Our Litigation Boutique Attorneys

Matthew L. Lifflander - Partner

Matthew L. Lifflander is managing partner of Lifflander & Reich.

He is retained by significant clients for government relations and commercial litigation; and he actively practices labor and employment law, including cases of sexual harassment, discrimination, and grievance adjudication.

Mr. Lifflander enjoys a nationwide reputation as an investigator of professional medical practice problems. He served as Director and Chief Counsel to the New York State Assembly's Medical Practice Task Force, heading a three-year investigation which gained nationwide attention when it uncovered instances where medical equipment salesmen were performing surgery. Under Mr. Lifflander the Task Force delved into significant failures of the New York State's health care system, including alterations of medical records, ghost surgery, lack of informed consent, improper credentials, the conspiracy of silence to protect incompetent colleagues, and the provision of false medical references. These investigations led to important changes in state and hospital medical practice rules, major enhancement of the New York State Department of Health Office of Professional Medical Conduct resources for investigating and disciplining physicians who act improperly, and enactment of remedial legislation to improve physician discipline, including the New York law requiring health care professionals to report professional misconduct.

Lifflander has appeared on CBS 60 Minutes, the NBC Today Show, the Fox News Network's O'Reilly Factor, CNN Crossfire, the CBS Morning Show, MSNBC, and CBS News, as well as numerous radio shows, including Barry Gray and Bob Grant. His Op Ed columns have been published in the New York Times, the New York Daily News, the Albany Times Union, the New York Sun, and the New York Law Journal.

Mr. Lifflander's best-selling book, "Final Treatment, The File on Dr. X," published by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., in 1979, was a first-hand account of his involvement in the investigation of charges against surgeon Mario Jascalevich, M.D. Jascalevich was tried in Bergen County, New Jersey, for the murder of five hospital patients by the administration of curare, the poison South American Indians used on their arrow tips. The case made international headlines.

As Special Counsel to the Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Mr. Lifflander drafted laws that enhanced state tourism as a vital economic development program, including the world-famous "I Love N.Y." campaign. He was also instrumental in drafting the state's campaign finance legislation.

Mr. Lifflander began his career in Albany as Assistant Counsel to Governor W. Averell Harriman. He has served as Finance Chairman of the New York State Democratic Party, headed New York State fundraising for Democratic presidential candidates and managed presidential and gubernatorial primary campaigns in New York State.

A 1957 graduate of the Cornell Law School (J.D.), Mr. Lifflander received his B.A. from New York University (1954), and is admitted in state and federal courts in New York.

Mr. Lifflander received an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating a lawyer can obtain, as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar.

Mr. Lifflander is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the New York State Association of Magistrates. He is also a member of The University Club and a long-term member of the Board of Trustees of The Hudson River Museum.

Richard I. Reich - Partner

Mr. Reich, a native New Yorker, is a highly experienced trial lawyer who has conducted more than 100 jury trials, in medical malpractice, contract disputes, automobile liability, premises liability, products liability, construction, general negligence, police misconduct, and criminal law. His experience also includes cases of employment discrimination and sexual harassment.

Mr. Reich has successfully represented both plaintiffs and defendants. Prior to becoming a founding member of Lifflander & Reich LLP he was Of Counsel at RubinBaum LLP. Today he leads the firm's Qui Tam Whistleblower practice, representing relators filing cases under state and federal False Claims Acts. In September 2008 Mr. Reich represented the relator who helped the federal government recover $25 million from Staten Island University Hospital. Under the federal False Claims Act whistleblowers with original knowledge of fraud who file successful qui tam cases can be rewarded from 15 to 25 percent of recoveries. In this case Reich’s client received approximately $3.7 million.

From 1986-1990, Mr. Reich served as a Senior Trial Attorney/Assistant Corporation Counsel of the City of New York Law Department, in the unit that defended major tort claims brought against the City, many of which were high profile cases since the unit typically defended liability exposure in excess of $1 million.

As a result of his extensive trial experience, Mr. Reich has developed considerable knowledge in the medical aspects of personal injury litigation, having represented plaintiffs, defendants, patients, doctors and hospitals. His strengths include using the tools of thorough preparation and deep investigation to enhance his client's position.

Mr. Reich also has considerable criminal law experience, having spent five years as a trial lawyer with the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, New York, at the inception of his career.

As a member of the faculty of the New York State Trial Lawyers Institute, Mr. Reich chaired the Institute's 1994 Symposium on Municipal and Transit Liability, and has lectured on police misconduct litigation. He is a member of the Surrogate Decision-Making Committee of the State of New York Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled, and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He is also a member of Taxpayers Against Fraud (TAF), the Washington, D.C.-based pre-eminent qui tam professional association.

Mr. Reich is a 1979 graduate of the Hofstra University School of Law (J.D.). His expertise at jury selection has been enhanced by a Masters Degree in Psychology from New York University in 1976. He has been admitted to practice in state and federal courts in New York.

Kent B. Dolan – Partner

Mr. Dolan is a litigator whose practice concentrates in qui tam litigation, plaintiff's and defendant's personal injury, construction and labor law, products liability, appellate practice, employment/labor practice and the resolution of various commercial disputes. He has extensive courtroom and mediation experience in New York Metropolitan area state and federal courts, including the Appellate Divisions of the First and Second Departments.

Before joining Lifflander & Reich LLP Mr. Dolan was an associate at RubinBaum LLP.

Born in Topeka Kansas in 1964, Mr. Dolan received a B.A. from Washburn University in 1987 and a J.D. from New York Law School (cum laude) in 1994.

Mr. Dolan is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in New York and is a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association.

Roman E. Gitnik - Associate

Mr.Gitnik, who is fluent in Russian and Ukrainian, practices in the areas of qui tam litigation, medical malpractice, general liability, and labor and employment.

Born in Ukraine, Mr. Gitnik was graduated from the St. John's University Law School in 2003 (J.D.) and the Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, (B.S., cum laude) in 1998 and is admitted in New Jersey and state and federal courts in New York. Mr. Gitnik's medical acumen began during a year at New York University Medical School.

A member of the New York State Bar Association, he was Executive Articles Editor of the St. John's International Law Review, 2003-2004.