Ainsworth, Russell

Steven J. Ahmuty, Jr.

Steven Ahmuty chairs the firm's nine-lawyer appellate practice group. Over his 31-year career, he has argued hundreds of appeals in state and federal courts on a wide variety of subjects of substantial importance to the defense bar, including professional liability, toxic torts and environmental law, products liability, complex torts, insurance coverage and general commercial litigation. His appellate practice ranges from briefing and arguing appeals to petitioning for discretionary review to assisting litigators in other firms with appellate strategy. He also represents clients in the submission of amicus curiae briefs in cases with precedential significance.

He has co-authored the monthly "Appellate Practice" column in the New York Law Journal since 1989. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (membership limited by charter to 500 Fellows in the United States), and frequently lectures on various topics at professional and industry seminars. He has been consistently selected by his peers for inclusion in "The Best Lawyers in America" in the field of appellate law. Best Lawyers named him the "New York Area Appellate Lawyer of the Year" for 2011. He was the only appellate lawyer in the New York area to receive this special recognition. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and Defense Research Institute, and is "AV" rated in Martindale Hubbell.

Steve received his A.B. degree from Bucknell University in 1975 and his J.D. degree in 1978 from Albany Law School of Union University, where he was Articles Editor of the Albany Law Review. He is admitted to practice in New York, as well as the United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits.