Child Victims Act Cases: 2024 Litigation and ADR Update

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Hon. Elizabeth Bonina is a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Kings County, and is a member of NAM's Hearing Officer Panel. Judge Bonina has deep experience and skill in handling sexual abuse and sexual harassment matters. She has mediated numerous high-profile sexual abuse matters and cases involving claims of harassment, abuse, rape, sexual molestation, and sex trafficking. Judge Bonina has also mediated cases with claims against individually named defendants, employers, educational and religious institutions. Judge Bonina has also successfully facilitated the settlement of cases involving a wide range of other practice areas that include personal injury, premises liability, labor law, sports and recreation, and employment law. Judge Bonina has consistently been voted a Top Mediator and Arbitrator since the inception of the New York Law Journal Best Of Survey. In 2022, she was voted the #1 Arbitrator and a Top 10 Mediator in the state. In 2020, she was voted the #1 Mediator / #1 Arbitrator in New York State and has been named the #1 Arbitrator five times in the last ten years. Judge Bonina is available to arbitrate and mediate cases throughout the New York Metro area.

Danielle Medeiros, Esq. has served as the Principal Law Clerk to the Honorable Leonard D. Steinman in Nassau County since 2019. Judge Steinman currently presides over the Child Victims Act Regional Part, which includes seven downstate counties. Prior to her current appointment, Ms. Medeiros also served as law clerk to Judges in both Nassau and Suffolk County, each of whom presided over a general civil part overseeing a variety of matters, including medical malpractice actions, actions against municipalities, personal injury actions, and commercial matters. Before working in the courts, Ms. Medeiros was a litigator in private practice, handling primarily personal injury and insurance defense matters. Ms. Medeiros received her J.D. degree from New York Law School in 2013, and her undergraduate degree from Siena College.

Recognized as one of the top lawyers in New York and the United States, Jordan Merson specializes in cases involving injured children, handling issues ranging from birth injuries and medical malpractice to the devastating aftermath of sexual abuse, showcasing his unwavering commitment to justice for the most vulnerable. Dubbed the "trial lawyer to the stars," Merson has also been recognized as the "go-to lawyer nationally" for high-stakes cases, having fearlessly taken on Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Larry Nassar, and others. In recent years, he twice secured the largest personal injury jury verdict in New York County. Notably, he secured a $28 million verdict for a former New York Giants player in a medical malpractice case. This landmark victory underscored Merson’s legal prowess and garnered widespread media attention, highlighting his ability to command both courtroom and public discourse. Merson has been described as the legal equivalent of Patrick Mahomes in football, Pete Sampras in tennis, and Bill Bradley in both basketball and politics.

Experienced trial lawyer specializing in the defense of cases alleging employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and civil rights violations. Additionally, experienced in defending general liability and professional liability claims in state and federal courts. Specialties: Insurance defense, general liability, employment liability defense, professional liability, civil rights, and constitutional law.