Independent Physician Association, page 4 w Tailwind Associates, page 10 w Rowlands + Barranca Insurance, page 16
Capital Region
Marketeer
The Greater Capital Region’s Business to Business Journal
Remarkable
recoveries
Steve Coffey (left) and
Tom DiNovo of O’Connell
& Aronowitz Attorneys
CAPITAL REGION MARKETEER, 1400 BALLTOWN RD., SCHENECTADY, NY 12309 B U L K R AT E
U.S. POSTAGE take the high road to
PA I D
CAPITAL REGION
MARKETEER personal injury litigation.
1809
SEE PAGE 14
Attorneys Steve Coffey (left) and Tom DiNovo
don’t let today’s litigious climate distract them
from the personal and professional ethics
they’ve always practiced.
Remarkable O’Connell &
Aronowitz Attorneys
recoveries
take the high road to
personal injury
litigation.
BY DAVE TURNER
A
TTORNEYS HANDLING PERSONAL INJURY CASES ARE PRACTICING LAW IN AN ENVIRONMENT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT
they experienced just a few years ago. In spite of increasing legal complexity, courts are hearing and rul-
ing on cases in much less time. Lawyers are under pressure to quickly access and digest an unprece-
dented volume of rapidly updated information. The need for experts to make sense of information in
case preparation and the courtroom has caused litigation costs to rise. Legislators are pushing to limit
recoveries through tort reform that has become all but inevitable. And some say that potential clients
and jurors have become more cynical and tougher to reach. But Steve Coffey and Tom DiNovo in
Albany say today’s climate is far from unworkable. Instead, they say, it merely keeps them focused on being better at
their jobs as they remain on the high road they’ve always traveled.
NO PROBLEM
“It’s a lot tougher than it used to be,” says Steve Coffey, a widely known juxtaposed criminal defense and plaintiff’s
negligence attorney. “But I have no problem with that. You just have to change with it.” By “change,” he means tapping
the power of information technology as it advances, continuing education, conducting focus groups and polling juries
to get a better read on how the current climate can work to a client’s advantage. And, he says, it is critical to invest in
help from industry insiders and other resources can build and present an effective case. “It’s how to give clients the
best chance they can possibly have of getting their case to recovery,” says Coffey, who stands adamantly behind a policy
that steers his firm clear of frivolous cases.
Coffey has seen success in helping clients recover for many years. Coffey — who entered private practice from the
Albany County District Attorney’s Office Albany in 1975 — and DiNovo who has been with him since 1988, have
14 C A P I TA L R E G I O N M A R K E T E E R T H E G R E AT E R C A P I TA L R E G I O N ’ S B U S I N E S S T O B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L
Steve Coffey (top) and Tom DiNovo achieved
Away from the media spotlight
upstate New York’s highest personal injury He’s known for criminal defense, but that’s just a small part of Steve
verdict — $19.5 million for a girl injured by Coffey’s practice.
a defective product.
Many in the greater Albany area know Steve Coffey as a prominent criminal
defense attorney. His frequent appearances as a commentator with anchor
Liz Bishop on WRGB-TV Channel 6 news—not to mention other
broadcast and print media across New York—have established him as a
regional expert on criminal law. He has also appeared in local news
coverage as counsel for the defense in high-profile cases. But while his
knowledge and experience have made him a key player in such matters,
most of his practice involves another area of law.
“The vast majority of the work I do is actually plaintiff’s negligence,” says
Coffey, who defines the work as representing people who have been
seriously injured and who commence lawsuits as a result of their injuries.
He limits his negligence work to the plaintiff side, never taking a case where
he would represent a defendant. “I do not have divided loyalties,” he says.
IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE
Coffey’s performance in this area is impressive—he has won more
multimillion-dollar verdicts in the region than any other attorney. In
addition, he and DiNovo also have the honor of achieving what is believed
to be the highest personal injury jury verdict in upstate New York — a
$19.5 million award for a young girl who was severely injured as a result of
a defective product. But Coffey is quick to point out
that these legal victories did not blossom out of
frivolous lawsuits. “I’m not interested in suing for the QUICK STATS
sake of suing,” he says. “I’m not interested in taking any COMPANY NAME
person who thinks that he or she has a claim w O’Connell &
regardless of its merits. I’m interested in people who Aronowitz Attorneys
have been seriously injured, who feel that someone TYPE OF BUSINESS
has violated their rights.” w Law firm
LOCATIONS
In discussing his approach, Coffey clearly aims to dispel
w Main office in
preconceived notions that paint all personal injury Albany, Satellite
attorneys with the same brush. He says this is offices in Plattsburgh
important, particularly among people who might shy and Saratoga
away from pursuing a case or hiring an attorney EMPLOYEES
unaccustomed to handling this type of work because w 24 attorneys,
of negative stereotypes. “There’s an attorney you can including 12
partners, plus
relate to, who’s going to take care of your family, who
approximately 40
really represents that same thing in business that you support staff
represent in your business,” he says.
YEAR FOUNDED
Mary Reardon says she and her family chose Steve w 1925
Coffey because of the level of respect and MAJOR AREAS OF PRACTICE
prominence he has attained in the community. “Our w Personal injury
built the firm’s personal injury business from about 25 date spe- litigation, criminal
case was very high-profile and we were looking for
cases in the mid-1980s to hundreds of cases today. cial defense
somebody who would carry that off with grace,” she
“That’s not the kind of thing that happens overnight. It needs. says. “And he did.” KEY TO SUCCESS
w Focused
takes a lot of hard work,” says DiNovo . The support of “They
specialization
peers, businessmen and professionals has helped, too. were the
WHAT’S AHEAD
“We do a lot of work with referring attorneys,” he says. most w Continued
“In this profession, I believe that’s probably the highest attentive, the most conscientious, and they were willing investment to
compliment one can receive.” to travel to us,” says Laurie. “I wouldn’t hesitate to rec- maintain latest
information
ommend them to my best friend.” technology tools;
POSITIVE FEEDBACK “The emotions are still fresh,” says Dan Maggs of changing strategies
In the end, though, client satisfaction speaks loudest. Schenectady, N.Y., who concluded his case with the firm to adapt to
expected tort
Ace and Laurie Greenia of Richford, Vt., considered in November. “Steve and his staff demonstrated that they reform
several firms before choosing Coffey and DiNovo for care,” he says. “The end results of the personal injury
their personal attention and willingness to accommo- ended up absolutely positive for my family.” x
T H E G R E AT E R C A P I TA L R E G I O N ’ S B U S I N E S S T O B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L C A P I TA L R E G I O N M A R K E T E E R 15