Bolstering the Ranks
The first half of 2019 saw a bolstering of the ranks throughout the firm with the addition of several new attorneys – two in White Plains and one in New Jersey. In February, Former U.S. Attorney Benjamin Allee joined Yankwitt LLP as a partner, and launched the firm’s White Collar Criminal Defense practice. Ben, who recently was honored with the Department of Justice’s 2019 Director’s Award, also represents clients in breach of contract cases, employment litigation, shareholder disputes and fraud investigations. The addition of Michael Reed, a former federal law clerk and premier NYC law firm alum, to Yankwitt LLP in May strengthened the firm’s federal commercial litigation and employment litigation practices. And, Brett Feldman joined our New Jersey office as a trial attorney, working closely with seasoned litigator George Godfrey III on a full range of litigation matters for hotels, casinos and restaurants throughout the Garden State.
Helping Our Hospitality Clients Sleep Better
Yankwitt LLP’s Hospitality Practice has had a busy 2019 so far, having already settled nine cases on behalf of restaurants and casinos. We’re happy to report that while the aggregate demand in these cases was more than $5 million, the average settlement was less than $50,000 – a small fraction of those initial demands. Needless to say, our clients are sleeping easier knowing that Yankwitt LLP is sitting on their side of the negotiating table.
Reaching New Heights in Public Service
Giving back to the community has always been a priority for Yankwitt LLP, and this year is no exception. In addition to the numerous bar events the firm has supported, including the Westchester Women’s Bar Association Annual Dinner, the Westchester County Bar Association Dinner, the Jazz for Justice Dinner, the Justice Brandeis Law Society Gala, and others, founding partner Russell Yankwitt, who serves on the board of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), co-chaired the organization’s annual Equal Access to Justice Dinner, which raised an unprecedented $550,000. The record-setting, sold-out event, hosted almost 500 businesses and individuals in support of LSHV’s efforts to provide free civil legal services to children and families throughout the Hudson Valley.
Yankwitt LLP is also sponsoring the Westchester County Light the Night fundraiser on October 26, 2019 at Rye Playland. Proceeds will benefit the unbelievable work of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in conducting groundbreaking research and providing support to those struggling with blood cancers. We encourage you to join the Yankwitt Tough team or form your own team and help us “light the night.” More information is available on the event website.
Celebrating a Decade of Service
This July, Yankwitt LLP will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary. Over the past decade, we have built a firm of accomplished attorneys who are smart, ethical, fair, all while advocating relentlessly on our clients’ behalf. But we couldn’t have done it without you – our clients. Thank you for your patronage and your dedication to Yankwitt LLP. We are proud to call you our clients and friends, and we look forward to working with you for another 10 years.