SCAHILL LAW - Key Persons
Annmarie C. Montano started as a legal assistant at the firm before becoming an attorney. As a member of the litigation team, she handles all aspects of cases from the initial pleadings to trial, including taking and defending depositions.
She has an excellent rapport with clients, particularly when they are unfamiliar and frustrated with the legal process. She is responsive to their questions and helps them understand each stage of their case.
Annmarie is a strong supporter and participant in events for the American Cancer Society.
Education
Touro Law, JD 2001
Molloy College, BA 1996
In almost 10 years at the firm, Charles S Mailloux has successfully tried 70+ cases to verdict and 50 expedited trials under the Summary Jury Trial program. His practice primarily focuses on automobile accident cases as well as premises and personal injury claims. He enjoys trial work and the new challenges of every case.
Charles has worked at the firm since graduating law school. In between college and law school, he served as an AmeriCorps Volunteer, working with youth programs in Garrison, New York.
Baseball is his favorite sport and he is a big New York Mets fan. Charles is also a pitcher on the firm's softball team and Commissioner of the Long Island Litigation Softball League, in which the team participates.
Education
Ave Maria School of Law, JD 2005
Boston College, BA 2001
Christopher D. Fingerhut is an Associate at the firm. He is a member of our No-Fault Defense team and practices in Litigation and Arbitration. Prior to joining Picciano & Scahill, P.C., Chris was an Associate at both plaintiff and defense firms. He was also the manager and sole attorney for the New York No-Fault office of a major insurance company.
Education
Hofstra University School of Law, JD 2010
Colin Morrissey joins Scahill Law Group with over 25 years of experience in New York counts. Colin is a result oriented and creative attorney who is now a key asset to the firm's No-Fault department. Colin has been published several times in The Defendant (Journal of the Defense Association of New York) and is a proud member of the Defense Association of New York, New York State Bar Association and the Nassau County Bar Association. Prior to joining Scahill Law Group Colin owned and managed Morrissey Law P.C.
Dawn Munro is an Associate Attorney in the Summary Judgment Department. Prior to joining Scahill Law Group P.C., Dawn was an Associate at a personal injury firm and a Contract Attorney.
Dawn is married to her husband, Michael and together they have a son, Ryan, and daughter, Rachel. Dawn is a Mets Fan, loves going to the beach, gardening, cooking and entertaining.
Deborah Sullivan Reed, Esq. has a dual role at the firm. A successful trial attorney, she focuses on insurance defense litigation and defense for self-insured corporations. Within the firm, she also supervises the support staff, ensuring operations are efficient and clients are satisfied. In both roles, she draws on her extensive in-house and administrative experience. Before joining the firm, Debbie was Lead Counsel for Allstate Insurance Company for 13 years, where she managed the in-house counsel staff. For 6 years, she also defended a self-insured corporation against personal injury claims that occurred on their premises. Prior to law school, she was Administrative Manager at NBC in the Operations & Technical Services Division (O&TS) for 6 years, as well as a member of the Committee representing O&TS to review promotions and job descriptions for employees in the division.
Erin E. Hennessy is an Associate at the firm. Her practice primarily focuses on tort defense and uncontested Surrogate's Court proceedings. Prior to joining Scahill Law Group P.C., Erin was an Associate at various law firms concentrated in Civil Litigation. In her free time, Erin enjoys traveling and spending time with family.
Education
Hofstra University School of Law, JD 2014
As Managing Partner, Francis J Scahill, Esq. ensures the firm's commitment to the Golden Rule - responsiveness to clients. And the result has been long-standing relationships - in some cases for decades - with many clients.
His philosophy is an outgrowth of his background. A child of Irish immigrants, he was raised with the values of hard work and education. His parents struggled to build a life in the US and as a first-generation American, Frank felt a responsibility to succeed and live up to his parents' and the American dream. He grew up in Rockaway Beach and attended Fordham and St. John's University. He is an active alumnus of St. John's and each year the firm offers intern positions to law school students.
Within the firm, Frank fosters an environment where everyone feels like part of a family. He demands hard work and dedication to client service, but also encourages staff to work together and help each other. The importance of building strong relationships is evident in how the firm was formed and how it successfully grew from 2 attorneys to 55 attorneys and 100+ professionals. After law school, Frank was Law Clerk to the Honorable John A. Milano in New York City Civil Court. The judge became a mentor and life-long friend and many years later joined the firm as counsel.
Gerard Ferrara studied Business/Italian and graduated SUNY Albany in 1999. He spent over a decade in corporate America, beginning in finance, then shifting to the advertising world for a career publication and media company. Here he quickly climbed to management as an Executive VP, and became the youngest member of the Executive Board. To further round out his experience, Gerard went on to study at Cornell University, earning a Professional Certificate in Executive Leadership, while simultaneously consulting for other media companies to launch their advertising sales platforms. With a solid foundation of business and leadership experience, his next endeavor and entrepreneurial spirit led him to start his own successful construction company.
Gerrard's passion for learning also translated to his personal hobbies creating opportunities for extensive traveling where he received training in both scuba and emergency medical response. His demonstrated excellence in these areas culminated in him becoming a Master Scuba Instructor, teaching Rescue Diving, Search & Recovery, Nitrox, Navigation, Wreck and Deep Diving; as well as Emergency First Response, Neurological Assessment, Basic Life Support, CPR, AED, Advanced Emergency Oxygen Administration, and Hazardous Injuries.
Attending Hofstra Law School, Gerard served on the Planning Committee for the 2012 U.S. Presidential Debate held at Hofstra. Graduating early, he earned a JD with Honors, with a Business Law Honors Concentration. After working for a small firm and gaining experience in drafting and research, he spent several years working as in-house Staff Counsel at GEICO. Much of his accolades revolve around his success in Motions and Appeals, and his work in settling and resolving an unprecedented number of cases. His drafting work is often cited by the Court and other practitioners in the field.
Gerard's greatest accomplishment was finally convincing his high school sweetheart to marry him. He resides in eastern Long Island, with his wife and three children.
Gilbert J Hardy, Esq. is Nassau County Team Leader responsible for overseeing the firm's cases in that county. A skilled trial attorney, he has successfully tried a wide range of negligence cases including automobile negligence, premises, labor law, toxic torts and insurance coverage. He has also handled real estate, Surrogate's Court, and contract dispute litigation.
Defending claims is in his blood. He was raised by a well-known defense attorney and has had that mindset all of his life. He enjoys digging into his files and unearthing the truth behind the allegations, thereby exposing those who would attempt to take advantage of the justice system. Gil also relishes trying cases against seasoned litigators. He is successful because he spends more time preparing his files for trial than many of his adversaries. His knowledge of medicine and close contacts with his expert witnesses are also an advantage.
Isaac M Dana, Esq. brings a unique perspective to his work at the firm. With over 20 years of experience in personal injury litigation, he has spent 10 years on the defense side and 10 on the plaintiff's side. His practice focuses primarily on automobile accidents in Supreme Court, Kings County. His extensive knowledge of the people and the court system in the county are a significant asset to the firm and his clients. He draws on his people skills every day to maintain good relationships within the courts and plaintiff and defense bar.
Isaac volunteers his time with Empire Mock Trial, a nonprofit organization which hosts mock trial programs for high school students in New York and other cities. Every year he serves as a judge or juror in the annual high school competition. He also supports various American Cancer Society initiatives. Isaac is married with 4 children.
Education
Washington College of Law at American University, JD 1993
City University of New York, BA 1990
James Flynn began his legal career as an associate in the Business and Commercial Litigation at a large firm in Manhattan and moved on to become a partner in a smaller firm that focused on corporate and commercial litigation. James now works as an attorney at Scahill Law Group P.C. in our Summary Judgment and Appeals Department.
Jim is married with four children. A New York Mets fan since 1968 and in his spare time, Jim enjoys playing the guitar.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the Firm
Jeffrey Baron is a member of the firm's Bodily Injury team. Previously Jeff owned and managed the Insurance Defense Law Firm, Baron Law Firm. He is now a proud member of the Scahill Law Group team. Jeff has been published in the Suffolk Lawyer and has lectured at the Suffolk and Nassau Bar Associations.
Jeff loves spending time with his wife, Amy and two daughters. He also enjoys music and theater.
Jennifer Devenuti, Esq. has significant experience defending insurance companies against bodily injury claims. She handles pre-trial litigation matters including conducting depositions, making court appearances, reviewing medical records and drafting discovery-related demands, responses, motions, and opposition to motions. She also prepares Quarterly Reports for various insurance carriers. Her passion for her work comes from knowing that there is something new to learn every day and that a law degree opens so many doors inside and outside of the courtroom.
Prior to attending law school, Jennifer was a Litigation Paralegal at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett, PC for two years. During law school, she interned at the Nassau County District Attorney's office and at a small general practice law firm. During summers off from college, she was an intern in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York with Judge Joanna Seybert and an intern at the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.
Jennifer belongs to several organizations including the Columbian Lawyers' Association of Nassau County, Catholic Lawyers' Guild and Phi Alpha Delta. She participates in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks and is a supporter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
She is a New York Yankees, New York Giants, and New York Rangers fan and tries to go to games as often as possible. She loves the outdoors including hiking and camping and going to the beach, and general traveling. She has been devoted to community service activities throughout her life, including spending two weeks in Duran, Ecuador on a Mission Volunteer trip in May 1998, and a week during Spring Break 1999 in a community house in Bridgeport. She organized various service activities while in college and led workshops on homelessness and hunger issues at National Conferences.
Education
City University of New York School of Law, JD 2005
Fairfield University, BA 2000
Mr. Squier attended law school at the American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, DC where he interned on Capitol Hill for a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and also at a boutique firm in DC where he learned the value of full client service.
Mr. Squier began his career as a Deputy County Attorney in the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Phoenix, Arizona, then moved on to practice criminal defense and litigation. Seeing both the prosecution and defense side provided a well-rounded perspective of the criminal justice system, and Mr. Squier has further developed his practice to include civil litigation. Mr. Squier has extensive trial and litigation experience, having conducted approximately 70 cases to verdict in jury trials. Mr. Squier was recognized as a "Rising Star in the Southwest" by Super Lawyers in 2013 and 2014. A native New Englander, Mr. Squier returned to the East Coast and was admitted to practice in New York in 2014, where he has continued to develop his litigation practice, focusing on Personal Injury and Civil Litigation.
Education:
University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, B.A., 1998
The American University - Washington College of Law, Washington, DC, J.D., 2004
Kelly E. Wright, Esq., is involved with all aspects of the practice, including defense of premises, automobile and federal cases. Kelly is particularly adept at written and oral advocacy and uses those skills to successfully resolve cases through motions, mediation and settlement.
Prior to joining the firm, Kelly was a partner at a mid-sized insurance defense firm, where she handled cases from inception through appeal. She managed a diverse caseload including both state and federal litigation, with a particular focus on defense of civil rights claims, land use matters, and Education Law, Labor Law and automobile claims.
In her career, she has authored hundreds of successful motions and briefs in both state and federal court, and successfully argued before the Appellate Division and Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Kelly frequently appears before local municipal boards and administrative agencies, such as the State Division of Human Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Department of Justice, and has been successful on behalf of her clients at Administrative Law Trials and Public Hearings before those agencies.
Additionally, Kelly is a Team Captain for the annual Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and a team member for Northwell's Brain Aneurysm/Brain Injury walk. She is deeply committed to, and involved with, fundraising and awareness efforts for various childhood cancers, autism charities, and causes close to her heart.
Kelly is married with two daughters.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Managing Attorney of the Summary Judgment
Keri Wehrheim, Esq. is the Managing Attorney of the Summary Judgment and Appellate Departments. Her work includes all pre-trial aspects of insurance defense litigation, including taking and defending depositions and appearing in numerous New York State Courts, including Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and the five boroughs of New York City.
Prior to joining the firm, Keri managed the summary judgment and appeal department at a Long Island plaintiff's personal injury firm. Her 8 years of plaintiff-side experience provides an invaluable perspective on how her current adversaries will present their cases. She draws on this background to help resolve claims successfully and efficiently.
Keri is a graduate of St. John's University School of Law and Providence College where she received her Bachelors of Arts degree.
Education
St. John's University School of Law, JD 2004
Providence College, BA 2001
Kevin Philbin started his career after graduating from St. John's University in 1987. Kevin joined Scahill Law Group in 2022 specializing in Insurance Defense Litigation; Premises and Homeowners Liability; Motor Vehicle Torts; Products Liability; Labor Law/Construction Site Accidents.
Kevin and his wife Nancy live on Long Island and have 3 children, Laura, John and Stephen.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Managing Attorney
Laurine M. Rubin, Esq. is the Managing Attorney at Scahill Law Group P.C. She has nearly twenty years of experience in handling civil defense matters from inception through trial in all New York Counties, as well as Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester. She has successfully drafted and argued appeals before the Appellate Division. Her practice areas include the defense of motor vehicle, construction labor law, product liability, property damage and defamation matters pursuant to insurance policies issued by both personal and commercial lines. She has also defended several high profile, self-insured clients, including railroads, municipalities, and sports centers.
Prior to joining the firm, Laurine worked for a well-regarded New York City law firm and was also a Partner at a prominent Long Island law firm defending a variety of complex general liability matters.
Ms. Rubin has provided lectures on various civil defense litigation topics. She has also provided coursebook materials for publication by the New York State Bar Association. She is a member of the Defense Research Institute. She was honored as a Long Island Power Women in Business in December 2016.
Ms. Rubin is married with one child. She is an active participant in her daughter's school activities. She is also a Yankees fan.
Education
Hofstra University School of Law, J.D., 1997
Lester is the firm's Team Leader for Westchester and upstate New York counties. He oversees cases pending in the counties and advises attorneys on strategies and tactics to help them successfully resolve their matters. A skilled litigator, Lester handles a wide range of claims including personal injury, premises liability, medical malpractice, labor law, motor vehicle, slip and fall, wrongful death and litigation. His strength is his commitment to treating his clients, colleagues, and adversaries with respect.
Lester believes in using his legal background to give back to his community. He is the current President of the Bronx County Bar Association and its past Vice President, Treasurer, and Liaison to Legal Services of New York. Previously, he was a member of the Yonkers Mayor's Council on Youth and has lectured at Bronx high schools for Law Day. Currently, he is Legal Counsel to Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Yonkers, New York.
When he's away from work, he enjoys playing sports including football, baseball, and skiing. Lester is married with 3 children.
Education
New York Law School, JD 1985
Fordham University, BA 1982
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Kings County Team Leader
As Kings County Team Leader, Richard B. Brown, Esq. manages the firm's caseload in the county. He has over 19 years of experience litigating within the county and substantial knowledge of the court's inner workings and personnel. His practice focuses on automobile cases and he has successfully tried numerous high exposure claims. A natural problem-solver, Richard handles all aspects of defense litigation from inception through case resolution with skill and a passion for his work.
A native New Yorker, Richard is married with 2 school-age children who love sports. He enjoys cheering them on at their baseball, softball and basketball games.
Education
St. John's University School of Law, JD 1996
Iona College, BA 1993
Sam Amini is an Associate within the firm's Brooklyn Team. Prior to joining Scahill Law Group P.C., Sam worked at a general litigation firm practicing Personal Injury, Foreclosure defense, Surrogate's Court, Landlord Tenant, Commercial Litigation, and Administrative law litigation. During Law School Sam also interned with the Nassau County, Queens County, and Suffolk District Attorney's Offices. Furthermore, he completed internships with New York State Courts Access to Justice Program and the Suffolk County Law Department.
Sam was born in Queens, New York and raised in Hicksville, New York by his immigrant parents. Sam is an Avid supporter of Arsenal F.C., an English Premier League team.
Education:
Touro Law Center
A recent addition to the firm, Tara M. Kennedy, Esq. focuses on pre-trial and summary judgment matters. Her practice also encompasses handling arbitrations. She manages a wide-variety of automobile, property damage, and slip and fall cases from inception until trial.
She enjoys helping her clients and is a particularly strong researcher and writer; skills she often draws on to successfully resolve cases. Prior to joining the firm, she did extensive appellate work for a plaintiff's firm.
Tara is married with a young daughter. She loves sports and is a huge fan of the Jets, Rangers, and Yankees.
Education
Brooklyn Law School, JD 2005
Pennsylvania State University, BA 2002
Job Titles:
- United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York
Judge Milano was born in Hell's Kitchen on the West Side of Manhattan in 1926. He sang for several years in the Children's Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera House. He attended City College for one year and in 1944, on his 18th birthday, he volunteered and joined the United States Army Air Corps. He served in the Burma, China, and India theatre of war in World War II and received two battle stars for his service in the War in the Pacific. When he left the Army, Judge Milano returned to City College and was accepted to New York University School of Law where he graduated in 1950. As a young lawyer, he served as counsel to the Democratic leadership in the New York State Senate for 16 years.
In 1973 he was appointed one of the first Housing Court Judges in the City of New York. His career encompasses serving on the bench of 4 courts in New York - Housing Court, Civil Court, Acting Criminal Court and the New York Supreme Court. Prior to that, he was in private practice for over 20 years. From age 77-90 he was ‘of counsel' to our firm. He provided invaluable guidance and insights to attorneys at the firm. A staunch patriot, a proud veteran, a loving husband, and our great friend. We were all blessed to have Judge Milano in our lives.