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Front row (left to right): Seth MacArthur, Faziah Gafur, Michael Lamonsoff, Dmitry Lapin, Stacey Haskel, Jessica Massimi
Back row (left to right): Darren Moore, Albert Kim, Joseph Gorczyca, Colin Mulholland, Jonathan Wachlarz, Ryan Lawlor
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When asked to identify the most rewarding part of handling plaintiffs’ personal injury cases, Michael S. Lamonsoff, Esq., the owner and principal of the Law Offices of Michael S. Lamonsoff, doesn’t hesitate to answer: “Winning,” he says. “I love to win, and my clients love me for it.”
In just over two decades, Mr. Lamonsoff has built one of New York’s largest and most successful law firms concentrating in personal injury, medical malpractice, and police and prosecutorial abuse cases. He has meticulously put together a highly experienced team of aggressive lawyers, paralegals and paraprofessionals that reflect his zeal to win.
The overwhelming majority of his clients retain the firm because of its reputation and by referrals from former and current clients. His firm’s reputation is fueled by a track record that includes some of the largest personal injury verdicts and settlements in New York history. The Law Offices of Michael S. Lamonsoff has successfully litigated a considerable amount of high-profile matters. Among its landmark cases, Mr. Lamonsoff’s firm represented many of the families who lost loved ones in the American Airlines Flight 587 disaster. His firm also represents many of the victims of the Metro-North train disasters in Connecticut and the Bronx; in Halifax, North Carolina; the 2014 gas explosion in East Harlem; and the 2012 police shootings at the Empire State Building.
While the vast majority of cases settle, Mr. Lamonsoff believes in preparing every case for trial. “Our philosophy is that the highest settlements are awarded when the defendant is afraid of the consequences of a trial against a highly prepared law firm. We are that law firm.” This passion has led the firm to attain record verdicts and settlements. In 2014, Mr. Lamonsoff’s firm secured a $4.75 million settlement two days before trial on behalf of a man who served 18 years in prison for a murder he did not commit; this is the highest award in state history for a wrongful conviction. Mr. Lamonsoff’s firm also obtained one of the highest verdicts in the state—a $5.5 million award—for a construction worker who suffered spinal injuries when a wood bracing collapsed; and in another case involving an injured construction worker, the firm attained a $4.75 million settlement days before trial.
With the firm’s many multi-million dollar recoveries, Mr. Lamonsoff has become an authority in his field. He is often called upon by local, national, and international news outlets to provide commentary on the high-profile cases he litigates as well as commentary on important, trending legal topics. His peers, meanwhile, have named him to Super Lawyers and inducted him into the prestigious Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums. Further, he was elected to serve on the New York State Trial Lawyers’ Association’s Board of Directors. Mr. Lamonsoff remains the highest-rated New York City personal injury attorney on many premier lawyer ranking services online.
Mr. Lamonsoff says, “I founded this firm to create not just the biggest law firm concentrating in personal injury, but the most successful, professional and aggressive firm. I have instilled my team with an unyielding ‘no-holds-barred’ attitude toward litigation and fighting for our clients.”