Workers' Compensation Law Firm Social Security Disability Lawyers
New York • Long Island • Westchester County
David Klein: I am proud to say that workers' compensation and social security disability law has been a part of my life almost from childhood. My father, Lawrence Klein, was a pioneer in the field of workers' compensation. I began my apprenticeship at the age of fifteen, working summers in my father's growing law practice. In the many years since, I have progressed from clerk, to claims examiner, to licensed claimants' representative, to attorney always expanding and refining my knowledge of the law and of the Byzantine system that can sometimes obstruct the ends of justice for the injured worker and small businessman, unless it is negotiated by an aggressive and experienced practitioner.
I have given classes and workshops, and written newsletter articles, for many local unions and Teamsters, including asbestos workers, hazardous waste carters, drivers of baked goods and dairy products, EMS paramedics, butchers and meat-wrappers, the Municipal Police Benevolent Association, and the Mason Tenders Training Fund, SEIU 1199 and Locals 108 and 79. I have published an article in the chiropractic journal, New Directions, and I was interviewed by the State Bar News on workers' compensation and carpal tunnel syndrome. My article on labor unions and workers' compensation law appeared in the online magazine Labor Press.
I am proud to have donated my time and the time of my staff to the Workplace Project, El Centro Del Inmigrante, The Latin American Workers Project, N.I.C.E. (New Immigrant Community Empowerment) The Mexican Consulate, and also to The Dejus Center; all organizations dedicated to the empowerment of immigrant workers.
After the tragedy of 9-11, I was honored to be invited by Mount Sinai Hospital's Health for Heroes program to address workers who were disabled as the result of working at Ground Zero, and I have since come to represent hundreds of such injured and disabled Ground Zero cleanup personnel.
I have been interviewed on construction safety and Workers' Compensation on Univision Channel 41. I am a member of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement and I am also a member of the New York Immigration Coalition.
I have been interviewed about the epidemic of uninsured employers in The China Press, SingTao Daily, and in the Ming Pao Daily News.
I have been presented with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Latino Laborers Culture Association Local 79 in recognition for my continued support.
Susan Klein: My father would often say that family is the most important thing in life. In addition, he taught me to regard all the people in my life as family: my friends, co-workers, employees, and in particular, my clients. And although he was a highly regarded figure in the world of workers' compensation, and maintained a thriving practice, he was always true to his word, never giving less than the best of his time and attention.
When I graduated law school and became an Assistant District Attorney assigned to Elizabeth Holzman's ground-breaking Sex Crimes Unit, I learned all too well how wise my father was, and how tragically the bonds of affection and responsibility can be torn apart. I vowed that I would take my fathers words ever more to heart. That is why I now maintain a boutique law firm, one that is sizable enough to meet the practical requirements of my clients (thorough research and preparation in the service of aggressive and imaginative advocacy), while staying small enough to meet my clients more personal needs (close attention and sympathetic counseling.)
My efforts on behalf of my workers' compensation and social security disability clients have resulted in several radio appearances, notably on the popular Bernard Meltzer and Bernadette Michaels radio shows, and have also led to my being profiled in the INTERNATIONAL TEAMSTER magazine.
I am also very proud to have received a Distinguished Service Award, granted to me by the New York State Chiropractic Counsel.
Leslie G. Tilles: Of all the satisfactions practicing workers' compensation and social security disability laws, the greatest by far is when a client takes the trouble to give me a special thank-you. A birthday card, a home-made gift at Christmas-it might just be a small note of gratitude, but at those times I am reminded why, since 1991, I come to work each morning.
In recent years my focus has been on litigating Ground Zero claims. The cases are long and complex, but my efforts have been rewarded time and again. I have also been working closely with the personal injury attorneys throughout the city who ask The Klein Group to help their clients who have not only personal injury cases, but also workers' compensation and social security disability claims. I think of these referral attorneys as my friends, and I enjoy coordinating strategy, maximizing Kelly value, and making happy clients who feel confident referring to my friends and fellow lawyers, their own family, friends, and, neighbors.
A graduate of Benjamin Cardozo Law School, I have presented at a conference for Ground Zero clean-up workers hosted by Mount Sinai Hospital. I am licensed in New York and New Jersey. Understanding the differences and similarities between New York and New Jersey's workers' compensation laws has been a fascinating aspect of my work, and a compelling subject for study.
Nicole Henriquez: Since coming to our firm in the year 2000, Nicole has handled countless hearings, trials, and depositions for our clients. You are most likely to meet Nicole at a hearing if you live in Queens or Long Island. Nicole has a take-no-prisoners approach to representing our clients at hearings-she cannot be intimidated by insurance company lawyers.
Nicole got her start as a lawyer working as an assistant district attorney. That is a highly coveted job that only goes to top candidates. Nicole says that she much prefers fighting for the rights of injured and disabled workers, and that has certainly been proven true by her impressive winning record.
If Nicole handles your case at a hearing, you will be impressed by her preparation, her intelligence, and her fearlessness in fighting for your rights.
Darren P.B. Rumack: Darren Rumack fights for our clients' rights to a legal wage, to proper overtime pay, and to a workplace free from race and gender discrimination. In battling scofflaw employers, Darren has a special edge: he comes to us from the firm Fox Rothschild, where he represented defendants in wage-and-hour, discrimination, and harassment cases. Now, with his insider's perspective, Darren can anticipate what the other side is thinking and planning, and can strategize an effective response.
Darren is also no stranger to workers' compensation and social security disability, as he manages the firm's Workers' Compensation Settlement Division, and has represented clients at several disability hearings.
