VECCHIONE LAW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate at Vecchione
Atasha Mahabir is an associate at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, LLP. Ms. Mahabir graduated magna cum laude from the CUNY Honors College/Macaulay Honors College at Queens College in 2010 with a B.A. in Political Science and English Literature, and a minor in Business. She graduated from St. John's University School of Law in 2014.
Job Titles:
- School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2012
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Vecchione
Elyse O'Connor is a partner at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, L.L.P. Prior to joining Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, L.L.P., Ms. O'Connor worked in elder law for five years. In 2007, Ms. O'Connor then went on to specialize in Workers' Compensation Law. Before her law school education, Ms. O'Connor obtained an M.A. in Criminal Justice from John Jay College. Ms. O'Connor is a member of the New York State Bar Association.
Job Titles:
- Senior Partner
- Senior Partner at Vecchione
Gina Marie Cano is a senior partner at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors and Cano, LLP. Ms. Cano attended St. John's University where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice. She later went on to earn her Juris Doctorate degree from Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.
During her law school career, Gina began interning at what was then Vecchione, Vecchione & Connors, LLP. She learned about the intricacies of the Workers' Compensation Law in New York from the ground up. Upon being admitted to the bar in 2005, she was offered an associate position at the firm. Over the course of several years, she played a vital role in the firms' growth and development. Her hard work and dedication helped the firm become one of the leading insurance defense firms in New York State. In 2016, the firm announced that Gina would become a named partner to what is now Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors, & Cano, LLP.
Ms. Cano has been successful in having a noteworthy amount of Workers' Compensation claims disallowed, as well as findings of fraud under WCL Section 114-a. She is known by her colleagues as not only being a strong advocate for her clients, but also a reasonable mind with an ample understanding of the law.
As a senior partner, Ms. Cano oversees client relationships. She was nominated by one of her clients to be the Keynote Speaker at the New York State Self Insured Conference in 2017. Gina delivers presentations and seminars to carriers, employers and third-party administrations. In doing so, she makes certain that all clients are educated, well versed, and updated in all aspects of the Workers Compensation Law.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate at Vecchione
Heather R. Donohue is an associate at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, L.L.P. Ms. Donohue graduated from Barry University with a B.A. in Philosophy. She then attended St. Thomas University School of Law and was the recipient of the St. Thomas University School of Law Merit Scholarship and Pro Bono Award. During her law school career, Ms. Donohue interned for the Honorable Darrin P. Gayles of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit and for Chief Judge Linda Ann Wells. She also participated in an externship at Broward County Attorney's Office. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Donohue worked in insurance defense in New York and Florida on matters concerning construction law, commercial litigation and securities litigation. Ms. Donohue is a member of the New York Bar Association, Long Island Against Human Trafficking Organization and performs pro bono services at the Immigration Legal Services of Long Island. She is also a Board member of Brehon Law Society of Nassau County which is focused on monitoring and eradication of violations of human rights and civil liberties principally but not exclusively in the north of Ireland.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate at Vecchione
Henry Wu is an associate at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors and Cano, LLP. Mr. Wu has practiced Workers' Compensation Law since 2015, representing injured workers throughout New York and handled all aspects of those cases. Mr. Wu Joined Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano in 2021.
Irma Eagleton is a partner who joined Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, L.L.P. in 2016. Ms. Eagleton has over 21 years of experience in Workers' Compensation defense, No-Fault, and Arbitration. Ms. Eagleton was previously a partner at Jones Jones, L.L.C. Prior to receiving her law degree, Ms. Eagleton majored in English as an undergraduate and received her MBA with concentrations in Healthcare, Finance and Human Resources.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Vecchione
Jaclyn Granet is a partner at Vecchione, Vecchione Connors & Cano, L.L.P. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Granet worked for the New York City Law Department specializing in Workers' Compensation Law. During her law school career, she was a member of the Business Law Journal. Additionally, Ms. Granet completed an arbitration program.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Associate at Vecchione
James Mahoney is an associate at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, L.L.P. Mr. Mahoney has been practicing Workers Compensation Law for 6 years. He joined the firm in January 2016. In addition to handling all phases of litigation, Mr. Mahoney is a member of the summations team.
Mr. Mahoney graduated Stony Brook University in 2010 with a B.A. in political science. He subsequently went to law school at UNC at Chapel Hill and graduated with his J.D. in 2014. Mr. Mahoney was admitted to practice law in the State of New York in February 2015. He is a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate at Vecchione
Jenna Bontempi is an associate at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, LLP. In 2015. Ms. Bontempi graduated St. John's University cum laude with a B.A. in legal studies with a minor in international studies and public relations. She subsequently went to law school at St. John's University School of Law and graduated with her J.D. in 2018. During her time in law school, Ms. Bontempi was a member of the International Law Review journal and interned for Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, assisting in settlement negotiations. Ms. Bontempi was admitted to practice law in the State of New York in May 2019.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Bontempi worked as an insurance defense litigator where she represented insurance companies in long-tail asbestos and environmental claims.
Jennifer began her Workers' Compensation career in 2000 working for the City of New York Law Department Workers' Compensation Division. Thereafter, she went to a private firm on behalf of the insurance companies. While at this firm, she appeared at 11 hearing locations, representing carriers throughout the state. Jennifer then joined the Vecchione family, primarily in the Harlem location, eventually becoming the partner focused on that locale.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate at Vecchione
Jessica Feldman is an associate at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, L.L.P since 2018. Ms. Feldman began her legal career in 2016 in the workers' compensation arena. Ms. Feldman handles all aspects of workers' compensation litigation. She has extensive experience involving trials, depositions, hearings and other court or board correspondence. During her law school career, she took first place in the 1L Negotiation Competition out of over 100 other students, participated in Moot Court interscholastic Competitions and in numerous Dispute Resolution Competitions.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate at Vecchione
Justin Davis is an associate at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, L.L.P. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Davis worked as a prosecutor at the Bronx District Attorney's Office. As a prosecutor, Mr. Davis handled a full caseload comprised of a wide array of cases ranging from domestic violence, assault cases, robbery, and burglary cases, to attempted murder cases. While litigating those cases, Mr. Davis regularly examined and prepared victim-witnesses for testimony, cross-examined defendants, and defense witnesses, and drafted and responded to motions to move the cases forward. During his law school career, Mr. Davis was a member of the Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute (PTAI) team and was specifically selected for their externals (travelling competition-grade) unit. During his time with PTAI, Mr. Davis won best advocate in the second round at the Queens District Attorney's competition.
Job Titles:
- Senior Partner
- Managing Partner at Vecchione
Michael F. Vecchione is the Managing Partner at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano LLP. Michael's practice focuses on the effective and successful client defense, litigation and settlement strategies and results of Workers' Compensation cases. For more than 36 years, Mr. Vecchione continues to successfully argue on behalf of the Firm's clients in front of multiple venues such as the Workers' Compensation Board, the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Senior Associate
Pamela Segal is a senior associate in the firm's Appeals Department. Ms. Segal began her legal career in 2004, representing claimants in the areas of Workers' Compensation and Social Security Disability. In 2014, she joined Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, and specializes in drafting appeals, rebuttals, and memoranda of law. During her law school career, she was the Senior Articles Editor of the Conflict Resolution Journal, in which her Note was published.
Attorney with 26 years' experience litigating in administrative, civil and criminal arenas. Prior to relocating back to the United States in 2016, Ms. Sweeney-MacBride lived and worked in Ireland for 7 years specializing in entertainment law, commercial litigation, and insurance law. Prior to moving to Ireland, she specialized in NY Workers' Compensation Law for 7 years. She began her legal career in 1994 as an attorney at the Bronx District Attorney's Office prosecuting homicide, narcotic, and sex crime cases. As a result, she has developed extensive litigation skills.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Vecchione
Ronald Balter is a partner at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, L.L.P. He has practiced before the New York State Workers' Compensation Board for over 35 years. He brings his knowledge of the strategy used by injured workers to the defense bar to anticipate what steps an injured worker will be taking and to be ready to defend any steps taken by the injured worker to obtain additional benefits. He has handled cases from the initial stages before the Workers' Compensation Board to arguing cases before the Appellate Division -Third Department.
Mr. Balter has been the co-author of the seminal work on workers' compensation in New York, the annual New York Workers' Compensation Handbook (LexisNexis) since 2009. He has also presented numerous CLE seminars for the New York State Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association since 1989.
He has served on the Board of Directors of the Society of New York Workers' Compensation Bar Association since 1986. From 2004 through 2006 Mr. Balter was the Chair of the New York State Bar Associations Tort Insurance and Compensation Section's Workers' Compensation Division. He was by the section with the initial Mary M. Russo - John Sciortino Award for Contributions to the practice of Workers' Compensation Law in New York State. He was also honored as the section's District Representative of the Year for 2010 and 2013. He was recognized by the Institute for Jewish Humanities as the Workers' Compensation Attorney of the Year in 2005.
He has been inducted into the University at Buffalo's Athletic Hall of Fame and has had the equipment room in UB Stadium named in honor of him and his family. He was also honored with the Champion of Life Award at the 2018 Dollar General Bowl for his accomplishments in life and his dedication to the Human Spirit.
Mr. Balter has also served the Board of Directors of the University at Buffalo Alumni Association since 2011 as both a director and as an advisor to the President.
Samone L. Rogers began practicing Workers' Compensation Law in 2012 and has devoted her career to defending insurance carriers, self-insured employers, and third-party administrators. Prior to joining the firm in 2015, Ms. Rogers was an attorney at the Special Funds Conservation Committee where she handled matters related to Section 25-a, 15(8), and 14(6). Ms. Rogers has extensive experience handling all phases of litigation from inception to conclusion. Additionally, Ms. Rogers heads the firm's Cover Letter Department in which she drafts case specific summaries and pointed questions for Independent Medical Examinations.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate at Vecchione
Samuel Cohen is an associate at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, L.L.P. Mr. Cohen graduated cum Laude from Syracuse University in 2015 with a B.A. in both Television, Radio, & Film, and Psychology. He graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law in 2018. During his time in law school, Mr. Cohen was a member of the Syracuse Law Review, received numerous honors & awards, and worked for a small law firm in Syracuse, NY that specialized in employment law. He began his legal carrier working as in-house counsel to a small hospital in Auburn, New York before pivoting into the field of workers compensation in July 2019. Prior to joining Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, Mr. Cohen had been representing claimants in all aspects of Workers' Compensation litigation.
Mr. Dooley joined Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors and Cano, LLP, in 2015. He has over a decade of experience litigating Workers Compensation claims, including defending controverted cases, successfully pursuing fraud, and bringing claims to a quick closure either via decision or settlement. He graduated from the University of Missouri with honors and was a member of Moot Court and the International Law Journal while at Fordham University School of Law.
Sean M. Connors is an attorney with Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, LLP. He graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Soon after graduation, he was enrolled in St. John's School of Law and graduated in 2000. Mr. Connors has practiced personal injury law since 2001 and joined Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, LLP in September 2023.
Job Titles:
- Senior Partner
- Senior Partner at Vecchione
Steven F. Connors is a senior partner at Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano. Mr. Connors has practiced exclusively in Workers' Compensation Insurance defense for close to 30 years. He joined the firm as a senior partner in August of 2000. During his 20 years with the firm, he has actively engaged in all aspects of litigation, frequently handling high profile claims involving complex issues of law and/or fact. Mr. Connors is also the point person on several accounts. In this capacity, he offers the clientele claim strategies geared towards limiting liability and moving claims forward towards finalization.
Ms. Desai graduated from UCLA in 2008 with a B.A. in Sociology and obtained her Juris Doctor from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2012. Ms. Desai was admitted to practice law in New York in 2013 and she began her career in Workers' Compensation in 2014. She has engaged in all aspects of litigation, ranging from representation of her clients at hearings and depositions to filing appeals to New York State's Appellate Division, 3rd Department. Ms. Desai's prior experience as a claimant's attorney offers her a unique perspective in her defense strategy.
Ms. Cipollone has practiced Worker's Compensation Law for over 15 years. Ms. Cipollone spent many years working as an attorney representing injured workers in both Workers Compensation and Social Security Disability matters. Ms. Cipollone joined Vecchione, Vecchione, Connors & Cano, L.L.P. in 2013. Before beginning her legal career, Ms. Cipollone worked in the tax clinic assisting clients with tax matters with the IRS. Ms. Cipollone was a member of the Hispanic Law Society while attending law school.