Joseph T. Pareres

Joseph T. Pareres, the managing general partner and co-founder of the firm, graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics in 1982, and Fordham University School of Law with a Juris Doctor Degree in 1987. Upon graduating law school, Mr. Pareres became a senior trial attorney from 1987 to 1992 at a medium sized NYC defense firm, and specialized in trying cases in medical malpractice, Labor Law, professional liability, premises liability, product liability, and general liability. In 1996, Mr. Pareres joined Group Council Mutual Insurance Company (a doctor owned medical malpractice insurance company) where he was Senior Vice President of Claims. In that role, Mr. Pareres was responsible for all aspects of more than 1,000 medical malpractice cases and was responsible for all aspects of the legal and claims operations in addition to serving in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors. Mr. Pareres is well known to the plaintiff and defense bars as well as the Judiciary in the City of New York and its surrounding counties, having personally handled, evaluated, negotiated or resolved thousands of cases over 37 years.

In 1998, Mr. Pareres rejoined the firm as a managing general partner and trial attorney which are roles he still has today. Mr. Pareres has the unique experience of being both a trial attorney and senior insurance executive, which gives him a broad perspective in the management and handling of cases involving many complex civil litigation issues. From 2000 to 2012, Mr. Pareres was General Counsel to the largest physician-owned medical group in the State of New York and was instrumental in the formation of its Risk Retention Group which has developed into one of the largest and most successful Risk Retention Groups in the country. Mr. Pareres has been a guest lecturer on at both ASHRM and PLUS.

Mr. Pareres was also counsel to the Underwriters of Lloyds on complex and high exposure cases. He has served in an advisory capacity to the Underwriters with regard to primary and reinsurance matters and the interpretation of policy and contract language between various carriers in relation to the 9/11 World Trade Center litigation. Mr. Pareres was admitted to the Connecticut State Bar in 1987, the New York State Bar in 1988, and both the United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York in 1990, the Western District of Pennsylvania in 2009, and the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 2012.

Mr. Pareres has represented athletic organizations and was the president of the largest youth organization in Yonkers, New York for 12 years. He was a two time Academic All-American in Baseball at Fordham and was cofounder of one of he largest AAU programs in New York. He has handled cases involving various claims against those organizations including employment discrimination, personal injury, sexual harassment and assault cases.