledge and experience assisting the firm’s attorneys in our Mass Torts Division which litigates pharmaceutical and medical device claims nationwide. Ms. Chilelli holds a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology from Adelphi University as well as a Paralegal Certification from Nassau Community College.
Amanda Coyne
Ms. Coyne began working at Parker Waichman LLP as an Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant in the firm’s Intake Department before moving to our Mass Torts Division. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Coyne gained valuable experience as a real estate paralegal for more than five years. She has applied her knowledge and experience assisting the firm’s attorneys in our Mass Torts Division which litigates pharmaceutical and medical device claims nationwide.
Cindy Custodio
Ms. Custodio brings eleven years of experience as a legal researcher and assistant court clerk manager for an attorneys’ service to Parker Waichman. Since joining the firm, she has worked in the Nursing Home Litigation Unit and assists our nursing home attorneys working cases from beginning to end, including preparation of legal documents including complaints, motions, discovery demands and responses, bills of particulars as well as Surrogate’s Court filings. Ms. Custodio holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from John Jay College as well as a Paralegal Certificate from Queens College and was awarded an Outstanding Academic Achievement Award from Westlaw.
Lori Delbridge
Ms. Delbridge is employed as a paralegal with the firm overseeing the coordination of case referrals with counsel across the country. Lori is also involved in firm special projects. Lori brings many years of prior law firm experience in the areas of no-fault arbitration and litigation.
Jessica Giardina
Ms. Giardina began working at Parker Waichman as an Intake Specialist in the firm’s Intake Department. She is currently working as a paralegal assisting our attorneys in the firm’s Mass Torts Division. Jessica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Queens College and will be attending law school in the fall.
Monica Hernandez
Ms. Hernandez is a long-term Parker Waichman staff member with eleven years of service as the firm’s bookkeeping assistant. Ms. Hernandez is responsible for payroll information, overseeing office expenditures, and other general office operations.
Josette Iacone
Ms. Iacone is employed as a personal injury paralegal in our firm’s litigation department. She primarily specializes in auto accidents, pedestrian knockdowns, slip/trip and fall accidents, and general liability cases. Her responsibilities are to assist in litigating our cases from the commencement of the lawsuit through discovery, depositions, motions, and trial. Ms. Iacone holds an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies from Suffolk County Community College.
Linda R. Ingber
Ms. Ingber has been employed in the personal injury field as a legal secretary and law firm office manager for more than twenty years. Since joining Parker Waichman more than eight years ago, she has worked in the firm’s Nursing Home Litigation Unit. Ms. Ingber assists our nursing home attorneys working cases from beginning to end, including preparation of legal documents including complaints, motions, discovery demands and responses, bills of particulars as well as Surrogate’s Court filings. Ms. Ingber holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Albany and is a Notary Public.
Betty Jean
Prior to her current assignment in the firm’s Mass Torts Department as a paralegal, Betty Jean was an exceptional staff member in our Intake Department.. Ms. Jean graduated from the University of Hartford majoring in Political Science and minoring in Criminal Justice. Prior to joining Parker Waichman, Betty was employed in the personal injury field working on case settlements.
Michelle Josama
Ms. Josama has worked in the personal injury field as a paralegal and law firm office manager for more than thirty-five years. Ms. Josama has worked in the firm’s Nursing Home Litigation Unit and assists our attorneys working on cases from beginning to end. Her responsibilities include preparation of legal documents such as complaints, motions, discovery demands and responses, bills of particulars as well as surrogates court filings. Ms. Josama attended both Queens College and Technical Career Institute and is a Notary Public.
Lynda L. Luckman
Ms. Luckman has worked in the personal injury field as a legal secretary/paralegal for more than twenty five years and has been employed by Parker Waichman for more than seven years. Ms. Luckman is currently assigned to work with one of the firm’s trial attorneys and assists in litigating cases from the commencement of a lawsuit through discovery, depositions, motions, and trial. Ms. Luckman is also a Notary Public.
Kelly O’Brien
Ms. O’Brien is employed as a paralegal in our firm’s Mass Torts Division which litigates defective pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other product liability claims. Prior to joining Parker Waichman, Ms. O’Brien accumulated two years of experience in the legal field. Ms. O’Brien holds an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies from Nassau Community College.
Michelle Pabon
Ms. Pabon joined the Nursing Home Litigation Unit as a paralegal with more than 12 years experience in personal injury, negligence, medical malpractice, family and criminal law. She assists our nursing home attorneys in all phases of litigation from inception to end. Ms. Pabon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ithaca College and a Juris Doctorate from Hofstra University School of Law. Ms. Pabon is fluent in Spanish.
Michelle Pandolfo
Ms. Pandolfo is employed as a paralegal in our firm’s Mass Tort’s Division. Michelle has more than three years of prior customer service experience and holds an Associate of Science Degree in Fine Arts from Nassau Community College as well as a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art History from SUNY Purchase College.
Rachel Rapisarda
Mrs. Rapisarda is currently employed as a paralegal in our Mass Torts unit assisting attorneys in managing multi-district litigation actions involving defective pharmaceuticals and other product liability claims nationwide. She has previous paralegal experience in the litigation and arbitration of no fault claims as well as in the creation and administration of trusts and estates. Mrs. Rapisarda holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Legal Studies from Hofstra University.
Shaquilla Reid
Ms. Reid joined Parker Waichman LLP as a paralegal in our Mass Tort’s Division which litigates defective pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other product liability claims nationwide. Prior to joining our firm, she gained legal experience working in a law firm focused on elder law. Ms. Reid obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Daemen College where she majored in Political Science while minoring in Pre-Law and Criminal Justice.
Jose Ruiz-Torres
Mr. Ruiz-Torres is employed as a legal assistant in the firm’s Pre Suit Department. He assists our case managers in preparing auto accidents, slip/trip and fall accidents, and negligence cases for settlement or commencement of litigation as well as prepares arbitrations and no fault filings. Mr. Ruiz-Torres is bilingual and frequently translates for our Spanish speaking clients. Mr. Ruiz-Torres holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Mercy College.
Jacqueline Rios
Jacqueline Rios is employed as a paralegal in the firm’s Mass Torts Division which litigates defective pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other product liability claims. Ms. Rios has more than ten years of customer service experience in the medical field prior to joining Parker Waichman.
Dahlia Rosen
Prior to joining Parker Waichman’s Mass Torts Division, Ms. Rosen was employed as a Spanish, French and ENL (English as a New Language) teacher in Long Island public and private schools. In addition, Ms. Rosen worked as an Executive Assistant for the president of a successful beauty products company, utilizing her language and customer service skills. She has applied her knowledge and experience assisting the firm’s attorneys in our Mass Torts Division which litigates pharmaceutical and medical device claims nationwide. Ms. Rosen has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and French from Barnard College and a Master’s Degree in Education from New York University.
Yesenia Salcedo
Ms. Salcedo joined the Personal Injury Litigation Unit as a trial preparation paralegal with more than 17 years of experience in personal injury, labor law, civil lawsuits, negligence and criminal law. Ms. Salcedo currently handles all aspects of trial preparation for the personal injury, labor law, negligence and medical malpractice attorneys at Parker Waichman. Ms. Salcedo holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Colorado. She is a Notary Public and is also fluent in Spanish.
Kathleen M. Snedecor
Ms. Snedecor is employed as a paralegal in the firm’s litigation department and is assigned to work with one of the firm’s trial attorneys. Ms. Snedecor assists in litigating our cases from the commencement of the lawsuit through discovery, depositions, motions, and trial. She brings more than six years of experience in personal injury law to the firm and holds a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies from St. John’s University.
Carrie Tangney
Ms. Tangney joined Parker Waichman as a Paralegal more than ten years ago. She is currently the Settlement Coordinator for our Mass Torts Division, which litigates thousands of pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer products, and other complex claims nationwide each year. In this capacity, Ms. Tangney assists the firm’s Mass Torts attorneys in ensuring the swift conclusion of cases upon resolution by organizing all aspects of the settlement administration process. From initial client communications to the final calculation and distribution of settlement proceeds, she verifies that all of the comprehensive steps required by complex settlements are completed with precision and efficiency. Ms. Tangney holds an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Science from Nassau Community College and is also currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Psychology remotely at the University of Massachusetts – UWW while working full-time.
Gina Viti
Ms. Viti has been employed by Parker Waichman for more than sixteen years and is highly experienced in all aspects of plaintiff’s personal injury litigation as well as mass tort litigation. She has been involved in the creation, testing, and maintenance of SmartAdvocate, the firm’s proprietary state of the art case management system. Ms. Viti is a Notary Public.
Hannah Wallace
Ms. Wallace is employed as a paralegal in our firm’s Mass Tort’s Division where she works on national litigations involving defective pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other product liability claims. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Wallace worked in a medical related field. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from SUNY Plattsburgh as well as her paralegal certification from Hofstra University.
Karen Wienclaw
Ms. Wienclaw brings more than 30 years of experience as a full charge bookkeeper along with 20 plus years’ experience as a personal injury paralegal, handling all aspects of cases from intake to trial, to Parker Waichman. She is responsible for calculating and distributing settlement proceeds to clients, forwarding attorneys and the firm as well as other office related accounting and record keeping processes. Ms. Wienclaw holds a Paralegal Certificate from Stony Brook University and is a Notary Public.
Josephine Burgess-Zephrine
Ms. Burgess-Zephrine is a member of the firm’s personal injury litigation unit and has more than 19 years of experience in the areas of plaintiff’s and defendant’s personal injury, labor law, medical malpractice, mass torts and negligence claims. Ms. Burgess-Zephrine assists our attorneys in all phases of litigation from inception to case conclusion. Ms. Burgess-Zephrine is a Notary Public who holds a Bachelor of Science degree from New York City Technical College (CUNY).
Calendar Clerk
Alison J. Bifulco
Ms. Bifulco has been employed by Parker Waichman for more than thirteen years and presently holds the position of calendar clerk. Ms. Bifulco schedules various activities for the firm’s attorneys including arbitrations , depositions, client appointments and court conferences. She confirms these appointments and notifying our clients and opposing party of the schedule. Ms. Bifulco additionally reviews multiple daily civil court docket websites for court appointments relating to the firm’s cases.
Intake Specialists
Soncire Abadia
Soncy is employed as an Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant in the firm’s Intake Department. Her duties include data input of new case inquiries as well as client communication. Ms. Abadia has completed some college work at Borough of Manhattan Community College. Is looking to finish up her course study in Spring 2018 for early child hood education.
Jamie Clark
Ms. Clark is employed as an Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant in the firm’s Intake Department where her duties include client communication and data input of new case inquiries. Ms. Clark graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor’s Degree in History.
Cara Feiler
Ms. Feiler is an intake Specialist/ Legal Assistant in the firm’s Intake Department, and he duties include data entry of new case inquiries as well as extensive client communication. Ms. Feiler graduated from George Mason University in 2018 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminology, Law, & Society with a concentration in Homeland Security and a minor in Psychology.
Constantine Hamilton
Mr. Hamilton is a member of the firm’s Intake Department working as an Intake specialist. His responsibilities include data entry of new case inquiries as well as client communication. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from St. John’s University in Legal studies, cum laude, in May 2020.
Gieanda Haughton
Ms. Haughton is employed as an Intake Specialist in the firm’s Intake Department. Her responsibilities include client communicatios, data entry for all new cases and preparation, processing and distribution of new case related paperwork. Ms. Haughton has an Associate’s Degree from Nassau Community College and more than five years’ experience in customer service across multiple industries. Ms. Haughton plans to return to school to continue her remaining courses towards her Bachelor’s Degree.
Emma Kabuto
Ms. Kabuto is employed as an Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant in the firm’s Intake Department. Her duties include data input of new case inquiries as well as client communication. Ms. Kabuto completed her undergraduate studies at Northeastern University, majoring in International Affairs and Economics. While at school, she had multiple internship experiences in International Trade and Commerce.
Christopher Lee
Mr. Lee is a member of the firm’s Intake team whose responsibilities include data entry of new case inquiries as well as extensive client communication. Mr. Lee graduated from the University of Rochester in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy.
Lorena Quiles
Lorena Quiles is a dedicated member of our intake team who joined the firm after gaining 10 years of customer service experience in the healthcare industry. Lorena brings great compassion to each new case inquiry and strives to fully assist every potential client. She is in the process of completing her Associate’s Degree in health science and is contemplating additional coursework due to further her career interest in the legal field.
Shakira Wheatle
Shakira Wheatle is employed as an Intake Specialist/ Legal Assistant in the firm’s Intake Department. Her duties include data entry of new case inquiries as well as client communication. Ms. Wheatle has more than five years of customer service experience and graduated from Nassau Community College with an Associates of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education.
Spencer Woods
Mr. Woods is employed as an Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant in the firm’s Intake Department. He acts as the initial point of contact for potential new clients and interacts with and maintaining relationships with partnering firms nationwide. Spencer graduated from the University at Buffalo in May 2020, summa cum laude, with an Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Political Science with a Spanish minor. He is also a member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Society and Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society. Spencer is considering continue his legal career by attending law school in the future.
Legal Assistants
Rachael Adebayo
Rachael Adebayo is newly employed as a legal assistant in the firm’s Accounting Department. Ms. Adebayo is a recent graduate from the University of New Haven having earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a concentration in law enforcement administration.
Anthony Baksh
Anthony Baksh is assigned to the Medical Records Department at Parker Waichman. He works with medical facilities to obtain all medical documentation required for our clients claims. Mr. Baksh also assists with client correspondence as needed. He is currently working towards obtaining an Associate’s Degree in Accounting.
Shelly Davis
Shelly Davis made the transition from our reception team to a Legal Assistant in our Mass Tort Division. She handles federal claims pertaining to the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 providing assistance and support to first responders as well as the many residents and office workers who suffered 9/11 related cancer and respiratory illnesses as a result of exposure to toxins encountered from the devastation at Ground Zero.
Caitríona Fox
Caitríona Fox works in our Mass Tort Division assisting on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 claims. Prior to joining Parker Waichman as a Legal Assistant, Ms. Fox spent a year in Laval, France aiding children in their English courses as a Second Language. She graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a dual degree in Sociology and French.
Maryann Gallizzi
Ms. Gallizzi is employed as a Legal Assistant in the firm’s Pre Suit Department. She assists our case managers in preparing negligence cases for settlement or commencement of litigation as well as prepares arbitrations and no fault filings. Ms. Gallizzi is a New York State Licensed Notary Public. Ms. Gallizzi is bilingual and frequently translates for our Spanish speaking clients. Ms. Gallizzi holds an Associate Degree in Science from Nassau Community College and is pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Nursing.
Madelyn Higgins
Ms.Higgins is currently assigned to the accounting department. She is responsible for calculating and distributing Mass Tort settlement proceeds to clients and forwarding attorneys. She also handles the firm’s accounts payable and processing payments for all medical records. Ms. Higgins is bilingual and assists any Spanish speaking clients in need of help with translations.
Biker Helmkamp
Prior to Joining Parker Waichman’s Nursing Home unit, Biker Helmkamp supported the attorneys and staff from his position in the file room. Mr. Helmkamp is currently responsible for ordering, organizing and upkeep of client medical records, both electronically and paper, for the firm’s nursing home department.
Dawn Kielbasa
Prior to joining Parker Waichman’s Nursing Home unit, Ms. Kielbasa was employed as one of the friendly voices you hear when calling the firm. She has applied her experience & knowledge and is now assigned to Parker Waichman’s medical record department for the Nursing Home unit. She is responsible for all aspects relating to medical record requests as well as assists with client correspondence.
Aurora Krol
Aurora Krol began working at Parker Waichman as a receptionist before moving to the firms Pre-Suit Department. Ms. Krol is responsible for assisting case managers in preparing auto cases, slip/trip and fall cases, and negligence cases for settlement or commencement of litigation and no fault filings. She handles her job in the utmost professionalism and good manners, after having five years in customer service. Aurora Krol holds an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts.
Ashley Lopilato
Ashley Lopilato made the transition from our reception team to a Legal Assistant in our Mass Tort Division. She handles federal claims pertaining to the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. She provides assistance to not only first responders, but also residents and employees afflicted with injuries as a result of exposure to toxins encountered from the devastation at Ground Zero.
Christina Morace
Ms. Morace began working at Parker Waichman LLP as an Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant in the firm’s Intake Department before moving to our Mass Torts Division to assist with James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 claims. Christina (Tina) provides support and assistance for the many first responders as well as other 9/11 survivors in the downtown Manhattan area seeking compensation for illnesses related to their exposure to toxins from Ground Zero
Catherine Nunez
Ms. Nunez is employed as a Legal Assistant in the firm’s Pre Suit Department. She assists our case managers in preparing negligence cases for settlement or commencement of litigation as well as prepares arbitrations and no fault filings. Ms. Nunez is a New York State Licensed Notary Public. Ms. Nunez is bilingual and frequently translates for our Spanish speaking clients.
Myra Pesce
Ms. Pesce is assigned to Parker Waichman’s Medical Records Department. She is responsible for processing invoices and payment relating to medical records requests. She also assists with client correspondence as needed. Ms. Pesce is currently attending Nassau Community College pursuing a certification in Business Management.
Justin Thuren
Mr. Thuren is assigned to the Medical Records Department at Parker Waichman. He works with medical facilities to obtain all documentation needed for clients. He is responsible for processing invoices and payment relating to medical records requests. He also assists with client correspondence as needed. Mr. Thuren received his Bachelor’s in History from Molloy College and his Paralegal Certificate from Nassau Community College. He is also a Notary Public.
Office Managers
Jeanetta Whelan
Ms. Whelan spent most of her career working for a large telecommunications company prior to joining Parker Waichman. As office manager, Ms. Whelan oversees the smooth operation and implementation of all administrative activities such as partner support, personnel, finance, procurement, negotiation, and implementation of all marketing materials. Ms. Whelan holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters of Business Administration from Adelphi University, Garden City, NY. Ms. Whelan is also a Notary Public.
Information Technology (I.T.)
Roy Cronin
Mr. Cronin, a Microsoft Certified Professional with more than 10 years of experience, manages the firm’s extensive PC, Network and Telecom systems.
Javier Cobenas
Mr. Cobenas holds an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts studies from Suffolk County Community College and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Computer Science at Farmingdale State College. A Macintosh Certified Professional with more than five years of experience in the information technology field supports the firm’s extensive PC, network and Telecom systems.
Marketing and Web Technology
Lior Lustig
Mr. Lustig has worked in the Web Technology field for over twenty years. He holds a bachelor degree of Computer Science and Business from the Private Interdisciplinary University of Israel, a Microsoft Certified Application Developer Certificate, and a Master of Science in Information Technology from Clark University, Massachusetts. Prior of joining Parker Waichman he worked as a CTO for the Ministry of Defense of Israel, and for various startup companies. Lior supervises the firm’s extensive Web Marketing & Social presence, Coding, Hosting, PPC, Reporting, Analytics etc. .
Mary Sotomayor
Mrs. Sotomayor has a B.A. in Fine Arts and a A.S. in Graphic Design. She has spent over 10 years executing all visual design stages from concept to final hand-off. Mary is Parker Waichman’s designer and front-end developer specializing in brand identity, web design, user interfaces and user experiences.
Receptionists
Komal Ashrafi
Ms. Ashrafi is a dedicated team player and integral part of the firms’ reception team who professionally handles the firm’s very large daily volume of calls. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and is hoping to attend law school soon. With a background experience in real estate and retail, she is compassionate and appreciates speaking to clients to help better assist them.
Nicole Copertino
Nicole Copertino is an exceptionally hard worker, and an important part of the firm’s reception team. Ms. Copertino holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement and Technology and has many years of customer service experience. She is able to handle any situation in a very professional manner and always strives to make every caller feel as important as they are.
Ana Palacios
Ana Palacios is a professional bilingual communicator, who is a part of our reception team. Ms. Palacios holds an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts and has 5 years of customer service experience that enables her to handle high call volume with poise & grace in a timely manner, while assisting in other administrative duties.
File Room
Christopher Cadet
Christopher Cadet is an important member of our file room team who helps ensure the smooth operation and organization of the firm’s file and mail room. Chris also supports the firm’s staff with photocopying, filing, scanning, faxing, and mailing.
Jaylen McCracken
Jaylen McCracken is a valuable file room staff member who shares the responsibility of providing smooth operation and organization of the firm’s file and mail room. Jaylen also supports the firm’s staff with photocopying, filing, scanning, faxing, and mailing.
Jorge Peniche
Mr. Peniche is responsible for the smooth operation and organization of the firm’s file and mail room. Mr. Peniche, a highly experienced law firm file room manager, supervises the file room staff and supports the firm’s employees with photocopying, filing, scanning, faxing and mailing.
Tavares Perry
Tavares Perry is an essential member of the firm’s file room staff who shares the responsibility of ensuring the smooth operation and organization of the firm’s file and mail room. Tavares also supports the firm’s staff with photocopying, filing, scanning, faxing, and mailing.
