Andrew Finkelstein featured on Season 2 of ‘Between the Briefs’
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Andrew Finkelstein
Partner
1279 Route 300
PO Box 1111
Newburgh, NY 12551
Andrew Finkelstein – Managing Partner, Finkelstein & Partners, LLP
Mr. Finkelstein’s career reflects a rare blend of legal excellence, educational leadership, and unwavering dedication to justice and public safety.
Andrew Finkelstein is the Managing Partner of Finkelstein & Partners, LLP, where he has built a distinguished career advocating for injured individuals and holding corporate wrongdoers accountable. A nationally recognized consumer advocate and accomplished trial attorney, Mr. Finkelstein has successfully litigated numerous wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases, securing multiple multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. Notably, he achieved a record $50 million confidential settlement for a single injury claim, $31 million jury verdict in Ulster County, NY, and a $13.5 million settlement in a motor vehicle accident case, as well as dozens of other multi-million dollar results.
Mr. Finkelstein’s leadership extends beyond the courtroom. He currently serves as the 58th President of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA) and is a dedicated faculty member and Executive Chairman at Trial School, a nationwide nonprofit organization committed to training trial lawyers. A quote from Andrew, as NYSTLA president, lives in this most recent article on Law.com, discussing the implications of a lawsuit if these three New York bills are signed into law.
He is an accomplished author whose book, I Hope We Never Meet, reached #1 on New York Times best seller list.
He has also taught at Keenan Trial Institute, Trial Lawyers University, and lectured at prestigious institutions including Harvard Law School and Brooklyn Law School. His continuing legal education (CLE) presentations span multiple state trial lawyer associations, including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, and Maryland, as well as national conferences such as Mass Torts Made Perfect, and National Trial Lawyer Academy.
A passionate educator, Mr. Finkelstein frequently lectures at the Finkelstein & Partners Center for Continuing Legal Education. His topics include:
- Building the Case Using Experts and Lay Witnesses
- Science in the Courtroom
- Technology in the Courtroom
- Prosecution of a Pharmaceutical Case
- The Ethics of Online Advertising
- Structured Settlements and Personal Injury Settlements
Mr. Finkelstein is also deeply committed to community service. He led the firm’s pro bono efforts as Captain of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund through “Trial Lawyers Care,” securing over $10 million for victims while waiving all legal fees. His leadership in this initiative earned him recognition from the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
In the realm of pharmaceutical litigation, Mr. Finkelstein has played a pivotal role in national cases involving dangerous drugs. He chairs the Plaintiff Personal Injury Steering Committee for the Neurontin Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in Boston and has worked closely with the FDA, filing a Citizen Petition to enhance suicide risk warnings. He also serves on the Executive Steering Committee for the Hormone Replacement Therapy MDL and is a key member of the Plaintiff Steering Committees for the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch and Viagra MDLs.
For 11 consecutive years (2014-2025) Mr. Finkelstein has been voted one of the nation’s top 50 most influential civil plaintiff’s trial lawyers by National Trial Lawyers, as published by The Trial Lawyer Magazine.
Speaking Engagements
Andrew Finkelstein Discusses Law Firm Growth and Client Care Excellence
Apr 10, 2025: Turning Challenges Into Triumph: Behind the $31M Verdict with Courtney Winston and Andrew Finkelstein
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In this powerful webinar, Courtney Winston sat down with renowned trial lawyer Andrew Finkelstein to unpack the strategy behind a recent $31 million jury verdict in Ulster County, New York.
Andrew walked us through the high-stakes case of a 36-year-old woman who was rear-ended by a 22-foot box truck, resulting in catastrophic injury and life-altering consequences. Despite a 13-month gap between the collision and the onset of Cauda Equina Syndrome, the jury found in favor of the plaintiff.
This session offered a rare inside look at the pretrial groundwork, jury selection under time constraints, and the litigation strategies used to overcome significant challenges—including obesity bias, a complex medical history, and delayed symptoms. Andrew also shared how focus groups, employment records, and even seemingly minor video evidence were leveraged to build a compelling case narrative.
Key Takeaways:
- How to use focus groups to test case themes and evidence
- Techniques for handling pre-existing conditions and long treatment gaps
- Overcoming jury bias in rural venues and under strict voir dire time limits
- Building credibility through employment and lifestyle evidence
- Persuasive timeline and exhibit strategies for trial
August 2024: Andrew Finkelstein talks at National Trial Lawyers Big Truck and Auto Summit 2024
January 2024: Register Now for Cartiga’s Business of Law Workshop – Level Up Your Law Firm with this 1‑Day Event: Boost your law firms performance with pre-litigation tactics and strategy around the Business of Law
August 2023: Trial Lawyers University: Negotiating with Emotional Intelligence, A.I. 101 and the Transformation of Law, The Art of Jury Selection, and Effectively Using Visuals In Depositions and Trials.
August 2023: Brain Trust Legal Group Seminar: Grow a Law Firm from “Zero to One Billion or More”
June 2023: Trial School Signature Event “Demonstrative Evidence & Admissibility”
May 2023: Case Analysis Webinar: Negotiating With Emotional Intelligence
December 2022: Andrew Finkelstein talks with Schenectady WNYT.com
AGF Speaker: The Legal Marketing & Management Summit 2022
Learn Over $70,000,000,000 Billion Dollars In Combined Knowledge & Experience From The Brain Trust Law Firms
September 28-30, 2022 | Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas
June 2022: Trial School’s Mixed Method Advocacy in Action
May 2022: The Heart of the Law Podcast | EPISODE 2.8: ANDREW FINKELSTEIN
Andrew Finkelstein talks with Rankings.io President Chris Dreyer
November 2021: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein to speak at Trial School Symposium, “Communicating, Connecting and the Ultimate Opening Statement”. https://watch.trialschool.org/pages/symposium
October 2021: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein to present at Trial School event, outlining his recent verdict of a hit in the rear that caused minimal visible property damage to his clients car. From jury selection to summation, Andrew will describe the key strategy choices that were made and how they were executed.
Andrew Finkelstein guest on Podcast “Latte With A Lawyer”
Andrew Finkelstein talks about using technology to run 5 law firms
May 27, 2021: Negotiating with Emotional Intelligence, Part 1
March 2021: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein to host Webinar, How to Analyze Big Data Focus Groups with Jury Analyst
In the News
Orange County attorney named President of New York State Trial Lawyers Association – Mid Hudson News
Meet the Incoming President of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association
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Highlights
The Trial Lawyer magazine and The National Law Journal are proud to recognize the 2022 members of America’s 55 most Influential Trial Lawyers. – Andrew Finkelstein has been named as one of the “Most Influential Trial Lawyers” by Trial Lawyer Magazine and National Law Journal
February 10, 2023: Master class on Negotiating with Emotional Intelligence Webinar by Andrew Finkelstein. In this four part presentation, Andrew breaks down the three phases of negotiations and provides suggestions on how to deploy proven negotiating strategies for any type of negotiation.
June 2020: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein Panelist for International Franchise Professional Group Webinar, Business Interruption Claims Lecture
October 2019: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein to Lecture at Finkelstein & Partners Center for Continuing Legal Education seminar, focusing on the topic of ethics.
May 2019: Managing Partner Andrew to Speak at New Jersey Association for Justice (NJAJ) Nursing Home Litigation CLE. Mr. Finkelstein will provide valuable insights to New Jersey nursing home and abuse and neglect attorneys regarding how to successfully navigate nursing home abuse and neglect cases.
April 2019: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein to Speak at Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys. Mr. Finkelstein will provide practice skills regarding jury selection and trial strategy on all types of personal injury cases.
March 2019: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein to Join Panel at New York State Trial Lawyers Association’s “Evidence to Win” CLE. This CLE is intended to teach attorneys the skills and techniques necessary to win even the most challenging cases. NYSTLA selected an all-star panel of top lawyers from around the country to contribute to this event.
January 2019: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein provides winter driving safety tips on WRGB CBS6. Click here to view the news segment.
April 2018: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein Panelist at the American Bar Association’s National Workshop on the Advancement of Attorney Well-Being in the Law Firm Setting In conjunction with the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability Conference- This panel will address the pros and cons of ABS and non-lawyer ownership of law firms, and whether and how these will evolve in the future.
March 2018: The New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA) appointed Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein to lead a newly established Class Action Committee. A class action suit is a tool that enables attorneys to hold defendants accountable when many plaintiffs suffer similar harm and can be effective in preventing corporations from inflicting future harm. Unfortunately, New York’s laws regarding class actions are weak compared to federal rules, and often present complications for consumers seeking justice. The Class Action Committee, led by Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein, will seek to amend problematic New York State laws that (among other things) create statutory barriers and limit compensation for victims. “Andrew Finkelstein is a long-time NYSTLA member, serving on our Board of Directors, and the Managing Partner of Finkelstein & Partners, LLP. He is a noted consumer activist through his representation of injured individuals against corporate wrongdoers and irresponsible parties, and he will be a tireless advocate in this important new endeavor.”- NYSTLA
March 2018: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein Panelist at the New York State Trial Lawyers Association’s CLE Seminar: This seminar is designed to give New York State personal injury attorneys a better understanding of how to effectively use the rules of evidence in common cases, how to use Focus Groups to decide what evidence is most valuable, and how to navigate personal injury cases involving Uber drivers.
July 2017: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein Receives Lifetime Achievement Recognition – America’s Top 100 Attorney Lifetime Achievement recognition is presented to select attorneys throughout the country. Less than .5% of all active attorneys in the United States will receive this honor. “Selection is not achieved based on a single accomplishment or a single great year of success, but rather on a lifetime of hard work, ethical stands, and community enriching accomplishments that are inspiring among the legal profession.” –America’s Top 100 Attorneys
June 2017: New York State Trial Lawyers Association Selects Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein to Lecture in ‘Rideshare Insurance (Uber & Lyft), Perspectives on the New Law’ Series, Designed to Help Lawyers Throughout New York State Navigate New Rideshare Laws – Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing companies were recently authorized to provide services starting July 1, 2017. This brings new issues for trial lawyers and Andrew Finkelstein will be teaching lawyers throughout New York State how to navigate the new laws. New York State Trial Lawyers Institute, the teaching arm of the New York State Trial Lawyers asked Mr. Finkelstein to teach lawyers throughout New York as he was actively involved in drafting and commenting on the authorizing legislation. Through the NYSTLA and Mr. Finkelstein’s participation and discussion with key members of the NYS legislature, New Yorkers have the greatest protections in the Nations should they be involved in a crash while in or with a ridesharing vehicle. Mr. Finkelstein will be lecturing in Westchester, Newburgh, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton and Albany over the next several weeks.
December 2016: Lecture to the Maryland Association of Justice – Andrew presented at the Reptile Black Letter Law Seminar at the University of Baltimore’s Merrick School of Business. Reptile Black Letter Law seminars are intended to provide plaintiff attorneys with the legal background and skills needed to prepare effective strategies for trials.
April 2016 Lecture to the New Hampshire Associates of Justice: Reptile: The Black Letter Law Seminar- In 2009, Don Keenan and David Ball launched the Plaintiff’s revolution known as the “Reptile.” This revolution has garnered the attention of both the plaintiff and the defense bar for its game changing success. Andrew was a panelist and presenter on Friday, 4/29, regarding strategies for prosecuting a personal injury case. Andrew presented regarding direct and cross examination and also sat on the ethics panel discussion. The program was well received by the members of the bar.
January 2016: In 2015 Andrew was once again recognized as one of the top 100 civil plaintiff and criminal defense attorneys in the United States – As a special recognition of his accomplishment he was invited to Florida for the 2016 Trail Lawyers Summit, where retired NFL superstar Terry Bradshaw will serve as the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony.
“It is my good fortune to lead an outstanding team of legal professionals who share my profound commitment to always providing the best possible outcomes for the clients we serve,” said Finkelstein. “I am honored and humbled that this commitment on which our firm was built has earned me a place on The Trial Lawyer magazine’s 100 Most Influential list.” – Andrew Finkelstein.
Two leading news sources, The Poughkeepsie Journal and The Times Union featured Andrew’s honor in online publications.
March 6 2014: Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein participated as a speaker on one of the panel discussions at the conference, Disruptive Innovation in the Market for Legal Services at Harvard Law School.
March 20 and 21, 2014: Andrew Finkelstein was the keynote speaker at the 2014 Vista Conference in Houston, TX. where he discussed the changing landscape of legal services. Lawyers from all over the country attended the annual conference. “Contemplating change is not good enough for anyone and it is time to take action. Law firms are not just law firms, they are businesses and the world of business is ever-changing.” – Andrew Finkelstein”
Admissions & Membership:
New York New Jersey United States Federal District Court in New York and New Jersey United States Supreme Court United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). Memberships 2013 Executive Committee Member of The National Trial Lawyers New York
Recent Case Highlights:
- $50,000,000 – Confidential Settlement.
- $34,000,000 – Verdict against Pfizer.
- $31,000,000 – Jury Verdict for Rear-End Collision Victim.
- $28,750,000 – Motorcyclist Recovers – 2 Years After Crash.
- $28,300,000 – Settlement – Roofer Injured on Job Site.
- $19,000,000 – Confidential Settlement.
- $16,500,000 – Settlement – Product Liability.
- $13,500,000 – Awarded – Unanimous Jury Vote.
- $13,500,000 – Settlement – Minor Injured in Motor Vehicle Crash.
- Premises Liability Verdict $13 Million.
- $12,700,000 – Settlement – Unsafe Working Conditions.
- $11,100,000 – Settlement Against Town Police.
- $10,000,000 – Confidential Settlement.
- $9,250,000 – Settlement – Client Injured by Distracted Driver.
- $8,323,000 – Settlement – Birth Medical Malpractice Causes Cerebral Palsy in Baby.
- $5,700,000 – Jury Verdict – Runaway School Bus Results in Tragic Death.
- $4,087,077 – Settlement – Child Injured by Negligence / Product Liability.
- $4,000,000 – Verdict – Medical Malpractice.
- $3,768,087 – Verdict – Construction Worker Awarded after Fall.
- $3,500,000 – Settlement – Drowsy Driving By Group Home Driver – Catastrophic Injuries.
- $3,500,000 – Settlement – Construction Worker Receives Settlement in Addition to Workers’ Compensation Benefits.
- $3,250,000 – Settlement – Failure to Treat Acute Asthma Timely.
- $3,000,000 – Settlement – New Mom Dies 6 Days After Birth.
- $2,800,000 – Settlement – Wrongful Death.
- $2,650,000 – Settlement – Birth Malpractice Settles During Trial
- $2,500,000 – Settlement – Distracted Driver Crosses Over Causing Broken Back.
- $2,500,000 – Settlement – Forklift Operator Ignores Dangers.
- $2,300,000 – Settlement – Surgical Mistake.
- $2,300,000 – Settlement – Distracted Driver Hits Pedestrian In Intersection.
- $2,300,000 – Settlement – Workplace Accident.
- $2,250,000 – Settlement – Nursing Home Abuse.
- $2,000,000 – Settlement – Manhattan Lawyer Hires Finkelstein & Partners for Bronx Trial.
- $2,000,000 – Settlement – Contractor and Owner Fail To Provide Safety Device, Worker Injured in Ceiling Collapse.
- $2,000,000 – Settlement – School District held Accountable.
- $1,950,000 – Settlement – Client Hit in Rear.
- $1,950,000 – Settlement – Telephone Company Settles.
- $1,800,000 Settlement – Failure to Diagnose Breast Cancer.
- $1,800,000 – Settlement – Construction Injury.
- $1,750,000 – Settlement – Union Worker Suffers Brain Injury.
- $1,698,525 – Award – 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
- $1,625,000 – Settlement – Fall down at Train Station.
- $1,600,000 – Jury Verdict – Dog Bite.
- $1,500,000 – Settlement – Teaching Hospital Pays For Burn Caused During Surgery. Read More.
- $1,500,000 – Settlement – Pennsylvania Warehouse. Read more.
- $1,500,000 – Distracted Driver in Supermarket Parking Lot Held Accountable for Hitting Shopper.
- $1,500,000 – Settlement – Communication Specialist Injury.
- $1,500,000 – Settlement – Garbage Company Held Accountable for Motorcyclist Injured Due to No Reflectors on Dumpster.
- $1,350,000 Settlement – Hospital Pays For Negligent Post-Surgical Care Read more.
- $1,300,000 – Settlement – Failure to Monitor Post Delivery.
- $1,250,000 – Settlement – Wrongful Death.
- $1,000,000 Settlement – Family Holds Bronx Hospital Accountable. Read more
- $1,000,000 – Settlement – War Hero’s PTSD Triggered From Crash
- $1,000,000 – Settlement Before Trial – Pedestrian Hit.
- $979,000 – Settlement, Balance of $1,000,000 Insurance Policy – Motorcycle Crash.
- $894,000 – Settlement – Case Too Big For Family Lawyer, Trucking Company.
- $765,000 Awarded – Police told to Pay for Hitting Pedestrian.
