Alan Kaminsky

Alan Kaminsky is a senior partner in the New York office of Lewis Brisbois, a co-chair of the firm’s national General Liability Practice, and a member of the firm’s ten-partner Management Committee. Mr. Kaminsky is a premier trial lawyer whose aggressive approach to discovery, deposition, and cross-examination has made him one of New York’s most successful defense attorneys.

Mr. Kaminsky has tried more than 300 cases in his more than three decades of practice. Throughout his career he has obtained more than 50 defense verdicts, with the vast majority of the remainder of his high exposure, catastrophic damages cases resolving favorably for his clients either through mediation or during trial.

He regularly handles cases presenting multimillion dollar exposure pertaining to alleged Labor Law violations, premises security lawsuits, transportation accidents, fires, wrongful death, construction accidents, and lead paint poisoning, all of which involve catastrophic damages.

He has represented parties involved with both the longest running civil trial in New York City history and what was at the time the oldest active case in New York, winning his clients a directed verdict in the former and a full defense verdict in the latter. He has also been called upon to provide counsel on some of the nation’s highest profile incidents, including:

• Served as national defense counsel for Arapahoe County, Colorado, and its law enforcement personnel in relation to the school shooting at Columbine High School
• Secured dismissal via summary judgment of claims filed against the owner of the building where the infamous “Atlanta day trader” shootings occurred
• Advised the shopping center in Arizona where U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords was shot
• Represented the owner of the complex where the San Bernardino terrorist attack occurred

Mr. Kaminsky and his team have litigated and tried scores of actions in which plaintiffs have alleged violations of New York State’s Labor Law (Sections 240, 241(6) and 200) and the Industrial Code. Many of these cases have involved complex contractual relationships that involve indemnification and coverage entitlements, including the administration of Owner Controlled Insurance Programs and Policies.

Another major area of focus for Mr. Kaminsky is foster care and the abuse and assault of minors. He has tried and overseen the trials of dozens of these emotionally fraught cases, such as :

• Represented a foster home against claims of negligence related to three children who were allegedly physically and emotionally abused by the operator of the home, a co-defendant in the case; the case settled prior to trial for a confidential amount.
• Represented an insured foster care agency in two cases involving siblings who were assigned by the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to our client for placement into a foster home, where the children alleged abuse; the cases settled for a confidential amount during motions for summary judgment pending and prior to trial.

Education :

• Hofstra University School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1983
• New York University, Bachelor of Arts, 1980

Admissions : State Bar Admissions, New York

Associations :

• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
• New York State Trial Lawyers Association
• American Bar Association
• Bronx County Bar Association
• International Association of Defense Counsel

Experience :

• Twice cited by National Law Journal for obtaining one of the Top Ten Defense Verdicts of the Year, and by the Jury Verdict Reporter for Defense Verdict of the Month
• Obtained over 50 defense verdicts in personal injury matters with many cases presenting multi-million dollar exposure
• Recognized by New York Magazine as one of the Top Personal injury trial lawyers in New York for 15 consecutive years, 2000-2015
• Cited by New York Times as one of the top 5% of “Super Lawyers” in the New York Tri-State Area for 10 consecutive years, 2006-2015