KOSKOFF - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Vice President of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
Alinor is presently Vice President of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA). She also co-chairs CTLA's Rules and Amicus committees and has written numerous amicus briefs for CTLA and other organizations that promote civil justice. She is a board member of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven.
Ana Rios has been working at Koskoff for over 17 years. She worked as a legal assistant with our medical malpractice group, and in 2017 was promoted to paralegal on our products liability, motor vehicle and personal injury team after earning her paralegal studies certificate from UCONN. Ana currently resides in Hamden, CT with her husband and two children.
Barbara Larocca received a degree in paralegal studies from the University of New Haven and has worked at Koskoff for nearly 30 years. Currently living in Milford, she is married with one daughter.
Bill Bloss is widely regarded as among the most thoughtful and insightful attorneys in Connecticut, and his advice is widely sought by people across the legal and political spectrum. At Koskoff, Bill concentrates on significant personal injury cases as well as complex civil and criminal litigation in both state and federal courts.
Bill has represented individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries, including the loss of limbs, severe burns, spinal cord injuries, blindness, and death of loved ones - all as a result of the negligence of others. Bill also represented Common Cause and Connecticut Citizen Action Group in federal litigation that led to the overhaul of the state primary election system, and he represented the state Comptroller, several members of the General Assembly and a former Governor in elections-related matters. He brings a depth of understanding complex issues to every case he handles.
Earlier in his career, Bill served as a law clerk to Senior Judge Robert C. Zampano of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, and then to Judge Carolyn Dineen King of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Houston.
Carey Reilly has been with the firm for over thirty-five years. What drives her practice of law is the desire to champion the interests of the unheard, the disenfranchised, the forgotten. Leveling the playing field so the "little guy" can fight the establishment on equal terms is the true power of the law in her view. Carey's ability to grasp, advance and argue the law in complex factual settings - both at trial and on appeal -- is the cornerstone of her successful practice.
For decades, Carey has fought to expand the time limitations a victim has to sue a negligent party. On this issue alone, she has argued eight times before the Connecticut Supreme Court. One such victory was on behalf of a Koskoff client who was unknowingly infected with the AIDS virus thirteen years earlier when she received a contaminated blood transfusion as a teenager. In this landmark decision, Carey won her client the right to sue. Carey has also fought to change the law, which, due to her efforts, now prohibits gender discrimination in jury selection and allows a person to sue for injuries caused by a social host's negligent service of alcohol to minors.
Since 2006, each year Carey has lectured to hundreds of Connecticut trial lawyers regarding the notable Supreme and Appellate decisions of the prior year. She is also an Editor-in-Chief of, and frequent contributor to, the Connecticut trial lawyers' publication FORUM - a thought leadership magazine in the field of trial advocacy that is published twice a year. Carey is a tireless worker and believes in that ability of the law to effect great social change.
Job Titles:
- Controller
- in 2012 As Controller
Cindy joined Koskoff in 2012 as Controller. In addition to overseeing the firm's financial operation, Cindy manages client funds from time of receipt until all funds are fully disbursed to its clients and provides the firm's legal teams with full accounting of all client financial transactions. Prior to joining our team, she was Controller for US and Canadian operations for the international steel trading company Coutinho Caro for over 20 years. She started her career in the audit division of Peat Marwick and transitioned to their consulting practice.
Colin received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2019. While in law school, he was co-director of the International Refugee Assistance Project and a member of the Housing Clinic. He served as a legal intern for Community Legal Services of Philadelphia and for the Boston District Court Public Defender's Office.
Danielle Duprey completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science at Sacred Heart University, and received a JD from Vermont Law School. She is a licensed attorney and worked in commercial litigation and personal injury before joining Koskoff as a paralegal in 2016. Danielle enjoys travel, creative writing, and spending time with her rescued special needs boxer.
Diana Orozco has been at Koskoff since 1984. She is a paralegal in the medical malpractice group and is the firm's Litigation Support Manager. Diana holds an Associate's degree with Paralegal Certification and a Bachelor of Science degree in legal administration. She is married with two children and currently lives in Milford.
Diane Rivera, R.N., attended the Bridgeport Hospital School of Nursing and received her B.S. in nursing from the University of Connecticut. She also holds an M.S. in Exercise Physiology from Southern Connecticut State University and recently graduated from Sacred Heart University with a certification in Legal Nurse Consulting. Diane began working at Koskoff in 1999 and is a member of the intake team for medical malpractice.
Diane Zalewski received her bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Sacred Heart University and also holds a paralegal degree. She has been at Koskoff since 2001. Currently living in Bridgeport, she enjoys golfing and skiing.
Doug has extensive trial and appellate experience in both civil and criminal matters. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Doug handled a diverse caseload including matters involving financial fraud, investor fraud, public corruption, healthcare fraud, opioid overdose cases, violent crime, employment discrimination, medical malpractice, and various constitutional cases. Additionally, Doug handled numerous criminal appeals before the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. During his time with the government, Doug was the federal Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council coordinator at the U.S. Attorney's Office, and he was responsible for investigating and prosecuting cases relating to national security including international terrorism, domestic terrorism, and cyber matters. In 2007, Doug was detailed for the majority of the year working with the Department of Justice on Rule of Law issues in Iraq within the Iraqi courts.
Job Titles:
- Alumni Council of Brown University, past President
Jeff, a physician-attorney, leads Koskoff's medical malpractice investigation team, a team dedicated to researching and filing the firm's medical malpractice claims.
Jessica joined Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder in 2020 as a Theodore I. Koskoff Trial Advocacy Fellow. During law school Jessica competed in the Edward C. Stone Moot Court competition, advanced to compete in the Homer Albers Prize Moot Court competition where she was a semi-finalist, and finally returned to be a director of the Edward C. Stone Moot Court competition during her final year. During her time at the University of Michigan Jessica was a member of the Women's Glee Club as well as the Synchronized Swimming team and continues to swim as a member of USA Masters Swimming.
Job Titles:
- Managing Attorney
- Managing Attorney at Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder, Is Driven by a Concern for Excellence for His Clients, and Brings to All His Cases a Careful and Meticulous Technique
Jim Horwitz, the managing attorney at Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder, is driven by a concern for excellence for his clients, and brings to all his cases a careful and meticulous technique.
Since joining the firm in 1986, Jim has handled cases involving a wide range of conditions resulting from medical malpractice and has become well known for cases in the fields of obstetrics, neurology, cardiology, and pediatric medicine, as well as wide range of other medical specialties. He has written articles and lectured nationally about birth injuries.
Jim's direct, honest, and sincere approach, coupled with his skill as a trial lawyer, has resulted in numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts for his clients, including a $58 Million verdict, the largest medical malpractice verdict in Connecticut history, for a Norwalk family whose son suffered a birth injury that resulted in cerebral palsy.
Jim is a recent Past-President of both the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA) and the Greater Bridgeport Bar Association. He currently serves as a member of the CTLA executive committee, and on the board of the Long Wharf Theatre.
Joel was a contributor to the President's Commission on medical malpractice concerning medical malpractice in the 1970s. Prior to joining Koskoff, he worked for five years at a leading plaintiff's firm in New York, and then served as Executive Vice President and Head of Claims for a New York insurance company, in charge of medical malpractice litigation.
Joel has been a frequent lecturer to trial lawyer groups on issues relating to the investigation and detection of medical malpractice. He has also lectured to hospital and medical societies concerning liability issues.
Karen Jacobs, RN received her nursing degree from St. Mary's Hospital School of Nursing. She spent 27 years working as a Labor & Delivery Room nurse. Karen began working at Koskoff in 2008 and is a member of the intake team for the medical malpractice group. She raised her family in Litchfield and now resides on Long Island. She enjoys discovering what New York has to offer.
Mado Glass received her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and then a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in 2015. She joined Koskoff in 2017 with 9 years of legal experience in the areas of civil litigation, civil rights, disability, and immigration.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- State Representative for the 147th District of the Connecticut General Assembly
Matt was the legal architect of, and one of the lead attorneys on, Lafferty v. Jones, the case by a group of Sandy Hook families and a first responder against right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and the corporate entities that spread the lie that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax. The trial team obtained a $1.4 billion verdict against Jones and his company.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- President of the Public Justice Foundation
Preston is the President of the Public Justice Foundation. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA)and the American Association for Justice (AAJ), on the Connecticut Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System, and has served as a faculty member of both the National Defender Training Program and the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA)Continuing Legal Education Program. He has also served on the Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice's Criminal Justice Committee, on the Connecticut Hate Crimes Advisory Committee. He has served as a member of the CBA Professionalism Committee and the Professional Discipline Section.
Job Titles:
- American Inns of Court, Member
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications
Ronna has been leading the marketing and communications efforts at Koskoff as the Director of Communications since 2007. She has 30+ years of experience creating and leading marketing teams for existing and new products, both goods and services, in consumer and B2B markets. Prior to joining Koskoff, Ronna was the Director of Marketing at Nexstar, a B2B technology-driven financial services start-up. Ronna spent the first half of her marketing career at Norelco/Philips, working her way up the brand management ladder there. Realizing an opportunity to grow the business by developing a better understanding of customers, she created their Relationship Marketing department.
Simon Fillmore received his degree in International Development from McGill University in Montreal. He has been with Koskoff since 2016 and is an integral part of the intake team for non-medical malpractice cases. He enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, and politics.
Terri Beatty completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science at Washington College in Maryland, and received a paralegal degree in Philadelphia. She has worked as a paralegal for over 25 years and has been with Koskoff since 2003.
Wendy Grosso attended Sacred Heart University part-time before moving to San Diego, and then Arizona, to continue her education where she received her paralegal degree at a local university. She returned to Connecticut in 1992 and attended Quinnipiac University to pursue a bachelor's degree in liberal arts, and also began her career with Koskoff.