SEATED (left to right): David Scher*, Scott Occhiogrosso*, Stephen Murphy*, Jeffrey Block*, Daniel O’Toole*, Joseph Donahue*
STANDING (left to right): Ravi Sattiraju†, Frederick Aranki*, Pawel Wierzbicki, Michael Hurwitz*, Ameer Benno*, Christina (Mark) Mercado**, **
*Chosen to 2019 NY Super Lawyers; **Chosen to 2019 NY Rising Stars; †Chosen to 2019 NJ Super Lawyers
In recognition of their dedication to success, 12 of our attorneys have been chosen as 2019 Super Lawyers or Rising Stars. Our attorneys honored as Super Lawyers are among the top 5% of lawyers in their area of practice and those named Rising Stars are among the 2.5% of attorneys selected in the New York Metro area to receive this recognition of excellence.
Before being selected to the Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists, nominees are put through a rigorous multiphase selection process by Super Lawyers Magazine, which consists of the following steps:
- Step 1: Lawyers must be nominated by their peers in order to be considered.
- Step 2: Each lawyer is evaluated based on 12 indicators, including verdicts and settlements, their position within their law firm, experience, as well as honors and awards.
- Step 3: Lawyers with the highest point totals at this point serve as Blue Ribbon Panel members to evaluate other candidates within their practice area.
- Step 4: The top 5% of attorneys are selected to Super Lawyers and 2.5% of attorneys are selected to Rising Stars.
The following Block O’Toole & Murphy attorneys are honored in the 2019 Super Lawyers list:
- Jeffrey Block
- Daniel O’Toole
- Stephen Murphy
- Joseph Donahue
- David Scher
- Scott Occhiogrosso
- Frederick Aranki
- Michael Hurwitz
- Ameer Benno
- Ravi Sattiraju
- Christina (Mark) Mercado**
- Daniel Seiden**
**Selected as a Rising Star**
This list includes our firm’s six partners, five associates, and an of counsel attorney. Partners Jeffrey Block and Daniel O’Toole have received this prestigious recognition for more than ten consecutive years.
“It’s an incredible honor to have our attorneys recognized for the work they put into each and every case,” says partner Daniel O’Toole. “The greatest reward is knowing that every client is appropriately compensated for their losses and can move forward in the best possible way.”
Two associates, Christina (Mark) Mercado and Daniel Seiden, have been named Rising Stars this year. This title recognizes lawyers who are younger than 40 years old or within the first 10 years of their careers in law. We are fortunate to have Ms. Mercado and Mr. Seiden who bring younger perspectives to our firm that are crucial as we aim to fully understand our clients and their diverse experiences.
“Everyone at our firm is focused on obtaining justice for our clients,” explains founding partner Jeffrey Block. “We recruit the best talent possible to make sure that clients are in great hands.”
This past year, Block O’Toole & Murphy continued to see tremendous success from our attorneys’ hard work. The firm won a record-breaking $110 million verdict for a cyclist who was paralyzed by a falling railroad tie while passing through a construction site. This is believed to be the largest non-medical malpractice jury verdict in New York State history. Other 2019 results include a $13 million settlement in a wrongful death action and an $11.5 million settlement for a construction worker who suffered severe wrist injuries after a work site accident.
Our firm’s dedication to our community goes beyond legal representation. Each year, our firm hosts the St. Jude’s Wine Tasting with the goal of raising money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. This year, the firm hosted the 27th Annual St. Jude’s Wine Tasting with partner Stephen Murphy serving again as Event Chairman. Block O’Toole & Murphy is proud to have raised more than $6 million for St. Jude’s since we began hosting the event in 2007.
The service we provide to our surrounding community is what fuels our attorneys to keep working. “Our primary goal is to help others,” says partner Stephen Murphy. “At the end of the day, we want to be able to say that we’ve done all we can to bring justice to those who deserve it.”
Read more about Block O’Toole & Murphy in the 2019 Super Lawyers magazine.