Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP’s defense attorneys are highly skilled in defending both national and local security companies against claims brought by third parties and client companies for negligent security, false imprisonment, false and unlawful arrest, assault and battery, excessive use of force, improper search and seizure, and negligent hiring.
Gallo Vitucci Klar handles the negligent security civil actions stemming from assaults, rapes, murders, robberies and other similar violent crimes with significant knowledge as to the interplay between the criminal and civil matters.
Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP excels as one of the region’s preeminent firms in the defense of hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. It has defended hundreds of establishments in New York and New Jersey in the last decade, including some of the most famous restaurants and bars in the world. Our practice encompasses representation of international fast-food restaurant chains and franchises and Michelin-rated restaurants in a wide variety of lawsuits.
Our firm also has extensive experience defending liquor liability claims, including dram shop claims arising from fatal accidents, well-publicized assaults and other violent encounters.
Our firm also has a unique emergency response team that works closely with our establishments, brokers, insurance companies, claims adjusters, administrators and investigators to respond quickly to significant incidents in order to begin an effective investigation immediately.
Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP has in-depth knowledge and experience defending manufacturers, distributors, retail stores in the stream of commerce, and designers of products and equipment, including consumer retail products, industrial equipment, recreational equipment, household products, exercise equipment, hardware, software, toys and sports equipment, headgear and protective devices, against product liability claims.
Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP’s attorneys have significant experience litigating product liability cases that involve pharmaceuticals, medical devices and equipment, athletic equipment, toys, auto/truck parts, consumer electronics, electrical and gas appliances, steel products, electrical equipment (switches, bus bars, etc.), electrical contracting equipment, cranes, aviation equipment, construction equipment and materials, chemicals, and asbestos and other fibers.
We also represent our clients in connection with coverage issues that arise in product liability lawsuits and have a strong background in drafting and interpreting policies, as well as providing opinions and representation in coverage disputes.
Moreover, we work with specialized investigators and forensic experts in such areas as engineering design, medicine, biomechanics, full-scale burn testing, forensic failure analysis and information technology.
Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP has developed a reputation for excellence in the area of premises liability. Our attorneys have decades of experience successfully serving a wide range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies; commercial and residential building owners; nationally known supermarkets; retail and restaurant chains; large shopping malls; hotels; schools; municipal entities; cleaning, maintenance and snow removal contractors; elevator and escalator maintenance and inspection companies; and other commercial building contractors.
Our team of attorneys strives to provide the highest-quality legal representation in the most cost-effective manner and has extensive experience in handling all types of premises liability claims in which commercial and residential building owners and managing agents are sued.
We have successfully defended a broad array of premises liability actions, from traditional slips, trips and falls to more complex disputes involving damage due to fire or flooding, toxic/environmental exposure or construction accidents. We are proactive in pursuing risk transfer and understand the intricacies of the relevant building codes and the New York State Labor Law.
We have won favorable results for our clients in both New York and New Jersey and in federal courts, at trial, on appeals, and in arbitrations and mediations.
Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP is committed to providing exceptional legal advice and vigorous advocacy, and to resolving premises liability claims quickly and efficiently. We have helped countless clients identify and prevent exposures, and mitigate risk. Our approach is always tailored to meet each client’s specific needs.
Our attorneys are experienced in defending insurers in law suits and arbitrations brought by medical providers in all areas ranging from medical necessity/IME termination/peer review, EUO/IME no-shows, fee schedule reductions and material misrepresentation. We can depose claimants or medical providers to obtain additional investigation into the loss and/or claims, and thereafter craft the appropriate discovery demands to obtain any additional investigation needed.
We are fully versed in motion practice, and will file motions for summary judgment to push a case toward resolution through the judicial process. We are also experienced in subrogation actions in an effort to recover no-fault monies paid, when permitted by law.
Gallo Vitucci Klar’s coverage attorneys have an in-depth knowledge of the insurance industry; specializing in representing insurers in first and third-party coverage claims at the trial and appellate levels in both State and Federal Court. Among our clients are major property and casualty insurers for whom we do work on a national or regional basis.
The Coverage Group’s expertise encompasses a wide array of insurance policies, including:
Our attorneys operate as monitoring counsel in matters including high exposure bodily injury claims, class action securities fraud lawsuits, shareholder derivative actions, class actions and employment discrimination claims.
Our Coverage Group can prosecute and defend declaratory judgement actions on behalf of insurers, provide coverage opinions and mediate coverage disputes for primary and excess insurers, self-insured clients, and admitted and surplus lines clients. We also conduct examinations under oath. Recently, Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP successfully represented insurers in connection with numerous Super Storm Sandy claims in New Jersey.
Our attorneys provides an array of insurance-related services including:
We view our relationships with our clients as long-term; therefore, we place enormous emphasis on client education through articles, presentations and seminars explaining significant insurance coverage decisions.
Our attorneys have provided presentations to insurers on a variety of topics, including the subprime lending crisis and failed financial institutions, insurance issues affecting real estate appraisers and mortgage brokers, bad faith, tender issues, Al endorsements, first-and third-party coverage analysis and the basics of employment practices liability claims.
Our Coverage Group are highly skilled in preparing coverage opinions and creating position correspondence dealing with coverage obligations in all of the forementioned areas including trucker’s liability insurance carriers under Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance policies. Our attorneys regularly analyze and litigate the following coverage issues:
In addition, GVK’s Coverage Group successfully prosecutes and defends clients in multi-party insurance litigation concerning contractual indemnification and Commercial General Liability additional insured provisions which often times can arise out of construction accident lawsuits.
Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP’s Labor and Employment Group has extensive experience representing management in labor relations and employment disputes. We have successfully represented large national employers, including a large national restaurant chain and department stores, as well as regional clients, including restaurants, manufacturers and suppliers, in many EPL matters. Our employment attorneys have handled multiple claims in NY and NJ EPL cases, including:
Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP has defended clients in administrative proceedings alleging violations of the New York City Human Rights Law and New York State Human Rights Law, including representation before the New York State Division of Human Rights and the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
Our attorneys have extensive litigation experience in all types of employment discrimination matters, including disability, age, gender, sexual harassment, national origin, race and religion. Such matters often involve class actions and multi-plaintiff case matters. We take a practical and results-oriented approach to the everyday labor and employment dilemmas our clients face, with strategically reasoned legal representation aimed at minimizing the impact on a client’s business operations.
We have worked closely with our New York City clients to negotiate collective bargaining agreements and resolve grievance disputes with representatives of local unions. We have also assisted with counseling on matters relating to employer/employee relationships such as employment contracts and separation/severance agreements.
Our labor and employment attorneys help our clients navigate the ever-changing and increasingly complex array of laws, regulations and court decisions that govern and affect our clients’ daily operations. We work closely with our clients to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations to avoid litigation. This includes drafting customized employee handbooks (policies, procedures and practices) to achieve business objectives while adhering to local and federal laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, FLSA and similar federal and state laws.
Our attorneys also assist employers in training managers and supervisors in the implementation of these important policies and procedures, and we provide advice on hiring, discipline, termination and compliance with other labor and employment laws. We also conduct compliance audits for our clients covering each of these areas.
Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP’s Elevator and Escalator Group has extensive experience in the defense of cases involving elevator and escalator accidents throughout New York and New Jersey. We have a full understanding of the mechanical and engineering issues associated with a wide variety of cases, ranging from routine misleveling through the more complex cases involving modern elevators and alleged defects in their design, maintenance, repair and operation. We represent numerous elevator and escalator maintenance and inspection companies that install, service and inspect elevators and escalators in residential and commercial buildings in the New York and New Jersey areas.
We are adept at defending elevator and escalator injury cases that include all manner of premises and wrongful death claims through the use of highly regarded engineering experts. We are also prepared to defend inflated claims of injury with engineering, biomechanical, medical, psychological and psychiatric experts, as each case may require.
Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP’s Construction Accident Practice Group is one of the most highly regarded in the defense industry. We house one of the largest and most prestigious construction practice groups in New York and New Jersey. We work with many major insurance carriers specializing in construction claims nationwide, as well as directly for construction entities. The law firm represents project owners, developers, general contractors, construction managers, trade contractors, employers and artisans on major construction projects throughout New York City. We also represent key defendants in both the East 51st Street and East 91st Street crane collapse lawsuits.
Attorneys in the Gallo Vitucci Klar LLP Construction Accident Practice Group are remarkable for their knowledge, sophistication and aggressive approach toward highly complex construction litigation claims and their vast experience with high-exposure cases. We are experts in risk transfer and are insurance coverage specialists.
We possess extensive knowledge and experience in defending Labor Law claims and have successfully defended catastrophic personal claims, such as wrongful death and injured workers claiming inability to return to the workforce. We have successfully defended clients faced with structural defect claims, design defect claims, property damage and fire loss claims. The firm has significant experience in both prosecuting and defending construction delay litigation, wrongful termination, default, non-payment, lien law, trust fund, surety bond and other economic loss claims faced by owners and contractors.
Our insurance coverage attorneys work extensively on developing and implementing risk transfer strategies, as well as on counseling clients on coverage issues for builders’ risk, wrap-up programs (both CCIP & OCIP). Our coverage and liability counsel coordinate work to enforce and defend risk transfers through declaratory judgment and third-party enforcement claims.