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4 NEW YORK’S TOP RATED LAWYERS 2019 | ALM
NEW YORK’S TOP RATED TOP RATED LAWYERS 2019
B
enedict Morelli is no stranger to a chal-
lenge. When clients approach him with
a complex case, often against a large
company with significant resources, they
knowhewilldeliver.Andthat’sbecausehisresults
speakforthemselves.TheNewYork-basedattorney
andhisnamesakefirmhavea trackrecordofobtain-
ingrecord-settingverdictsandsettlements,totaling
morethana billiondollars.
From celebrity clients to consumer class-action
suits,Mr.Morelliandteamhavebuilta firmcapable
of handling all forms of civil litigation. Particular
areas of strength include personal injury, employ-
ment discrimination, auto and truck accidents, medi-
cal malpractice, and construction related injuries,
among many others.
“We have significant experience across a wide
variety of practice areas, said Mr. Morelli. “That
background empowers us to take on any case where
a wrong has been done, helping our clients achieve
justice.”
In perhaps his most high-profile case, Mr. Morelli
represented Tracy Morgan in the comedian’s 2014
personal injury suit against Walmart after one of
the company’s trucks struck Morgan’s limo, injuring
him and killing his close friend. Mr. Morelli nego-
tiated an undisclosed settlement with Walmart in
the case—Walmart being just one of several Fortune
1000 companies he has successfully litigated against
over the course of his decades-long career.
Mr. Morelli’s expertise, however, is not limited to
celebrity cases. In 2011, he represented a plaintiff
in a suit against lease-to-own company Aaron’s,
securing a $95 million verdict in what was the larg-
est single-plaintiff sexual harassment verdict ever.
The firm also helped negotiate the largest rail pas-
sengersettlementinUShistory ($265 million) after
anAmtrak trainderailedoutside of Philadelphia in
2015,leavingeightdeadandmore than 200 injured.
Thisresultwouldnothavebeen possible without the
firmplayinga crucialroleinpersuading Congress to
raisethe$200millioncapondamages.
“Our work onthe Amtrak case was particularly
rewarding,”saidMr.Morelli.“Wewereable to fight
togetthosevictimswhattheyneededanddeserved,
whilesettinga newprecedentforfuturecases.”
The firm recently brought suit and resolved a case
against MGM on behalf of seven-year-old Zynae
Green, who suffered severe brain damage after being
electrocuted while touching a public handrail at the
MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino in Maryland.
Zynae’s family, like all of his clients, depended on
Mr. Morelli to secure them justice and the compen-
sation they required to move on with their lives.
Other case work includes representing hundreds
of women in litigation against Johnson & Johnson
for ovarian cancer allegedly caused by talcum pow-
der in the company’s products, as well as previously
representing tennis star Genie Bouchard when she
sued the United States Tennis Association (USTA)
for an injury she sustained at the US Open. The firm
has also been retained by several families across the
country in truck accident cases where the victims
suffered catastrophic injuries.
“Just because a company is profitable and power-
ful does not mean it shouldn’t be held responsible,
noted Mr. Morelli. “That’s exactly what we do for
our clients - hold companies accountable”
EXPERIENCE MEETS RESULTS
