Pessala, John B.

Richard Pertz is a long time resident of Upstate New York, having hailed initially from New York City. After graduating from Horace Mann he attended Utica College graduating 1969. After serving on the staff of Utica College for several years, Mr. Pertz furthered his education, first obtaining a Masters of Philosophy at Lincoln College, Oxford University in England with First Class Honours. Thereafter he obtained his law degree from Yale Law School in 1976. Mr. Pertz received the Trial Prize at Yale.

In 1977 he formed the Utica Law Firm of JULIAN & PERTZ, P.C. with Robert F. Julian and dedicated himself to the trial practice of law from that date through the year 2000, when he retired from the practice of law to become the Principal Law Clerk to New York State Supreme Court Justice Robert F. Julian. Upon Justice Julian’s retirement from the bench in 2008, he jointed the law firm of BRINDISI, MURAD, BRINDISI, PEARLMAN, JULIAN & PERTZ, LLP, with retired Justice Julian.

As a trial lawyer Mr. Pertz achieved a number of seven-figure verdicts and settlements. His verdicts included a 17 million dollar verdict for a man profoundly injured in a motor vehicle accident, a 1.8 million dollar verdict for a wrongful death for a man who was electrocuted, and a 1.7 million dollar verdict against the State for a man severely injured by a defective road.

Mr. Pertz’s prior and present trial practice principally involves the pursuit of products’ liability, defective roadway, utility company negligence, and premises liability cases.

He has frequently lectured to the New York State Bar Association and other local Bar Associations, and the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Mr. Pertz is a board certified civil trial lawyer, a member of the National Board of Trial Advocates, and holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV rating.