Founding Partners
Jerrold S. Parker
Born Brooklyn, New York. 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. Disstrict 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
Born Ulm, Germany. 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 – Mass Tort Division
Born Suffern, New York. Admitted to bar: 2000, New York; U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of New York.
Brett A. Zekowski – General Negligence
Born Rockville Centre, New York. 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.
Jay P. Dinan
Born Zanesville, Ohio. Admitted to bar 1991, Florida; U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.
Managing Attorneys
Fred R. Rosenthal – General Negligence
Born Brooklyn, New York. Admitted to bar: 1975, New York; U.S. District Court, Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York.
Keith E. Gitman
Born: Plainview, New York. Admitted to Bar: 2007, Florida; 2008, Washington, D.C. and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida; 2013, New York
Melanie H. Muhlstock – Mass Tort Division
Born Bronxville, New York. Admitted to bar: 1997, New Jersey; 1997, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey; 1998, New York; 1998, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York; 2001, U.S. District Court, Western District of New York; 2006 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
Senior Litigation Counsel
Nicholas Warywoda
Born Rosedale, New York. Admitted to bar: 2001, New York; 2005, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.
Appellate Counsel
Jay L.T. Breakstone
Born Brooklyn, New York. Bar Admissions: New York (1977); Supreme Court of the United States (1986); United States Claims Court (1989); United States Court of Appeals, 2d Cir. (1977), 3rd Cir. (1982); United States District Court, Southern District of New York and Eastern District of New York. (1977).
Mass Tort Associates
Harrison Biggs
Born Nashua, New Hampshire. Admitted to bar: 2014, Massachusetts.
Chris Oxx
Born Pawling, New York. Bar admissions: New York (2014).
Jessica Richman
Born: Syracuse, New York. Bar Admissions: New York (2016); Pennsylvania (2002); Supreme Court of the United States (2016); United States Court of Appeals, 3d Cir. (2007); United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania (2003) and Middle District of Pennsylvania (2007).
Gerard Ryan
Born Rockville Centre, New York. 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.
Michael S. Werner
Born Rockville Centre, New York. Admitted to New York State bar: 2008. Admitted to U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York: 2012.
General Liability Associates
Daniela D. Campoli – Associate
Born: Queens, New York. Admitted to New York Bar: 2017.
S. Joonho Hong
Born Middletown, New York. Admitted to New York State Bar in 2009. Admitted to U.S. District Court, SDNY and EDNY in 2016.
Joanne Porcelli
Born in the former Yugoslavia. Admitted to the New York Bar: 2002.
Denny Tang
Born: Queens, New York. Admitted to New York Bar: 2016. United States District Court, Southern and Eastern District Court.
Alex Tovstolug
Born: Ukraine. Admitted to bar: 2010, New Jersey, 2011, New York, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
Nursing Home Associates
James G. Kapralos
Born New York, New York. Admitted to bar: 1994, New York; U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Cybele S. Louis
Born in New York, New York; Admitted to bar 2016, New York and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York.
Michael B. Zaransky
Born Brooklyn, New York. Admitted to New York Bar in 1999. Admitted to practice in the US District Courts of the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Of Counsel
William J. Dubanevich
Born New York, New York. Admitted to the New York Bar: 2003, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (2003), U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York; (2003), U.S. District Court, Western District of New York (2010) and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida (2012).
Jeffrey L. Goldberg
For the past 35 years, Jeffrey L. Goldberg, Esq. has represented New York City Civil Service Clients with pride. After receiving his JD from Brooklyn Law School in 1974, Mr. Goldberg was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1975. Mr. Goldberg worked for the New York State Assembly Codes Committee and a major insurance company, before joining a premiere Civil Service law firm which represented the Uniform Fire Officers Association. It was early in his tenure at this firm that Mr. Goldberg discovered the particular niche in which he developed a level of expertise unparalleled in New York City legal circles.
Florida – Associates
Daniel C. Calvert
Born Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Admitted to bar: 2012 – Tennessee; 2015 – Florida, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
Elliott Tubbs III
Born Buffalo, New York. Admitted to bar: 2013, Florida State Courts, United States District Court, Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida.
Francisco Albites
Born in Nicaragua. Admitted to bar: 2010, Florida; 2016, U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida; American Bar Association, Miami-Dade County Bar Association.
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.
Legal Nurse Consultants
Karen Goldberg, R.N.
Ms. Goldberg holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Adelphi University and has also successfully completed a Legal Nurse Consultant course. Ms. Goldberg reviews medical records and provides medical summaries for the firm’s cases. Ms. Goldberg has many years of experience as a pediatric nurse and continues to work in this area of nursing.
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.
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.
Stacy Candalino
Ms. Candalino began working at Parker Waichman as a Legal Assistant/Intake Specialist 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.
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.
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.
Christine Durant
Ms. Durant is employed as a paralegal in the Mass Torts Division. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a focus on forensics from Alvernia University. Ms. Durant has previous experience as a paralegal in the area of Social Security Disability Benefits specializing in all levels of the claims process.
Nicole Eisner
Prior to joining Parker Waichman’s Mass Torts Division, Ms. Eisner 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. Eisner holds a Bachelor of Art in History from Long Island University at C.W. Post and a Paralegal Certificate from Nassau Community College.
Lourdes Garced-Cotto
Lourdes Garced-Cotto recently joined Parker & Waichman as a paralegal in the Litigation Department. She has sixteen years’ experience in personal injury and negligence. She has worked on cases from inception to conclusion, including but not limited to the preparation of all legal documents, arbitration, mediation and appeals. Mrs. Garced-Cotto is a New York State Notary Public. Mrs. Garced-Cotto is fluent in Spanish and helps translate for Spanish speaking clients.
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.
Samantha Hiltzik
Prior to joining Parker Waichman’s Mass Torts Division, Ms. Hiltzik 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. Hiltzik holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Sacred Heart University.
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.
Michelle Josama
Ms. Josama has worked in the personal injury field as a paralegal and law firm office manager for more than twenty five years. Ms. Josama currently works 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 also a licensed Real Estate Agent.
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.
Carrie Mullahey
Prior to joining Parker Waichman five years ago, Ms. Mullahey was employed as an Office Manager of a large orthopedic practice. Ms. Mullahey has applied her knowledge and experience in the medical field to the firm’s Mass Torts Division which litigates pharmaceutical and medical device claims nationwide.
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.
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.
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 Bacherlor’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.
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.
Karen Wienclaw
Mr. Mrakovcic is employed as a paralegal in our Mass Torts Department. He has applied his knowledge and prior paralegal experience in assisting the firm’s attorneys in litigating pharmaceutical and medical device claims nationwide. Mr. Mrakovcic holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science with a concentration in Law and Politics from Queens College, of the City University of New York.
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
Leyla Coello
Ms. Coello 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. Coello is studying at Nassau Community College pursuing an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration.
Jessica Mendez
Jessica is employed as an intake specialist/legal assistant in our intake department. Her responsibilities include data input of new case inquiries as well as client communication. Ms. Mendez is bilingual and assists any Spanish speaking clients in need of help with translations. Ms. Mendez holds an Associate’s Degree in early childhood from Nassau Community College.
Jodette Rodriguez
Ms. Rodriguez is employed as an Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant in Parker Waichmans’s Intake Department. Her responsibilities include data input of new case inquiries as well as client communication. Ms. Rodriguez holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from CUNY Brooklyn College and has several years of experience in client services and administrative support.
Silvelyn Saldana
Ms. Saldana is employed as an Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant in our Intake Department. Her responsibilities include data input of new case inquiries as well as case management and client communications. Ms. Saldana is studying at Nassau Community College pursuing an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Legal Studies and has several years of experience in client services and administrative support.
Legal Assistants
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.
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.
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.
Kathleen O’Connor
Ms. O’Connor has worked in the personal injury field as a legal secretary for more than twenty five years and has been employed by Parker Waichman for fifteen years assisting the managing partners on various special projects. She is currently the coordinator of the firm’s Case Referral Department. Ms. O’Connor received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Communications from Queens College and was awarded lifetime membership to Pi Sigma Alpha and the Golden Key National Honor Society for academic excellence. Ms. O’Connor is also a Notary Public.
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.
Madeline Colli
Madeline Colli is employed as a Jr. Legal Marketing Editor in the firm’s Marketing Department. Ms. Colli holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English with a Minor in History from Stony Brook University. Her responsibilities include maintaining social media accounts, editing articles, and optimization of articles per search engine guidelines.
Receptionists
Shelly Davis
Shelly Davis is a motivated and professional communicator with more than ten years of experience in providing exceptional customer service and currently holds an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts. Ms. Davis is responsible in managing all facets of front office administration, including handling multi-line phone systems, maintaining reception and waiting areas.
Lauren La Mont
Lauren La Mont is one of our outgoing & friendly receptionist with good organization, communication & relationship building skills. Articulate & friendly with a professional demeanor.
Jessica Martins
Jessica Martins is a professional receptionist with exceptional administrative skills. She has ten years of secretarial experience and currently holds an associates degree in liberal arts.
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
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.
Biker Helmkamp
Mr. Helmkamp is responsible for assisting with the smooth operation and organization of the firm’s file and mail room. Mr. Helmkamp also supports the firm’s staff with photocopying, filing, scanning, faxing, and mailing.
