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Stephen B. Toner

“Stephen received his B.S. degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1978 and his J.D. degree from New England Law in Boston in 1983.  While at New England Law, Mr. Toner completed courses in International Trade and Investment at Kings College, London, England, as well as at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Law in Hong Kong. Stephen was employed from 1978 through 1983 at AIG’s high risk and excess lines carrier, the  Lexington Insurance Company in Boston where he established the Recovery Unit of the Claims Department.  There he was nationwide manager of all outside counsel on their excess claims litigation.  He was also Manager of the  Reinsurance Department at The Lexington. Stephen has a significant record in obtaining defense verdicts in complicated medical malpractice actions and products liability cases, Directors & Officers/Errors & Omissions claims as well as a wide range of general liability actions.   He is a frequent lecturer to physicians at the State University Hospital system on malpractice avoidance as part of their continuing medical-legal education. Stephen is Board Certified as a Civil Trial Specialist, certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Moreover, Stephen has served as senior trial counsel for several major New York City defense firms, where he handled cases involving substantial damage exposure, complex products liability, medical malpractice, dental malpractice, E&O/D&O claims and general liability defense. Stephen is admitted to practice in the State Courts of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, the Supreme Court of the United States, the Federal District Court of the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the Supreme Court of the State of Connecticut, and U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First & Second Circuits and the U.S. Court of International Trade.”

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Thomas F. Keane

“Thomas received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany in 1982 and his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1985. Thomas is admitted to practice law in the State and Federal Courts of New York. Thomas is an accomplished trial and appellate attorney with over 20 years of experience in handling a wide variety of insurance defense cases, primarily in the areas of automobile, premises, construction, product liability and personal injury defense litigation. He has argued appeals before the Court of Appeals of the State of New York, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Appellate Divisions of the First and Second Departments. Moreover, Thomas has served as an instructor and guest lecturer for the Corporation Counsel’s Trial Advocacy Program at Fordham Law School, as well as for the St. John’s University School of Law.  He is a co-author of Advanced Trial Advocacy in New York. A partial list of published appeals briefed and argued by Mr. Keane are as follows: Carter v Full Serv., Inc., 2006 NY Slip Op 03626 (1st Dept. 2006); Pekelnaya v. Allyn, 25 A.D.3d 111, 802 N.Y.S.2d 669, (1st Dept. 2005); Blamer v. Singh, 20 A.D.3d 440, 797 N.Y.S.2d 777, (2nd Dept. 2005); Tamburello v. Bensonhurst Car & Limo Service, Inc., 305 A.D.2d 664, 759 N.Y.S.2d 690 (2nd Dept. 2003); Michel v. Gressier, (2nd Dept. 2002); Davis v. City of New York, (2nd Dept. 2002); Churyk v. Haner, (2nd Dept. 2000); Liberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. Hartford Cas. Ins. Co., (2nd Dept. 2000); Fertik v. Fertik, (2nd Dept. 1999); Lagano v. Chrysler, (2nd Cir. 1998); Marinaccio v. New York Hospital, (2nd Dept. 1996); Wausau Underwriters Ins. Co. v. Continental Cas. Co., (1st Dept. 1996); Amusement Consultants, Ltd. v. Hartford Life Ins. Co., (1st Dept. 1995); Rivera v. Macaluso, (2nd Dept. 1994); Lyons v. National Union Fire Ins. Co., (2nd Dept. 1994); Krygier v. Airweld, Inc.(N.Y.Sup. 1987).”

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John J. Komar

“John received a B.A. degree in English from the State University of New York, College at Purchase in 1980 and an M.A. in American Literature from the University of Massachusetts at Boston in 1982.  He received his J.D. from Pace University School of Law in 1988. John has primarily practiced in the area of premises and automobile liability defense, handling high exposure trials and appeals throughout New York City and the Hudson Valley region.  John's areas of expertise also includes the defense of elevator and construction liability cases and insurance coverage claims.  Finally, John has a BV rating from Martindale Hubbell.”