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OUR ATTORNEYS

Weitz & Luxenberg has continued to build on this tradition of success, growing as a firm both in size and resources. W&L today has over 100 attorneys working in world-class facilities located in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Cherry Hill, N.J., outside of Philadelphia.

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Alexandra Shef

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

Focus: Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Phone: (310) 247-0921
Fax: (310) 786-9927

LOS ANGELES OFFICE
1880 Century Park East, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90067

“Helping people fight a good fight and knowing that every day I’m making a positive difference in their lives, those are the most satisfying aspects of my work as a Weitz & Luxenberg mesothelioma lawyer”

Overview

Alexandra Shef is very passionate about helping our clients obtain the justice they seek. So passionate is she about her work, in fact, that Super Lawyer magazine counts Ms. Shef among its Rising Star attorneys, naming her to its Top 100 Up-and-Coming Attorneys of Southern California list and to its roster of Top 50 Up-and-Coming Women Attorneys in Southern California in 2015-Present. In 2018, the American Institute of Legal Counsel named Ms. Shef one of the 10 Best Personal Injury Attorneys in California.

Ms. Shef — whose practice has focused mostly on representing people suffering from malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related cancer — joined Weitz & Luxenberg in 2015. She came to us after more than four years with The Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles, where she co-developed its asbestos litigation group, oversaw its California asbestos cases’ dockets, and mentored other attorneys.

Prior to that Ms. Shef worked at the law firm of Simon, Eddins & Greenstone in Long Beach, California. She managed mesothelioma cases from filing until trial, including handling all procedural aspects involved in initiating a case and preparing for trial, planning and conducting discovery, obtaining preferential trial dates, and making key motions to advance her clients’ goals.

Earlier, she worked in the office of the Los Angeles County District Attorney, in the enforcement division of the federal Securities and Exchange Commission, in an immigrant-focused legal-services program operated under the auspices of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and in a Holocaust-survivor-oriented legal-services program operated by the organization Bet Tzedek. Additionally, she clerked for two Los Angeles County Superior Court judges.

Because of Ms. Shef’s practice emphasis on mesothelioma and asbestos-cancer cases, her clients have been U.S. Navy veterans, construction workers, truck drivers, mechanics, appliance repairmen, industrial painters, and floor tile installers, to mention but a few. She is a skilled mesothelioma lawyer who works hard to hold companies accountable for harms done to her clients. Ms. Shef takes pride in getting cases quickly to trial or settlement and in her track-record of success at locating long-buried evidence that proves helpful to her clients’ causes.

Ms. Shef entered the practice of law in 2006, soon after receiving a juris doctor degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. During her years there she twice made the Dean’s Honor List and was a member of the Scott Moot Court Honors Board. Ms. Shef, who speaks and writes fluent Russian and Ukrainian, completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. At USC, she was named to the Dean’s Honor Roll every semester.

EDUCATION

  • J.D., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, 2006
  • B.S., University of Southern California, 2003

ASSOCIATIONS AND LICENSES

  • American Bar Association
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • Beverly Hills Bar Association
  • Eastern European Bar Association
  • American Association for Justice
  • Consumer Attorneys of California

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • California
  • U.S. District Court, Central California District
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit

LOOKING FOR LEGAL HELP?

We would feel privileged to assist you.
For a free case review, please contact us today.

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

“Helping people fight a good fight and knowing that every day I’m making a positive difference in their lives, those are the most satisfying aspects of my work as a Weitz & Luxenberg mesothelioma lawyer”

Mesothelioma Asbestos

Request a Free Legal Consultation

In addition to being a pioneer in asbestos litigation, our firm is in the forefront of asbestos legislation, championing laws that protect the rights of current and future asbestos victims.

By providing your cell number you acknowledge and consent to receive and exchange communications via text messaging (SMS) and receive automated text messages. Messaging and data rates may apply. Text “stop” to opt-out at any time. No purchase necessary.

Clark P. Rosengarten

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

Focus: Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Phone: (212) 558-5500
Fax: (212) 344-5461

NEW YORK OFFICE
700 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

“Our clients at Weitz & Luxenberg have spent their entire lives working hard and giving so much of themselves to provide for their families and contribute to society, and I feel honored to represent them. They deserve to be fully compensated by those who harmed them, and I want to use all the tools our system of justice provides to make that possible.”

Biography

Weitz & Luxenberg is pleased to announce the addition of Clark P. Rosengarten to our Mesothelioma and Asbestos Group litigation unit. He comes to us with a strong background in asbestos exposure litigation, and a notable history of winning millions of dollars on behalf of his clients.

“I’m excited and honored to join Weitz & Luxenberg’s exceptional team of mesothelioma and asbestos litigation attorneys,” says Mr. Rosengarten. “I’ve known for years about the work Weitz & Luxenberg has been doing on behalf of clients harmed by asbestos and other harmful materials and products. Its leadership in this area of law is second to none.”

Asbestos Is a Public Health Hazard

“Making the move to Weitz & Luxenberg is a natural transition for me,” Mr. Rosengarten explains. “In recent years, asbestos exposure litigation has been my exclusive focus as I’ve helped clients and their families across the country.

“Throughout my career, I’ve represented people harmed by public health hazards, and asbestos exposure has to be one of the worst. Honest, hardworking people have developed devastating illnesses such as mesothelioma, a horribly aggressive form of cancer that often attacks the lungs. 

“What makes this disease even more disturbing is that some companies exposed people to asbestos even though they knew it could cause cancer. Many of these companies have known for more than a century that asbestos exposure can lead to cancer, yet they chose not to warn people about the hazard.

“They didn’t safeguard people’s health. And now our clients are facing one of the most difficult periods in their life as a result,” Mr. Rosengarten emphasizes. “This is not acceptable.”

Give Clients a Voice, Be Their Advocate

“My parents are physicians.  Growing up, I saw how they went above and beyond to help their patients. Patients could reach my parents on weekends and late at night,” Mr. Rosengarten remembers.

“Like my parents, I want to go above and beyond to help my clients. I want to be their advocate and give them a voice — 24/7. I want to assure them they can count on me and Weitz & Luxenberg. Their families can rely on us to do our best on their behalf,” he adds.

“As an attorney, there is nothing more gratifying than helping my clients and their families. I’m dedicated to seeing that they receive a just outcome and appropriate compensation. It’s about allowing them to pay for their medical expenses, keep their homes, and provide for their families, both now and in the future,” Mr. Rosengarten insists.

“We are there for our clients, and helping them is what drives me each and every day.”

Legal Background in Litigation

Recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 attorney by The National Trial Lawyers and as a Rising Star by Thompson Reuters Super Lawyers for his work representing victims, Mr. Rosengarten is an experienced asbestos exposure litigation attorney.

He has litigated mesothelioma cases in state and federal courts across the country — including in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Alabama (where he obtained pro hac vice admission).

Mr. Rosengarten has tried asbestos exposure cases from start to verdict and has briefed and orally argued summary judgment, pre-trial and other motions. He routinely participates in preliminary, settlement, case management, discovery, and pre-trial conferences.

Committed to tirelessly investigating all possible sources of asbestos exposure for every one of his clients and working up every case on the assumption it will go to trial, Mr. Rosengarten uses all tools of discovery in order to obtain as much evidence as possible.  He has represented his clients at their depositions many times and has deposed fact-witnesses, corporate representatives, and expert witnesses. He has also successfully served discovery demands and subpoenas on many companies. 

Before practicing law in New York City, Mr. Rosengarten worked as a trial lawyer at a firm in Atlanta where he litigated complex mass torts cases of the sort Weitz & Luxenberg has been a national leader in for decades. In that capacity, he represented, litigated on behalf of, and obtained millions of dollars in compensation for members of the public.

They were injured after receiving defective hip devices, including Stryker Rejuvenate and Accolade, DePuy ASR and Pinnacle, and Wright Medical Conserve and Profemur hip implants.  He further managed many of that firm’s responsibilities in its role as a member of the plaintiffs’ leadership prosecuting mass tort cases.

Awards

Mr. Rosengarten was:

  • Recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers in 2017 and 2018.
  • Awarded the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Trial Advocacy.

Notable Wins

  • Multimillion dollar settlement on behalf of a tool and die maker diagnosed with mesothelioma. This client was repeatedly exposed to asbestos while manufacturing aircraft engine components using asbestos-containing grinding wheels and working with other asbestos-containing materials on an assembly line.
  • Large financial settlement on behalf of a boilermaker diagnosed with mesothelioma. He was repeatedly exposed to asbestos while building and maintaining boilers aboard numerous U.S. Naval ships in the presence of other tradesmen servicing pumps, valves, turbines, generators, piping, and additional equipment.
  • Major financial settlement on behalf of a man diagnosed with mesothelioma. He was repeatedly exposed to asbestos while working at a roofing products manufacturing plant.
  • Significant financial settlement on behalf of an auto mechanic diagnosed with lung cancer. He worked in a garage maintaining a fleet of cars and trucks.

Outside the Office

Outside the office, Mr. Rosengarten enjoys spending time with family and friends, participating in Jewish communal life, running, hiking, and traveling. Other passions include reading historical fiction novels, watching Duke University basketball and attending concerts.

Mr. Rosengarten is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.

He earned his J.D. from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and his B.A. from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Publications

  • Coauthored “Trends in Medical Device Litigation,” a CLE presentation at the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, 2016.

EDUCATION

  • J.D., Tulane University Law School, 2011
  • B.A., Duke University, 2008

ASSOCIATIONS AND LICENSES

  • American Bar Association

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Georgia

LOOKING FOR LEGAL HELP?

We would feel privileged to assist you.
For a free case review, please contact us today.

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

“Our clients at Weitz & Luxenberg have spent their entire lives working hard and giving so much of themselves to provide for their families and contribute to society, and I feel honored to represent them. They deserve to be fully compensated by those who harmed them, and I want to use all the tools our system of justice provides to make that possible.”

Mesothelioma Asbestos

Request a Free Legal Consultation

In addition to being a pioneer in asbestos litigation, our firm is in the forefront of asbestos legislation, championing laws that protect the rights of current and future asbestos victims.

By providing your cell number you acknowledge and consent to receive and exchange communications via text messaging (SMS) and receive automated text messages. Messaging and data rates may apply. Text “stop” to opt-out at any time. No purchase necessary.

Christopher A. Romanelli

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

Focus: Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Phone: (212) 558-5500
Fax: (212) 344-5461

NEW YORK OFFICE
700 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

“It is a privilege to represent the clients I represent. The list of representative professions of people I have had the privilege to represent in successful asbestos cases is varied. It ranges from professions historically associated with asbestos exposure such as Armed Forces service members who protect our country, construction workers who helped build our city, as well as utility workers, police officers and firefighters who keep our city safe to professions with less common exposures, such as dentists, artists, bakery workers, stage actors and musicians.”

Biography

Christopher A. Romanelli is an associate attorney in our Asbestos Litigation group. He handles cases where work- or home-exposure to asbestos caused mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis decades later. Mr. Romanelli is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey, and in U.S. District Court (New York Southern and Eastern districts).

Mr. Romanelli — born and raised in New York — obtained a juris doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1997. During his instruction there, he served as a staff writer and, later, as an editor of the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal. In his final year at Fordham University, he was a teaching assistant who helped other students master legal writing. Mr. Romanelli earned a bachelor of arts degree from The City University of New York, Brooklyn College.

EDUCATION

  • J.D., Fordham University School of Law, 1997
  • B.A., City University of New York, Brooklyn College

ASSOCIATIONS AND LICENSES

  • New York State Bar Assn.
  • American Association for Justice

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court (NY Southern & Eastern)

LOOKING FOR LEGAL HELP?

We would feel privileged to assist you.
For a free case review, please contact us today.

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

“It is a privilege to represent the clients I represent. The list of representative professions of people I have had the privilege to represent in successful asbestos cases is varied. It ranges from professions historically associated with asbestos exposure such as Armed Forces service members who protect our country, construction workers who helped build our city, as well as utility workers, police officers and firefighters who keep our city safe to professions with less common exposures, such as dentists, artists, bakery workers, stage actors and musicians.”

Mesothelioma Asbestos

Request a Free Legal Consultation

In addition to being a pioneer in asbestos litigation, our firm is in the forefront of asbestos legislation, championing laws that protect the rights of current and future asbestos victims.

By providing your cell number you acknowledge and consent to receive and exchange communications via text messaging (SMS) and receive automated text messages. Messaging and data rates may apply. Text “stop” to opt-out at any time. No purchase necessary.

Michael P. Roberts

PARTNER

Focus: Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Phone: (212) 558-5500
Fax: (212) 344-5461

NEW YORK OFFICE
700 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

“I have been with Weitz & Luxenberg since the very beginning. Throughout those years, in my role as a senior trial attorney, I have been able to help many people suffering from debilitating diseases and incapacitating personal injuries. I have obtained for my clients some of our firm’s largest mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer verdicts. I have also obtained some of our firm’s largest verdicts for people injured in construction and motor vehicle accidents and for those injured by defective products. I am quite proud of what our firm has been able to accomplish.”

Biography

Weitz & Luxenberg is home to outstanding and supremely talented personal injury attorneys. Among them: Michael P. Roberts, repeatedly recognized as a Super Lawyer and also as a Best Lawyer.

Mr. Roberts joined Weitz & Luxenberg more than a quarter-century ago. A few years after starting with the firm, he became a member of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy – a nonprofit organization at the forefront of showing up-and-coming attorneys how to be highly effective legal advocates. NITA soon afterward began utilizing Mr. Roberts to teach law students the winning ways of trying cases.

More recently, he has taught moot-trial classes at Hofstra University School of Law. The New York State Trial Lawyers Association, too, has drawn upon the expertise of Mr. Roberts – specifically, to instruct members in the art and science of examining expert medical witnesses on the courtroom stand.

Apart from law practice, Mr. Roberts is actively involved with the Children’s Medical Foundation, United Jewish Appeal, Working Organization for Retarded Children and Adults, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Hoops 4 Hope. He also volunteers as a coach of community soccer, basketball and baseball teams. Among Mr. Roberts’ personal pursuits are travel, golf and long-distance running – to date, he has participated in four New York City marathons.

Key Verdicts:

Mr. Roberts has been named one of the:

  • Top Attorneys in the New York Metro Area from 2009 to present.
  • Top Lawyers in New York from 2009 to present.
  • Best Attorneys in New York from 2011 to present.
  • Best Lawyers in New York Super Lawyers from 2010 to present.
  • Top Lawyers in America from 2011 to present.
  • Best Lawyers of America from 2010 to present.

EDUCATION

  • J.D., Hofstra University School of Law, 1986
  • B.A., University of Wisconsin, 1983

ASSOCIATIONS AND LICENSES

  • American Bar Association
  • Association of Trial Lawyers
  • New York State Trial Lawyers
  • Associates Jewish Lawyers Guild

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • New York
  • U.S. District Court (NY Southern & Eastern)

LOOKING FOR LEGAL HELP?

We would feel privileged to assist you.
For a free case review, please contact us today.

PARTNER

“I have been with Weitz & Luxenberg since the very beginning. Throughout those years, in my role as a senior trial attorney, I have been able to help many people suffering from debilitating diseases and incapacitating personal injuries. I have obtained for my clients some of our firm’s largest mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer verdicts. I have also obtained some of our firm’s largest verdicts for people injured in construction and motor vehicle accidents and for those injured by defective products. I am quite proud of what our firm has been able to accomplish.”

Mesothelioma Asbestos

Request a Free Legal Consultation

In addition to being a pioneer in asbestos litigation, our firm is in the forefront of asbestos legislation, championing laws that protect the rights of current and future asbestos victims.

By providing your cell number you acknowledge and consent to receive and exchange communications via text messaging (SMS) and receive automated text messages. Messaging and data rates may apply. Text “stop” to opt-out at any time. No purchase necessary.

Pierre Ratzki

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY, APPELLATE UNIT

Focus: Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Phone: (212) 558-5500
Fax: (212) 344-5461

NEW YORK OFFICE
700 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

“For a Weitz & Luxenberg attorney, the most satisfaction gained from assisting clients comes when they receive a measure of justice for the harms they have suffered at the hands of indifferent and unscrupulous corporations. It is a distinct honor and pleasure to be part of this process.”

Overview

Pierre Ratzki is an associate attorney in our Asbestos Litigation group who focuses on appeals — that means he helps Weitz & Luxenberg defeat attempts by losing defendants to convince a higher court to overturn the verdict or slash the award and, when justice demands it, seek to reverse a loss by our clients.

Mr. Ratzki joined the firm in 2013. In 2016 and 2017, Mr. Ratzki was named as a New York Metro Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine.

He began his law career as an intern in the chambers of Judge J. Paul Oetken of U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. He next served as a summer associate at Holm & O’Hara, a New York law firm with a sizable labor practice.

For a time, he interned in the office of the Kings County, N.Y., district attorney and in the New York law firm Douglas & London. Mr. Ratzki also interned at the New York law office of Morelli Ratner, where he assisted with claims against British Petroleum for economic losses resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Mr. Ratzki is fluent in French.

EDUCATION

  • Phi Delta Phi

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • New York

LOOKING FOR LEGAL HELP?

We would feel privileged to assist you.
For a free case review, please contact us today.

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY, APPELLATE UNIT

“For a Weitz & Luxenberg attorney, the most satisfaction gained from assisting clients comes when they receive a measure of justice for the harms they have suffered at the hands of indifferent and unscrupulous corporations. It is a distinct honor and pleasure to be part of this process.”

Mesothelioma Asbestos

Request a Free Legal Consultation

In addition to being a pioneer in asbestos litigation, our firm is in the forefront of asbestos legislation, championing laws that protect the rights of current and future asbestos victims.

By providing your cell number you acknowledge and consent to receive and exchange communications via text messaging (SMS) and receive automated text messages. Messaging and data rates may apply. Text “stop” to opt-out at any time. No purchase necessary.