Weitz & Luxenberg attorney Jared Scotto was recently named a 2023 New York Law Journal Distinguished Leader. The award honors lawyers with great performances, while demonstrating clear leadership skills. (1)
“We are delighted Jared Scotto has received this well-earned recognition. Our firm remains committed to helping our clients achieve the best possible outcomes in their cases. This award demonstrates recognition from the legal industry that our attorneys focus on that shared commitment as we continue to strive for excellence,” says Gary Klein, partner and managing attorney at W&L.
The New York Legal Awards honorees are being recognized on October 4 at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.
Innovative Leadership with Outstanding Results
According to the Law Journal “Strong leaders are hard to come by” and the New York Legal Awards strive to “highlight lawyers who had great performances while demonstrating clear leadership skills leading to positive outcomes.” (2). Mr. Scotto’s leadership of Weitz & Luxenberg’s sexual abuse litigation team has led to statewide triumphs for survivors of sexual abuse, as well as individual wins for his clients.
Mr. Scotto is being honored for his leadership of one of New York State’s preeminent litigation teams seeking justice for survivors of sexual abuse. Under Mr. Scotto’s leadership, the group litigates each and every case with care and personal attention.
Mr. Scotto also carries a full caseload and handles his cases from intake, through discovery, all the way through to resolution. He is in constant contact with his clients who find comfort from having a familiar attorney guiding them through the intimidating and emotionally difficult process of reliving their darkest moments.
Statewide, Mr. Scotto is a well-known and respected leader in sexual abuse litigation. Earlier this year, Mr. Scotto became concerned about the wording of the new Adult Survivors Act law (CPLR 214(j)). Mr. Scotto, along with leaders from other firms, drafted proposed amendments to the existing legislation and presented them to New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, who in turn proposed those amendments to their respective Chambers. The measure was passed by the NYS Senate, but failed to reach the floor of the Assembly.
Mr. Scotto and his team are also at the forefront of sex abuse bankruptcy litigation. The group represents hundreds of claimants in 6 different sex abuse bankruptcy proceedings. He has been an active participant working to resolve the Madison Square Boys Club bankruptcy, where Mr. Scotto worked very closely with the Creditors Committee. He has also litigated critical aspects of his clients’ claims in the Diocese of Rockville Centre bankruptcy, where he achieved a key win on a complex series of objections by the debtor.
Knowing Clients Personally Helps Cases
His desire to know a case in depth led him to W&L. Mr. Scotto explains, “At Weitz & Luxenberg, we have the privilege of getting to know our clients personally and learning about each and every situation in greater detail. It’s that personal level that makes all the difference. Our clients are the biggest motivator for what we do.”
While accolades are much appreciated, Mr. Scotto remains focused on his clients, “Our clients choose us to represent them to fight for justice when they have suffered life-changing physical trauma. We must never forget that as personal injury attorneys.”
His extensive trial experience, and proficiency in working within the judicial court system, is vital to successfully representing our clients.
One example of this can be seen in his most recent court victory.
$1.7 Million Verdict for Medical Malpractice
Earlier this summer, Mr. Scotto had a $1.7 million trial jury win on behalf of Frank and Kathleen Dispensa. Mr. Dispensa was the victim of medical malpractice, and the jury award was for past and future pain and suffering.
Mr. Scotto explains, “Critical to this case was presenting the medical evidence to the jury. We had to do it in a way they could understand. They needed to know how a doctor’s negligence had a severe outcome. And our client will have to live with that outcome for the rest of his life.”
The Challenge of Personal Injury Law
Personal injury legal cases are challenging. These cases often involve important distinctions or interpretations of the finer points of the law. The outcomes of such cases can have tremendous impact, not only for the parties involved, but also on future cases.
“Mr. Scotto’s performance throughout this litigation was stellar. The positive outcome for our clients could not have been achieved without his leadership. Clearly, Mr. Scotto meets the highest aims of the award criteria,” states Mr. Klein.
Focus on Personal Injury and Negligence
Mr. Scotto is a graduate of Touro College’s Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. He has a decade of complex litigation and trial experience. He litigates personal injury and medical malpractice cases, and is the supervising attorney of W&L’s New York State sex abuse litigation team. His experience is broad-based and his track record for outstanding results has seen his clients recover millions of dollars.
Mr. Scotto has been nominated as a Super Lawyers: Rising Star for the past four years, and to the list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch every year since 2020. Mr. Scotto is a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and has taught Continuing Legal Education courses on trial techniques.
