LEVITSKY LAW FIRM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Personal Injury and Family Law
Our Brighton Beach personal injury attorney knows that your experience is about so much more than the injury itself. These accidents can cause individuals to miss work, lose opportunities, and incur countless expenses while recovering.
Our Brighton Beach accident attorney is well known throughout the community for being able to help people feel empowered. We want you to be able to feel like you have a say in recovering from your personal injury.
A family law attorney in Brighton Beach can help you and the people you care about most navigate some of life's most challenging situations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Attorneys and Staff
- Litigation Paralegal
Dennis Dontsov is a 2022 J.D. candidate at New York Law School, where he is a member of the Dean's Leadership Council and sat on Law Review. At Levitsky Law Firm PLLC, Dennis combines his longtime passions for intellectual pursuit and helping others by working under the guidance of the firm's attorneys for the benefit of their clients.
Education
J.D., New York Law School
Job Titles:
- Founding Member
- Member of the Attorneys and Staff
- Principal
Dmitry Levitsky began his legal career almost fourteen years ago. Throughout these years, he worked for numerous law firms where he developed and sharpened his skills by assisting top-notch trial attorneys in representing clients in high-stakes personal injury matters.
Dmitry received an excellent legal training and experience while working as a case manager and paralegal at Lozner & Mastropietro - New York's leading boutique personal injury firm. In addition, while working for the Law Office of Yuriy Prakhin as a negotiator, he participated in many successful large-sum settlements and led the firm's negotiation team during the course of complex mediation proceedings.
During his senior year of law school, Dmitry gained invaluable experience while being an extern at the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.
Now, Dmitry dedicates his knowledge and passion to representing clients in personal injury legal matters. His unique strategic and personalized approach has helped numerous clients achieve favorable disposition in their cases and controversies.
In addition to being an attorney, Dmitry also enjoys traveling around the globe, watching football, soccer, hockey, among other things.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Member of the Attorneys and Staff
Joanna Zieba-Wylaz is a seasoned matrimonial attorney who brings invaluable expertise to the firm. Joanna - admitted in New York and New Jersey- received excellent legal training and experience while working as an associate at Spodek Law Group - New York's leading matrimonial law firm. In addition, while working at Sabaj Law P.C. , she led the firm's team during the course of complex trial proceedings.
Joanna is highly versed in representing individuals in all aspects of family law matters, including, but not limited to, dissolution of marriage, legal separation, child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, property identification, characterization, valuation and division, breaches of fiduciary duties, domestic violence, reimbursement claims, premarital and postnuptial agreements and related family law matters.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Legal Assistant
- Member of the Attorneys and Staff
Melanie Seleznyov first joined Levitsky Law Firm PLLC as a legal assistant six years ago. With dedication, hard work and persistence, Melanie has now become the youngest associate at Levitsky Law Firm PLLC.
Melanie is a Brooklyn native that is a child of immigrant parents from Belarus. Melanie always had a passion for oral advocacy and joined the Mock Trial/Moot Court team when she attended Midwood High School. After graduating Brooklyn College, Melanie decided to follow in the steps of Dmitry Levitsky and Yuriy Yaroslavskiy and pursue law school.
Melanie Seleznyov is now a graduate of New York Law School where she was rewarded for her academic achievements by earning a seat on the Dean's Leadership Counsel.
Today, Melanie focuses her practice in the areas of personal injury such as automobile accident litigation and bodily injury litigation. Melanie has a passion for helping people who have been through a traumatic experience and strives to give her clients the comfort and personalized attention as well as legal representation of exceptional quality.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Member of the Attorneys and Staff
Michelle Kariyeva is a graduate of Touro Law Center, where she was an active member of the Jewish Law Students Association, Women's Bar Association, and Family Law Society. Michelle was also a member of the Touro Law Honors Program and Touro Law Review. Most notably, she was the recipient of the Daniel and Rose Subotnik Distinguished Writing Award.
During law school, Michelle interned for the Honorable Arthur M. Diamond in Nassau County Supreme Court, where she researched and drafted opinions on various legal issues. Michelle's passion is matrimonial law. Her interest was sparked by being an extern to the Honorable John J. Leo of Suffolk County Supreme Court, where she dealt with a complex post-judgment divorce actions, issues of counsel fees, pendente lite relief, determination of spousal maintenance awards, validity of prenuptial agreements, as well as handling contempt applications. Being an extern in a matrimonial court taught her that compassion and understanding is a requirement to representing anyone.
Michelle is a first-generation American whose parents came to the United States after the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. She learned the importance of hard work and dedication by watching her parents adapt to a new world full of different cultural norms. Their sacrifices shaped her into being the person that she is today - a hardworking attorney who thinks creatively and works patiently every case that is assigned to her.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Attorneys and Staff
- Senior Associate
Ryan is a graduate of Boston University, which he attended on a merit scholarship and majored in Political Science and Communication. Ryan then studied at Syracuse University College of Law where he served as an Associate Notes Editor for Syracuse Law Review and Senior Articles Editor for the Impunity Watch Law Journal.
Ryan is a seasoned highly skilled litigator and a trial attorney who is always focused on obtaining favorable results for his clients. He has extensive experience in all aspects of civil litigation, including motion practice, jury trials and appellate practice. He began sharpening his skills as a trial attorney at a top 5 property and casualty insurance companies in America. During that time, he obtained numerous favorable jury trial verdicts while also successfully handling arbitrations, mediations, and appeals on behalf of the insurer and its policyholders. Most recently, he worked for a US News Tier 1-ranked National Insurance Litigation Defense Firm representing businesses and individuals all over the Tri-State area in personal injury and labor law matters.
Ryan is admitted to practice law in the State Court of New York and New Jersey, as well as Federal Court in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Away from the courtroom , Ryan enjoys playing golf with his wife, rooting for the Knicks, Rangers, Mets, Giants, and Syracuse Orange, as well as caring for his rescue dog.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Attorneys and Staff
- Litigation Paralegal
Shelly Mikhlin graduated from Brooklyn College with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Law and Real Estate. While still a college student, Shelly initially joined Levitsky Law Firm PLLC in 2018 as a legal assistant. With her passion and drive to learn, she quickly grasped the ins and outs of the litigation process. Today, Shelly handles the day to day administrative and litigation tasks at Levitsky Law Firm.
Prior to joining the firm, Shelly had five years of experience working for Allstate Insurance Company where she assisted in the handling of motor vehicle claims.
During her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, and exploring everything that New York City has to offer.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Member of the Attorneys and Staff
Yuriy Yaroslavskiy's was born in Ukraine and moved to Brooklyn, New York as a young boy, where he has resided ever since. In high school, he realized that law was his true calling. While only a senior in high school, Mr. Yaroslavskiy was able to secure an internship with one of the best criminal defense attorneys, Barry E. Schulman. At the Law Offices of Barry E. Schulman, Mr. Yaroslavskiy worked on high-profile cases that dealt, among other, money laundering and drug conspiracies.
Mr. Yaroslavskiy graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and obtain his law degree from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center where he pursued studies in litigation, criminal and matrimonial law. Just after his first year, Mr. Yaroslavskiy received an award for being one of the top oral advocates, honor is given to students who excel at courtroom presentations. During his final years in Law School, Mr. Yaroslavskiy interned at the prestigious United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York and Kings County District Attorney's Office, where he worked at the gang bureau. He concluded his final year of Law School as a student prosecutor at the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
At the end of his studies in law school, Mr. Yaroslavskiy developed a passion for matrimonial law. After graduation, he worked for some of the best litigators in the industry. He first learned the ropes from a fierce, skilled, and arguably the most intimidating matrimonial practitioner, Yonatan S. Levoritz. There, Mr. Yaroslavskiy had a chance to work on complex matrimonial matters that deal with equitable distribution, child custody and support, and orders of protection.
After parting ways with Mr. Levoritz, Mr. Yaroslavskiy joined a prestigious boutique firm of Spodek Law Group where he honed his skills as a courtroom attorney.
Mr. Yaroslavskiy enjoys spending his time with his wife and son. He is an avid hockey fan who is a die-hard New York Rangers follower.